State v. Phelan

671 P.2d 1212, 100 Wash. 2d 508, 1983 Wash. LEXIS 1828
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 10, 1983
Docket49347-2, 49420-7
StatusPublished
Cited by110 cases

This text of 671 P.2d 1212 (State v. Phelan) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Phelan, 671 P.2d 1212, 100 Wash. 2d 508, 1983 Wash. LEXIS 1828 (Wash. 1983).

Opinions

Utter, J.

In Reanier v. Smith, 83 Wn.2d 342, 517 P.2d 949 (1974) and In re Phelan, 97 Wn.2d 590, 647 P.2d 1026 (1982), we held that all jail incarceration in connection with a charge must be credited against the maximum and any mandatory minimum prison sentences following conviction. These consolidated cases present the issue left undecided in Phelan and Reanier — whether such jail time must be credited against the discretionary minimum term1 set by the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles. We hold that the same [510]*510constitutional considerations apply and that credit must be given in establishing the guidelines for a discretionary minimum term. Beyond this, however, we place no limitations on the Board's discretion other than those established by its own regulations.

State v. Phelan (cause 49347-2) might more properly be entitled "The Return of Phillip Phelan". In In re Phelan, supra, we held that the trial court, in sentencing Mr. Phe-lan for a second degree rape conviction, must order credit for all jail time served solely in connection with that charge. (Both presentence incarceration and probationary jail time were involved.) Phelan, at 594-97. We then remanded to the trial court for resentencing "in accordance with this opinion." Phelan, at 598.

On remand, the trial court initially gave Mr. Phelan credit against his maximum term for 14 months of "straight time" (actual time served) plus 4 months of "good time" (extra credit for supposed good behavior). On the State's motion for reconsideration, however, the court deleted the "good time" credit and simply credited Mr. Phelan with 15 months and 16 days of "straight time".2 Neither order required that Mr. Phelan's jail time be credited against the discretionary minimum term set by the Board.

Theodore Rodriguez, the petitioner in In re Rodriguez (cause 49420-7), was also convicted of second degree rape. After serving approximately 5 months of probationary jail time, Mr. Rodriguez decided he was unable to comply with certain other conditions of his probation and so informed the court. The court then revoked Mr. Rodriguez' probation and sentenced him to prison.

The Board of Prison Terms and Paroles fixed Mr. Rodriguez' discretionary minimum term at 75 months. The Board's order gives no indication of what credit, if any, it gave Mr. Rodriguez for his jail time. Though two members of the Board have stated in affidavits filed in the present [511]*511appeal that they considered Mr. Rodriguez' jail time, they do not claim to have given him full credit.

Both Mr. Phelan and Mr. Rodriguez now seek an order from this court that they be given full credit for their jail time against their discretionary minimum terms. Mr. Phe-lan also seeks "good time" credit.

I

In Reanier v. Smith, supra, we held that detention of a defendant while he or she was awaiting trial or sentencing must be credited against maximum and mandatory minimum sentences.

Fundamental fairness and the avoidance of discrimination and possible multiple punishment dictate that an accused person, unable to or precluded from posting bail or otherwise procuring his release from confinement prior to trial should, upon conviction and commitment to a state penal facility, be credited as against a maximum and a mandatory minimum term with all time served in detention prior to trial and sentence.

Reanier, at 346. In In re Phelan, supra, we extended this rule to require credit of time served in jail as a condition of probation which was later revoked. Phelan, at 597.

In neither Phelan nor Reanier did we address the question of credit against the discretionary minimum term set by the Board of Prison Terms and Paroles — indeed, we expressly noted in Reanier that the issue was not raised. Other courts are divided regarding the question of whether credit need be given only to the extent that the total period of incarceration exceeds the statutorily authorized maximum prison sentence or whether it must always be given. Compare Johnson v. Prast, 548 F.2d 699, 703 (7th Cir. 1977) with Corley v. Cardwell, 544 F.2d 349, 353 (9th Cir. 1976), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 1048 (1977). The view that credit should always be given appears to be the modern trend and perhaps by now the majority view. See In re Banks, 88 Cal. App. 3d 864, 868, 152 Cal. Rptr. 111 (1979); Godbold v. District Court, 623 P.2d 862, 866 (Colo. 1981) (Quinn, J., dissenting) and cases cited therein. Neverthe[512]*512less, our Court of Appeals has taken the contrary view and limited the reach of Reanier (and, presumably, Phelan) to maximum and mandatory minimum terms. See In re Quin-livan, 22 Wn. App. 240, 243-45, 588 P.2d 1210 (1978).

II

We believe the decision in Quinlivan is ill advised. A refusal to fully take into consideration presentence jail time against every aspect of a prison sentence infringes independently on at least two constitutional protections.

A

The first of these is the equal protection clause. That provision requires that "persons similarly situated with respect to the legitimate purpose of the law receive like treatment." Harmon v. McNutt, 91 Wn.2d 126, 130, 587 P.2d 537 (1978). Traditionally, two equal protection tests have been recognized, the "rational relationship" test and the "strict scrutiny" test. Under the first of these tests, a law is subjected to minimal scrutiny and will be upheld "unless it rests on grounds wholly irrelevant to the achievement of a legitimate state objective." Nielsen v. Washington State Bar Ass'n, 90 Wn.2d 818, 820, 585 P.2d 1191 (1978). Under the "strict scrutiny" test, in contrast, the law may be upheld only if shown to be absolutely necessary to accomplish a compelling state interest. Nielsen, at 820. This stricter test applies when the law affects a "fundamental right" or creates a "suspect classification." Nielsen, at 820. Only recently, the Supreme Court has also recognized an "intermediate scrutiny" test whereby the challenged law must be such as "may fairly be viewed as furthering a substantial interest of the State". Plyler v. Doe, 457 U.S, 202, 217-18, 72 L. Ed. 2d 786, 102 S. Ct. 2382 (1982).

The test which has been applied to laws affecting the right of physical liberty is unclear. The Supreme Court purported to apply the rational relationship test in McGinnis v. Royster, 410 U.S. 263, 35 L. Ed. 2d 282, 93 S. Ct, 1055 (1973), in which it held that "good time" credit for [513]

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Bluebook (online)
671 P.2d 1212, 100 Wash. 2d 508, 1983 Wash. LEXIS 1828, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-phelan-wash-1983.