State v. Reed

435 P.3d 1044, 246 Ariz. 138
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedJanuary 22, 2019
DocketNo. 1 CA-CR 17-0620
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 435 P.3d 1044 (State v. Reed) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Reed, 435 P.3d 1044, 246 Ariz. 138 (Ark. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

THUMMA, Chief Judge:

¶1 Defendant Richard Allen Reed died while this appeal of a criminal restitution order entered against him was pending. The State then sought dismissal of his appeal pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) section 13-106(A) (2018),1 which states that "[o]n a convicted defendant's death, the court shall dismiss any pending appeal." Because that statute is constitutional as applied, this appeal is dismissed.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

¶2 The State charged Reed with voyeurism, a Class 5 felony, committed in January 2015. The victim hired an attorney to assist her during the criminal proceedings. The jury found Reed guilty; he was placed on probation and this court affirmed in a prior appeal. See State v. Reed , 1 CA-CR 16-0269, 2017 WL 1325647 (Ariz. App. Apr. 11, 2017) (mem. dec.).

¶3 Meanwhile, the State filed a motion requesting restitution, including the victim's attorneys' fees. After an evidentiary hearing, the superior court awarded the victim attorneys' fees and granted in part and denied in part other requested restitution. Reed timely filed this second appeal challenging that restitution order. See State v. French , 166 Ariz. 247, 248 n.3, 801 P.2d 482, 483 n.3 (App. 1990) (noting an "order of restitution is a separately appealable order").

¶4 When Reed died while this appeal was pending, the State sought dismissal pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-106(A). Reed's counsel objected, claiming the statute was unconstitutional. The court allowed Reed's counsel, the State and others to file briefs on the constitutionality of Section 13-106 and the availability of any other forum to challenge a restitution order.2

DISCUSSION

I. A.R.S. § 13-106.

¶ 5 Enacted effective July 24, 2014, A.R.S. § 13-106 states:

A. On a convicted defendant's death, the court shall dismiss any pending appeal or postconviction proceeding.
B. A convicted defendant's death does not abate the defendant's criminal conviction or sentence of imprisonment or any restitution, *1047fine or assessment imposed by the sentencing court.

A legislative fact sheet states the statute was a response to: (1) State v. Griffin , 121 Ariz. 538, 592 P.2d 372 (1979) (noting Arizona's common law abatement rule means a defendant's death "pending appellate review of a criminal conviction abates not only the appeal but also all proceedings had in the prosecution from its inception") and (2) State v. Glassel , 233 Ariz. 353, 312 P.3d 1119 (2013) (holding abatement does not apply to post-conviction relief proceedings after an appeal). See Ariz. Senate Fact Sheet, H.B. 2593, 51st Leg., 2d Reg. Sess. (Ariz. 2014). A brief history of the rule of abatement provides helpful background for this appeal.

II. The Rule Of Abatement.

¶6 The rule of abatement, sometimes called "abatement ab initio ," is based on the common law principle that "all private criminal injuries or wrongs, as well as all public crimes, are buried with the offender." United States v. Daniel , 47 U.S. (6 How.) 11, 14, 12 L.Ed. 323 (1848). The concept has ancient roots, as evidenced by a British statute enacted in 1330 providing an exception to abatement. Torts. Right of Privacy. Survival of Action , 46 Colum. L. Rev. 315, 315 n.6 (1946) (citing authority). The "unanimous" approach in federal court is that "death pending direct review of a criminal conviction abates not only the appeal but also all proceedings had in the prosecution from its inception." Durham v. United States , 401 U.S. 481, 482-83, 91 S.Ct. 858, 28 L.Ed.2d 200 (1971). Federal courts have held that, "[i]f the sentence included a fine, this rule of abatement ab initio prevents recovery against the estate." United States v. Oberlin , 718 F.2d 894, 895 (9th Cir. 1983). As conceded in Durham , however, United States Supreme Court cases applying abatement "are not free of ambiguity." 401 U.S. at 482, 91 S.Ct. 858.3

¶7 Four Arizona state court opinions have addressed abatement in criminal matters. The first, decided in 1976, dismissed an appeal when the defendant died, noting "[t]he generally conceded grounds for mootness are that in the event the judgment of conviction is affirmed, it is impossible of execution, and if the judgment is reversed, the accused is unavailable for a new trial." State v. Richards , 26 Ariz. App. 41, 41-42, 545 P.2d 1003 (1976). Richards , however, did not address "the effect of the dismissal of this appeal upon the underlying conviction appealed from," or "whether a fine or forfeiture of property based upon the prior conviction would require the same determination of mootness." Id.

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Related

State v. Reed
483 P.3d 221 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 2020)
State of Arizona v. Richard Allen Reed
456 P.3d 453 (Arizona Supreme Court, 2020)

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Bluebook (online)
435 P.3d 1044, 246 Ariz. 138, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reed-arizctapp-2019.