Zeiler v. State

2024 MT 317N, 560 P.3d 1291

Opinion

12/23/2024

DA 24-0057 Case Number: DA 24-0057

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA

2024 MT 317N

JACE CADE ZEILER,

Petitioner and Appellant,

v.

STATE OF MONTANA,

Respondent and Appellee.

APPEAL FROM: District Court of the Thirteenth Judicial District, In and For the County of Yellowstone, Cause No. DV-21-432 Honorable Mary Jane Knisely, Presiding Judge

COUNSEL OF RECORD:

For Appellant:

Brad L. Arndorfer, Arndorfer Law Firm, P.C., Boyd, Montana

For Appellee:

Austin Knudsen, Montana Attorney General, Cori Losing, Assistant Attorney General, Helena, Montana

Scott Twito, Yellowstone County Attorney, Ed Zink, Deputy County Attorney, Billings, Montana

Submitted on Briefs: September 4, 2024

Decided: December 23, 2024

Filed:

if-6tA.-if __________________________________________ Clerk Chief Justice Mike McGrath delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶1 Pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(c), Montana Supreme Court Internal Operating

Rules, this case is decided by memorandum opinion and shall not be cited and does not

serve as precedent. Its case title, cause number, and disposition shall be included in this

Court’s quarterly list of noncitable cases published in the Pacific Reporter and Montana

Reports.

¶2 Jace Cade Zeiler appeals from the January 10, 2024 Order Dismissing Petition for

Post-conviction Relief (Order). We affirm.

¶3 On April 4, 2019, the State charged Zeiler with Kidnapping, in violation of

§ 45-5-302, MCA; Stalking, in violation of § 45-5-220, MCA; three counts of Violation of

Order of Protection, in violation of § 45-5-626, MCA; and three counts of Privacy in

Communications, in violation of § 45-8-213, MCA. On April 11, a notice of appearance

was filed that George Isham would represent Zeiler. On June 10, the court held an omnibus

hearing where Zeiler appeared with Isham. Zeiler indicated in the omnibus hearing

memorandum that he would rely on a defense of general denial.

¶4 On July 1, the State charged Zeiler with Violation of Order of Protection, in

violation of § 45-5-626, MCA; Tampering with Witnesses and Informants, in violation of

§ 45-7-206, MCA; and Criminal Contempt, in violation of § 45-7-309, MCA. On July 8

and 9, Meghan Benson and Clark Ramsey were substituted as co-counsel for Zeiler in both

cases. On October 16, the State charged Zeiler in two other cases with Assault with

Weapon, in violation of § 45-5-213, MCA; Tampering with Witnesses and Informants, in

violation of §§ 45-2-302(3) and -7-206, MCA; and Violation of Order of Protection, in

2 violation of § 45-5-626, MCA. On October 18, Zeiler filed a motion to vacate jury trial

and set a date for change of plea in his cases.

¶5 On November 4, Zeiler signed an Acknowledgment of Waiver of Rights by Plea of

Guilty and Plea Agreement (Agreement) and pleaded no contest to Kidnapping and guilty

to Stalking and one count of Privacy in Communications in the first case. The State agreed

to drop the remaining five charges. Zeiler also pleaded guilty to Violation of a Protective

Order and Tampering with Witnesses and Informants in the second case in exchange for

the State dropping the third charge and the two other cases against him. The State agreed

to recommend that all counts run concurrent to each other. Zeiler acknowledged in the

Agreement that the court was not bound by the recommendations in the Agreement

pursuant to § 46-12-211(1)(c), MCA.

¶6 Zeiler appeared for sentencing on February 18, 2020. In the first case, the District

Court sentenced Zeiler to a total of 10 years at Montana State Prison (MSP). In the second

case, the court sentenced Zeiler to 10 years at MSP, with five years suspended, and ordered

that the sentence run consecutively to the sentence in the first case. Zeiler did not appeal

or apply to the sentence review division.

¶7 On April 12, 2021, Zeiler filed an Affidavit in Support of Petition for Postconviction

Relief pro se (Affidavit). Zeiler did not file a “verified petition” or memorandum in support

of his petition. See §§ 46-21-103, -104, MCA. On September 17, Zeiler filed a motion for

appointment of counsel. The District Court took no action on the motion, but on July 6,

2022, counsel filed a notice of appearance on behalf of Zeiler. On August 1, Zeiler, through

counsel, filed a First Amended Petition for Post Conviction Relief (Petition), alleging

3 ineffective assistance of counsel (IAC) and seeking to withdraw only his plea to

kidnapping.

¶8 Two months after filing the Petition, Zeiler filed a motion for a court order requiring

a response from the State. The court granted the motion and required a response from the

State pursuant to § 46-21-201(1)(a), MCA. However, the court also issued a Gillham1

Order requiring Zeiler’s trial counsel to respond by affidavit by March 6, 2023, and the

State to then respond by March 27. Zeiler’s trial counsel failed to file their affidavits on

time, and thus the State did not respond. Zeiler moved the District Court to enter a default

under M. R. Civ. P. 55 and grant the Petition for the State’s failure to respond. The court

granted an extension to trial counsel to file their affidavits by May 4, and the State to file

its response by May 18. On May 9, prior to the State’s new deadline, the State requested

another extension because trial counsel had not yet submitted their affidavits, which the

court granted. Subsequently, trial counsel filed affidavits, and the State filed its response.

The District Court held a hearing on the Petition on August 1, 2023. On January 10, 2024,

the court denied Zeiler’s Petition. Zeiler appeals.

¶9 We review the denial of a petition for postconviction relief to determine whether the

district court’s findings of fact are clearly erroneous and whether its conclusions of law are

correct. Oliphant v. State, 2023 MT 43, ¶ 29, 411 Mont. 250, 525 P.3d 1214. Mixed

questions of law and fact presented by claims of IAC are reviewed de novo, but we do not

analyze the conduct with hindsight. Oliphant, ¶ 29.

1 In re Gillham, 216 Mont. 279, 704 P.2d 1019 (1985). 4 ¶10 Zeiler first contends that his due process rights were violated when the District Court

did not order a response from the State on his Affidavit or subsequent Petition for more

than a year (but only four months after he had filed his Petition complying with statutory

requirements). Zeiler argues that the postconviction relief statutes, as applied to the facts

of this case, are unconstitutional as they do not include a specific timeframe in which the

court must take action. We do not find that Zeiler’s due process rights were violated on

the facts of this case. The court ordered a response from the State four months after Zeiler

corrected his deficient Affidavit by filing a petition for postconviction relief that complied

with the requirements of §§ 46-21-103 and -104, MCA.

¶11 Zeiler next argues that the District Court erred by not defaulting the State and

granting the Petition when the State missed two court ordered deadlines to file a response

brief. However, trial counsel had not yet submitted responsive affidavits and thus the State

had nothing to respond to.

¶12 Zeiler argues that M. R. Civ. P. 55, governing default judgments in civil

proceedings, should apply to petitions for postconviction relief. Section 46-21-201(1)(c),

MCA, says that the rules of civil procedure apply to postconviction relief proceedings “[t]o

the extent that they are applicable and are not inconsistent with” Title 46, chapter 21, MCA.

We hold that applying Rule 55 to the facts of this proceeding would be inconsistent with

the purposes of postconviction relief proceedings. The purpose of the postconviction relief

statutes is to “vacate, set aside, or correct” a sentence that, among other things, is in

violation of law. Section 46-21-101, MCA. We note that Rule 55(d) only allows a default

judgment against the State if the claimant establishes a claim or right to relief by evidence

5 that satisfies the court, which Zeiler failed to do. While the court has the power to order a

response from the State and hold it in contempt if appropriate, it would be inconsistent with

the purposes of postconviction relief to order Zeiler’s requested relief.

¶13 Zeiler then asserts four issues that he argues amounted to IAC. We apply a

two-pronged test to determine whether counsel was ineffective: the defendant must

(1) show that counsel’s performance was deficient or fell below an objective standard of

reasonableness, and (2) establish prejudice. State v. Deschon, 2004 MT 32, ¶ 31,

320 Mont. 1, 85 P.3d 756. In doing so, the defendant must overcome a strong presumption

that counsel’s actions fall within a wide range of reasonable decisions. Deschon, ¶ 31.

¶14 First, Zeiler alleges he was never informed of his right to substitute a judge under

§ 3-1-804(1)(b), MCA. Zeiler asserts his first attorney, Isham, never discussed his ability

to substitute a judge or his case with him. But the District Court found that Zeiler’s

testimony on this point was unreliable given that Zeiler did not remember ever meeting

Isham. Additionally, Zeiler merely asserts prejudice without pointing to any specific

prejudice he suffered and has thus not met his burden under the second prong of IAC

claims.

¶15 Second, Zeiler argues that counsel waived all defenses in his omnibus

memorandum. The District Court found, and the omnibus memorandum reflects, that

Zeiler retained the defense of general denial. Thus, counsel did not waive all defenses as

Zeiler asserts. See also State v. Pelletier, 2020 MT 249, ¶ 38, 401 Mont. 454, 473 P.3d

991. Additionally, under § 46-13-101(1), MCA, Zeiler could raise a defense not raised in

6 the omnibus memorandum only for good cause shown. Zeiler has not overcome his burden

to show that counsel’s actions were deficient.

¶16 Third, Zeiler asserts he was only presented with the plea agreement right before the

change of plea hearing and had no time to review or discuss it before signing it. Again,

Zeiler misrepresents the facts as found by the District Court and does not challenge those

as clearly erroneous. The court found that although Zeiler was not presented with the

written plea agreement until the morning of the change of plea hearing, counsel went over

all the terms of the agreement with him at least two weeks prior to the hearing.

Additionally, counsel read the entire agreement to Zeiler before the hearing and fully

explained the content and terms to him. Contrary to what Zeiler asserts in briefing, the

court found that counsel determined there were no lesser included offenses applicable to

his case and that she discussed this with him. Lesser included offenses that Zeiler now

argues “could [have] be[en] a viable option” do not overcome the strong presumption that

counsel’s performance was effective.

¶17 Finally, Zeiler argues he never went over the presentence investigation report (PSI)

prior to sentencing with counsel. Although the District Court noted that counsel had

reviewed the PSI, it did not specifically find that Zeiler had gone over the PSI with counsel

prior to sentencing. Zeiler acknowledges “[i]t is hard to find case law saying this is

ineffective assistance of counsel.” While Zeiler correctly argues that due process requires

he be given an opportunity to explain, argue, and rebut any information in the PSI,

see State v. Ferguson, 2005 MT 343, ¶ 100, 330 Mont. 103, 126 P.3d 463, he does not

bring a due process challenge nor argue that any information contained in the PSI was

7 incorrect. Zeiler fails to allege any prejudice resulting from his inability to review the PSI

with counsel before sentencing. His IAC claim fails.

¶18 We have determined to decide this case pursuant to Section I, Paragraph 3(c) of our

Internal Operating Rules, which provides for memorandum opinions. In the opinion of the

Court, the case presents a question controlled by settled law or by the clear application of

applicable standards of review.

¶19 Affirmed.

/S/ MIKE McGRATH

We Concur:

/S/ JAMES JEREMIAH SHEA /S/ LAURIE McKINNON /S/ INGRID GUSTAFSON /S/ JIM RICE