State v. Tabone
State v. Tabone
Opinion of the Court
Opinion
This case returns to us for a second time to address the sentence of the defendant, John Tabone, following our decision in State v. Tabone, 279 Conn. 527, 544, 902 A.2d 1058 (2006), in which we remanded the case for resentencing after concluding that the defendant’s original sentence of ten years incarceration followed by ten years of special parole was illegal. The defendant appeals
The record reflects the following procedural history that is relevant to this appeal, most of which was set forth by this court in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 530-32. “On November 2, 2000, pursuant to a plea agreement, the defendant pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine
“In June, 2004, the defendant filed a motion to correct his sentence for sexual assault in the second degree pursuant to Practice Book § 43-22.*
In the first appeal, the defendant renewed the claims he had raised before the trial court and also claimed that “his sentence violatefd] the double jeopardy clause of the fifth amendment to the United States constitution because it ‘constitutes cumulative multiple punishments exceeding what the legislature intended’ for the offense of sexual assault in the second degree.” Id. This court concluded that “the defendant’s sentence violates § 54-128 (c) because the total length of the term of imprisonment and term of special parole combined exceeded] the maximum term of imprisonment authorized for sexual assault in the second degree.” Id., 533. The court recognized that “an irreconcilable conflict exists between the sentencing requirements of §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c)”; id., 543; concluding that, “when the sentencing provisions of §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c) conflict, the legislature intended the maximum statutory limit in § 54-128 (c) to control.” Id., 544. Accordingly, this court remanded the case for resentencing “in accordance with State v. Raucci, 21 Conn. App. 557, 575 A.2d 234, cert. denied, 215 Conn. 817, 576 A.2d 546 (1990), and State v. Miranda, 260 Conn. 93, 127-30, 794 A.2d 506, cert. denied, 537 U.S. 902, 123 S. Ct. 224, 154 L. Ed. 2d 175 (2002).”
I
The defendant first claims that his new sentence is illegal because the ten year period of probation unconstitutionally enlarged his original sentence in violation of his due process rights under the federal and state constitutions. In support of this claim, he contends, inter alia, that, because the terms of incarceration following violations of probation and special parole are calculated differently, he could be exposed to a significantly longer period of incarceration from a probation violation than from a violation of special parole, thereby exceeding the confines of his original sentence.
A
We begin our analysis by setting forth the legal principles that govern the resolution of the defendant’s claim and the appropriate standard for our review. Our rules of practice permit “[t]he judicial authority [to] at any time correct an illegal sentence . . . .” Practice Book § 43-22. “An illegal sentence is essentially one which either exceeds the relevant statutory maximum limits, violates a defendant’s right against double jeopardy, is ambiguous, or is internally contradictory”; (internal quotation marks omitted) State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 534; and, following a successful challenge to the legality of a sentence, the case may be remanded for resentencing. Id.
This court has held that, when a case involving multiple convictions is remanded for resentencing, the trial court is limited by the confines of the original sentence in accordance with the aggregate package theory set forth in State v. Raucci, supra, 21 Conn. App. 563, and later adopted by this court in State v. Miranda, supra, 260 Conn. 129-30. In Miranda, this court recognized that “ ‘the defendant, in appealing his conviction and
With these principles in mind, we turn to the question of whether the trial court’s substitution of a period of
The state claims that it has rectified this defect, however, by agreeing to limit its recommendation for incarceration, in the event of a violation of probation, to the remaining probationary period and points to the doctrine of the law of the case to shield the defendant from an enlargement of his sentence. This contention is unavailing. The principal flaw in the state’s argument is that, while the agreement may bind the state, it does not bind a future trial court, a fact that the state concedes in its brief. It is well established that sentencing is within the discretion of the trial court, and a trial court cannot be bound by an agreement that removes that discretion. State v. DeJesus, 10 Conn. App. 591, 603, 524 A.2d 1156 (1987) (“public policy considerations bear against the specific performance of any promise regarding sentencing made by a judge”); see also United States v. Greatwalker, 285 F.3d 727, 730 (8th Cir. 2002) (“[e]ven when a defendant, prosecutor and court agree on a sentence, the court cannot give the sentence effect if it is not authorized by law”). The fact that the trial court explicitly relied on the state’s agreement does not remedy this flaw, as the trial court also has no authority to bind a future trial court. A future trial court would remain free to disregard the state’s recommendation and impose the full ten year period of the defendant’s suspended sentence pursuant to § 53a-32 (b) (4). Consequently, the defendant’s sentence has been enlarged
B
Because we conclude that the defendant’s sentence is illegal, we once again remand the case for resentenc-ing in accordance with the aggregate package theory under State v. Raucci, supra, 21 Conn. App. 557, and State v. Miranda, supra, 260 Conn. 93. We are mindful, however, that at the resentencing hearing, the trial court stated that, due to the fact that this court’s previous determination that the defendant’s term of special parole was illegal and the fact that probation could expose the defendant to additional incarceration, it would be difficult for the trial court to construct a sentence that would closely approximate the defendant’s original sentence. Indeed, the state offered its agreement in order to address these difficulties. Because of the apparent confusion in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 527, a problem likely to arise on remand, and to provide some guidance on this matter, we next address the appropriate means to resentence the defendant. See State v. Arroyo, 284 Conn. 597, 601 n.3, 935 A.2d 975 (2007) (addressing issues likely to arise on remand); State v. Randolph, 284 Conn. 328, 331 n.2, 931 A.2d 939 (2007) (same).
We note that the resolution of this question requires an analysis of the relevant sentencing statutes, to which we apply familiar principles of statutory construction. “When construing a statute, [o]ur fundamental objective is to ascertain and give effect to the apparent intent of the legislature. ... In other words, we seek to determine, in a reasoned manner, the meaning of the statutory language as applied to the facts of [the] case, including the question of whether the language actually does apply. ... In seeking to determine that meaning, General Statutes § l-2z directs us first to consider the
Three statutes govern the sentence at issue in the present appeal. Because the defendant was convicted of risk of injury to a child and sexual assault in the second degree, both of which are class C felonies, and of sexual assault in the third degree, a class D felony, his sentences are controlled by § 53a-35a, which sets forth the sentencing parameters for those classes of felonies. See footnotes 2, 3 and 4 of this opinion. Under § 53a-35a, class C felonies are subject to a minimum prison sentence of one year and a maximum prison sentence of ten years, and class D felonies are subject to a minimum prison sentence of one year and a maximum prison sentence of five years. See footnote 12 of this opinion. Additionally, § 54-128 (c) requires that, when both special parole and a prison sentence are imposed, the combination of those two sentences cannot exceed the statutory maximum prison sentence set forth in § 53a-35a. See footnote 13 of this opinion. Finally, § 54-125e (c) requires that, for certain convictions including the three offenses committed by the defendant, special parole, if imposed, must be for a minimum term of ten
As this court recognized in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 543, the interaction of these three statutes results in the following conflict: “[T]he trial court was required to sentence the defendant to a minimum of one year of imprisonment under § 53a-35a (6), and to a minimum of ten years of special parole under § 54-125e (c). The total length of the minimum term of imprisonment and the minimum period of special parole combined amounts to eleven years. As such, the trial court was required to impose a combined term of imprisonment and period of special parole that exceeds the maximum sentence of imprisonment for sexual assault in the second degree. At the same time, pursuant to § 54-128 (c), the trial court was prohibited from imposing a combined term of imprisonment and period of special parole that exceeds the maximum sentence of imprisonment for sexual assault in the second degree. Accordingly, under the circumstances of the present case, an irreconcilable conflict exists between the sentencing requirements of §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c).” This court concluded, however, in reliance on the legislative history surrounding the enactment of these statutes, that, when §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c) conflict, the legislature intended the statutory mandatory maximum sentence under § 54-128 (c) to control. Id., 544.
Although we did not state this point expressly in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 544, a necessary corollary to this conclusion is that § 54-125e (c) can be given effect only to the extent that it does not conflict with § 54-128 (c). It is axiomatic that the legislature is presumed not to have intended to enact conflicting legislation, and that, in the absence of a construction that harmonizes the two, both statutes can be given effect only when they do not conflict. See Perille v. Raybestos-Manhattan-Europe, Inc., 196 Conn. 529, 541-43, 494
That is not to say, however, that § 54-125e (c) in its entirety must fall. It is well established that, because we presume that the legislature does not intend to draft meaningless provisions, we are bound to harmonize otherwise conflicting statutes to the maximum extent possible without thwarting their intended purpose. State v. West, 192 Conn. 488, 494, 472 A.2d 775 (1984); see also State v. Scott, 256 Conn. 517, 538-39, 779 A.2d 702 (2001) (“[c]onstructionshouldnot exclude common sense so that absurdity results and the evident design of the legislature is frustrated” [internal quotation marks omitted]); Rivera v. Commissioner of Correction, 254 Conn. 214, 242, 756 A.2d 1264 (2000) (noting court’s duty to reconcile and give concurrent effect to conflicting statutes where possible). Consequently, we must seek a construction that gives effect to the apparent legislative intent while minimizing the damage to the conflicting statute.
As we noted in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 540, the legislature intended to permit the imposition of special parole as “a sentencing option which ensures intense supervision of convicted felons after [they are] released to the community and allows the imposition of parole stipulations on the released inmate.” At the
Furthermore, we note that the legislature, in apparent recognition of the confusion it had created upon enacting § 54-125e (c), amended that statute shortly after its enactment to remove the mandatory minimum period of special parole. The mandatory minimum of ten years special parole for certain sexual assault convictions had been enacted by the legislature with the passage of No. 98-234, § 3, of the 1998 Public Acts,
In sum, we conclude that the ten year mandatory minimum for special parole under § 54-125e (c) does not apply to resentencing in the present case, and the trial court may apply §§ 53a-35a and 54-128 (c) in a manner such that the new total effective sentence does not exceed the defendant’s original total effective sentence of ten years of incarceration, followed by ten
II
Although our conclusion that the defendant’s sentence was enlarged unconstitutionally when probation was substituted for special parole is dispositive, we nonetheless address the defendant’s claim that the resentencing on his conviction for sexual assault in the third degree and risk of injury to a child violated the
In response, the state contends that, because the defendant’s successful challenge to his original sentence vacated all of the sentences against him, he has not suffered multiple punishments for the same offense. The state also asserts that, because the sentences on the conviction of sexual assault in the third degree and risk of injury to a child were part of a total sentencing package, the court on remand could reconstruct the entire sentencing package without violating double jeopardy. We agree with the state.
As a threshold matter, claims of double jeopardy involving multiple punishments present a question of law to which we afford plenary review. State v. Burnell, 290 Conn. 634, 642, 966 A.2d 168 (2009); State v. Culver, 97 Conn. App. 332, 336, 904 A.2d 283 (2006), cert. denied, 280 Conn. 935, 909 A.2d 961 (2006). “The fifth amendment to the United States constitution provides in relevant part: No person shall ... be subject for the same
“We have recognized that the [d]ouble [j]eopardy [c]lause consists of several protections: It protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after acquittal. It protects against a second prosecution for the same offense after conviction. And it protects against multiple punishments for the same offense.” (Citation omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Bletsch, 281 Conn. 5, 27, 912 A.2d 992 (2007); see also, e.g., North Carolina v. Pearce, 395 U.S. 711, 717, 89 S. Ct. 2072, 23 L. Ed. 2d 656 (1969), overruled on other grounds by Alabama v. Smith, 490 U.S. 794, 798-99, 109 S. Ct. 2201, 104 L. Ed. 2d 865 (1989). It is the third protection that is implicated in this appeal.
It is well established that resentencing a defendant does not trigger double jeopardy concerns when the original sentence was illegal or erroneous. State v. Langley, 156 Conn. 598, 601-602, 244 A.2d 366 (1968), cert. denied, 393 U.S. 1069, 89 S. Ct. 726, 21 L. Ed. 2d 712 (1969). Jeopardy does not attach until the avenues for challenging the validity of a sentence have been exhausted, and, therefore, “resentencing has repeatedly been held not to involve double jeopardy when the first sentence was, for some reason, erroneous or inconclusive. Mathes v. United States, 254 F.2d 938, 939 (9th Cir. [1958]); Robinson v. United States, 144 F.2d 392, 397 (6th Cir. [1944]), [affd, 324 U.S. 282, 65 S. Ct. 666, 89 L. Ed. 944 (1945)]; McCleary v. Hudspeth, 124 F.2d 445, 447 (10th Cir. [1942]), cert. denied, 316 U.S. 670, 62 S. Ct. 1043, 86 L. Ed. 1745 [1942]; 21 Am. Jur. 2d 232, Criminal Law, § 167 [1965]; see note, 97 A.L.R. 160, 162 [1935]. ‘Sentencing should not be a game in which a wrong move by the judge means immunity for the pris
In the specific context of a remand for resentencing when a defendant successfully challenges one portion of a sentencing “package,” the United States Supreme Court has held that a trial court may resentence a defendant on his conviction of the other crimes without offending the double jeopardy clause of the United States constitution. Pennsylvania v. Goldhammer, 474 U.S. 28, 29-30, 106 S. Ct. 353, 88 L. Ed. 2d 183 (1985). Indeed, the resentencing court is free to restructure the defendant’s entire sentencing package, even for those components assigned to convictions that have been fully served, as long as the overall term has not expired, without offending double jeopardy. United States v. Triestman, 178 F.3d 624, 631 (2d Cir. 1999); see, e.g., United States v. Alton, 120 F.3d 114, 116 (8th Cir. 1997), cert, denied, 522 U.S. 976, 118 S. Ct. 433, 139 L. Ed. 2d 332 (1997) (same); United States v. Benbrook, 119 F.3d 338, 340-41 (5th Cir. 1997) (holding that defendant that challenges one conviction has no legitimate expectation of finality in other portions of original sentencing package, even if he already has served term of incarceration associated with other parts); United States v. Smith, 115 F.3d 241, 247-48 (4th Cir.) (holding that court can resentence defendant on one part of sentencing package after original term has been served so long as defendant has not yet finished serving entire sentence on all parts of sentencing package), cert, denied, 522 U.S. 922, 118 S. Ct. 315, 139 L. Ed. 2d 244 (1997); United States v. Rico, 902 F.2d 1065, 1068-69 (2d Cir.) (holding that District Court may correct sentence to conform to plea agreement without violating double jeopardy, even though defendant already had been released from prison, because defendant was still serving five year term of supervised release), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 943, 111 S. Ct. 352, 112 L. Ed. 2d 316 (1990).
The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded for resentencing according to law.
In this opinion NORCOTT and ZARELLA, Js., concurred.
The defendant appealed from the judgment of the trial court to the Appellate Court, and, upon the state’s motion, we transferred the appeal to this court pursuant to General Statutes! 51-199 (c) and Practice Book § 65-2.
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-71 provides in relevant part: “(a) A person is guilty of sexual assault in the second degree when such person engages in sexual intercourse with another person and ... (4) such other person is less than eighteen years old and the actor is such person’s guardian or otherwise responsible for the general supervision of such person’s welfare ....
“(b) Sexual assault in the second degree is a class C felony for which nine months of the sentence imposed may not be suspended or reduced by the court.”
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-72a provides in relevant part: “(a) A person is guilty of sexual assault in the third degree when such person (1) compels another person to submit to sexual contact (A) by the use of force against such other person or a third person ....
“(b) Sexual assault in the third degree is a class D felony.”
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53-21 (2) provides in relevant part: “Any person who . . . has contact with the intimate parts, as defined in section 53a-65, of a child under the age of sixteen years or subjects a child under sixteen years of age to contact with the intimate parts of such person, in a sexual and indecent manner likely to impair the health or morals of such child . . . shall be guilty of a class C felony.”
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-32 (b) provides: “If such violation [of probation] is established, the court may: (1) Continue the sentence of probation or conditional discharge; (2) modify or enlarge the conditions of probation or conditional discharge; (3) extend the period of probation or conditional discharge, provided the original period with any extensions shall not exceed the periods authorized by section 53a-29; or (4) revoke the sentence of probation or conditional discharge. If such sentence is revoked, the court shall require the defendant to serve the sentence imposed or impose any lesser sentence. Any such lesser sentence may include a term
The fifth amendment to the United States constitution provides in relevant part: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a [g]rand [j]ury . . . nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law . . . .”
“Although the Connecticut constitution has no specific double jeopardy provision, we have held that the due process guarantees of article first, § 9, include protection against double jeopardy.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Miranda, 260 Conn. 93, 119, 794 A.2d 506 (2002).
Article first, § 9, of the Connecticut constitution provides: “No person shall be arrested, detained or punished, except in cases clearly warranted by law.”
“Under North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162 (1970), a criminal defendant is not required to admit his guilt . . . but consents to being punished as if he were guilty to avoid the risk of proceeding to trial. . . . A guilty plea under the Alford doctrine is a judicial oxymoron in that the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that the state’s evidence against him is so strong that he is prepared to accept the entry of a guilty plea nevertheless.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Fowlkes, 283 Conn. 735, 736 n.1, 930 A.2d 644 (2007).
The defendant was charged, in a substitute long form information, with engaging in multiple acts of sexual intercourse and indecent sexual contact
Specifically, the trial court required the defendant to: enroll in an outpatient sex offender treatment program; submit to polygraph examinations as deemed appropriate; be prohibited from contact with the victim or the victim’s family; be prohibited from living with or having any contact with minors under the age of sixteen years; and be prohibited from working or volunteering in any activity involving contact with any children under the age of sixteen years.
As this court noted in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 532 n.10, both the defendant and the state had agreed during plea negotiations to a total effective sentence of ten years incarceration followed by ten years of special parole.
Practice Book § 43-22 provides that “[t]he judicial authority may at any time correct an illegal sentence or other illegal disposition, or it may correct a sentence imposed in an illegal manner or any other disposition made in an illegal manner.”
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-35a provides in relevant part: “For any felony committed on or after July 1,1981, the sentence of imprisonment shall be a definite sentence and the term shall be fixed by the court as follows ... (6) for a class C felony, a term not less than one year nor more than ten years ... (7) for a class D felony, a term not less than one year nor more than five years . . . .”
General Statutes § 54-128 (c) provides: “Any person who, during the service of a period of special parole imposed in accordance with subdivision (9) of subsection (b) of section 53a-28, has been returned to any institution of the Department of Correction for violation of such person’s parole, may be retained in a correctional institution for a period equal to the unexpired portion of the period of special parole. The total length of the term of incarceration and term of special parole combined shall not exceed the maximum sentence of imprisonment authorized for the offense for which the person was convicted.”
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 54-125e (c) provides in relevant part: “The period of special parole shall be not less than one year nor more than ten years except that such period shall be not less than ten years nor more than thirty-five years for a person convicted of a violation of subdivision (2) of section 53-21, section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b, 53a-71, 53a-72a or 53a-72b .. . .”
Subsequent to our decision in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 527, but prior to resentencing, the defendant filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence with respect to the conviction of risk of injury to a child on the ground that the five year period of special parole violated the requirement of § 54-125e, which set forth a minimum period of ten years special parole for that particular crime. The defendant requested that the court resentence the defendant to five years of incarceration to run concurrently with his
The agreement provides as follows: “As [sjtate’s [ajttomey for the [¡judicial [djistrict of Waterbury, I hereby agree that:
“(1) If [the defendant] is resentenced on this matter to a term or terms which include ten years of incarceration followed by ten years execution suspended and ten years of probation, in lieu of the ten years of incarceration and ten years of special parole found illegal by the court in State v. Tabone, [supra, 279 Conn. 527]; and
“(2) If [the defendant] is found guilty of a violation of such probation; then the state’s attorney’s office will seek a maximum sentence on the
“The object of this agreement is to fulfill the intentions of all involved in the original sentence agreement in a legal manner and it is my intent that current and future members of this [s]tate’s [a]ttomey’s office abide by this agreement.”
We note that the agreement is signed only by State’s Attorney Connelly, and not the defendant. In fact, the agreement does not designate a space for the defendant to sign.
The defendant also claims that his sentence was unconstitutionally enlarged because, pursuant to General Statutes § 53a-32a, a failure to admit guilt during any sex offender treatment program automatically would result
The state contends that the defendant’s claim is not ripe for review because he has not violated probation, and may never do so, and thus has not experienced any negative consequences as a result of this new sentence. We reject this claim because, as we previously have noted, “[t]he judicial authority may at any time correct an illegal sentence . . . .” Practice Book § 43-22; State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 544 n.17.
We note that the trial court and the parties were fully aware of this possibility. Indeed, at the sentencing proceeding, the trial court noted: “Now, I understand that if [the defendant] violates on the last day of his probation, there could be ten years coming into play, which is not the bargain that we had way back .... Okay, the only way this can work is if the state’s attorney agreed that while [the defendant] was on probation, if in fact he violated probation — the maximum penalty the state could look at would be the remaining time that he has on probation.”
Because we conclude that the substitution of probation for special parole enlarges the defendant’s sentence beyond that specified under State v. Miranda, supra, 260 Conn. 129-30, we do not address the defendant’s claim that the sentence violates his due process rights because the failure to admit guilt during sex offender treatment automatically results in a violation of probation. We also express no opinion on the defendant’s second claim, that the agreement violates the separation of powers clause of the Connecticut constitution.
The dissent notes that in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 537, we acknowledged that the plain language of § 54-125e (c) required a sentence of ten years of special parole and suggests that this statement indicates that we did not intend for the trial court to be free to sentence the defendant to fewer than ten years of special parole. Seven pages later in the same opinion, however, we determined that the sentencing provisions of § 54-128 (c) control over those of § 54-125e (c). Id., 544. In accordance with this holding, therefore, § 54-125e (c) cannot be interpreted in accordance with its plain meaning but must be construed to give effect to the intent of the legislature. See State v. Ayala, 222 Conn. 331, 345, 610 A.2d 1162 (1992) (“[statutory language is to be given its plain and ordinary meaning unless such meaning is clearly at odds with the legislative intent” [emphasis added; internal quotation marks omitted]).
To be clear, we note that in the present case, we do not rely on subsequent legislative history to support our construction of the statutes. Were we to do so, we would note that this court has recognized that in the criminal context, the use of subsequent legislative history to discern legislative intent at the time of enactment must be viewed with skepticism because of fair notice concerns. State v. Cote, 286 Conn. 603, 624 n.14, 945 A.2d 412 (2008) (“ [w] e also note that, although we have on occasion looked to the subsequent history of a statute to determine legislative intent. . . such a practice would be inappropriate when construing a penal statute wherein the construction proposed by the state raises concerns of fair notice” [citation omitted]). In the present case, however, these concerns are not implicated; because the trial court is still bound by the original sentence, there is no issue of fair notice to the defendant, as he may not be sentenced beyond the sentence to which he originally had agreed. Cf. State v. Kozlowski, 199 Conn. 667, 682, 509 A.2d 20 (1986) (rejecting defendant’s fair notice claim for conflicting statutes, despite fact that defendant was sentenced to stiffer penalty, because penalties had been spelled out clearly in both relevant public acts).
The dissent contends that the trial court is limited, upon resentencing, to the original ten year period of incarceration because the special parole period originally imposed was part, of a sentence that this court found illegal in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 544, in light of the conflict between §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c). Respectfully, we disagree.
The aggregate package theory, adopted in State v. Miranda, supra, 260 Conn. 129-30, expressly authorizes the trial court to resentence the defendant on each of his convictions, provided that the new sentence does not exceed the original illegal sentence previously imposed. Under this theory, “the original sentencing court is viewed as having imposed individual sentences merely as component parts or building blocks of a larger total punishment for the aggregate convictions, and, thus, to invalidate any part of that package without allowing the court thereafter to review and revise the remaining valid convictions would frustrate the court’s sentencing intent. . . . Accordingly . . . the [resentencing] court’s power under these circumstances is limited by its original sentencing intent as expressed by the original total effective sentence, and, furthermore . . . this power is permissive, not mandatory. Although the court may reconstruct the sentencing package to conform to its original intent, it is not required to do so. It may, therefore, simply eliminate the sentence previously imposed for the vacated conviction, and leave the other sentences intact; or it may reconstruct the sentencing package so as to reach a total effective sentence that is less than the original sentence but more than that effected by the simple elimination of the sentence for the vacated conviction. The guiding principle is that the court may resentence the defendant to achieve a rational, coherent [sentence] in light of the remaining convictions, as long as the revised total effective sentence does not exceed the original. [State v. Raucci, supra, 21 Conn. App.] 563, quoting United States v. Bentley, 850 F.2d 327, 328 (7th Cir.), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 970, 109 S. Ct. 501, 102 L. Ed. 2d 537 (1988).” (Citation omitted; emphasis added; internal quotation marks omitted.) State v. Miranda, supra, 260 Conn. 129-30.
We further explained in Miranda that “[i]t is axiomatic that a trial court has wide discretion to tailor a just sentence in order to fit a particular defendant and his crimes, as long as the final sentence falls within the statutory limits. . . . This same wide sentencing discretion equally applies to a trial court’s restructuring of a sentencing plan for a defendant who has been convicted in a multiple count case and who faces a permissible range of punishment based on the individual counts. [W]hen a defendant is found guilty on a multicount indictment, there is a strong likelihood that the . . . court will craft a disposition in which the sentences on the various counts form part of an overall plan. When the conviction on one or more of the component counts is vacated, common sense dictates that the judge should be free to review the efficacy of what remains in light of the original plan, and to reconstruct the sentencing architecture . . . within applicable constitutional and statutory limits, if that appears necessary in order to ensure
In light of these principles, it is clear that, on resentencing, the trial court must fashion a sentence that does not exceed the original sentence of ten years incarceration followed by ten years of special parole. The fact that a portion of the sentence was found to be illegal is irrelevant. So long as the new sentence does not exceed the original, the trial court is free to sentence the defendant at its discretion.
Concurring in Part
with whom VERTEFEUILLE, J., joins, concurring in part and dissenting in part. This case presents the question of what steps our law permits a court to take in an effort to reconcile criminal statutes that are in conflict to the extent that the statutory scheme is rendered unworkable. General Statutes § 1-2z
I
It is beyond dispute that the statutory scheme regarding special parole was in a state of irreconcilable conflict at the time of the defendant’s alleged criminal conduct.
In contrast to our well reasoned conclusion in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 543-44, that an irreconcilable conflict exists between §§ 54-125e (c) and 54-128 (c), and that, as a result, § 54-125e (c) must yield to § 54-128 (c), the majority now concludes, in effect, that no such irreconcilable conflict actually existed because a “necessary corollary” to our earlier decision in Tabone, was that “the defendant may be sentenced to a period of special parole unfettered by a mandatory minimum period, provided that the combination of the defendant’s term of incarceration and term of special parole does not exceed the statutory maximum set forth by § 54-128 (c).” I respectfully submit that such an interpretation is not supported either by our decision in Tabone or by our broader jurisprudence.*
First, we did not mention in Tabone that the trial court was free to sentence the defendant to fewer than ten years special parole irrespective of the plain and unambiguous language of § 54-125e to the contrary. Equally important is that the analysis in Tabone suggests precisely the opposite. In our statutory interpretation, we determined that “pursuant to the plain language of § 54-125e (c), the trial court was required to sentence the defendant to a minimum of ten years of special parole. Accordingly, the defendant’s sentence of ten years of special parole is authorized by, and, indeed, required by, § 54-125e (c).”
Third, in reaching its conclusion, the majority relies on our presumption that the legislature did not intend to enact conflicting legislation, and the court’s authority to “harmonize” statutes where possible. These tools, however, do not justify the majority’s result. At the outset, I note that the presumption that the legislature has not enacted conflicting legislation, although an important principle, is just that — a presumption. It does not in itself direct a particular result. Like all presumptions, it is capable of being refuted. Kinney v. State, 285 Conn. 700, 710, 716, 941 A.2d 907 (2008) (despite “ ‘strong presumption of constitutionality’ ’’statute held unconstitutional). Accordingly, whether the presumption against conflicting statutes can be given controlling
In addition, the majority refers to a future legislative act, wherein the legislature has since amended § 54-125e (c) to remove the ten year mandatory minimum,
In short, because our tools of statutory construction cannot resolve the conflict, and reference to future legislative history bears no relevance to the question before us, there is no legal authority to support the presumption against conflicting statutes. As a result, we cannot give effect to those provisions of § 54-125e (c) that require a ten year sentence of special parole for a conviction in violation of General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) §§ 53-21 (2), 53a-71 and 53a-72a.
In addition to my concerns about the majority’s analysis in reaching its conclusion, I am concerned about the potential effects of this decision on the defendant. In short, we cannot give retroactive effect to an unquestionably novel construction of § 54-125e (c) without running afoul of due process. In Bouie v. Columbia, 378 U.S. 347, 352, 84 S. Ct. 1697,12 L. Ed. 2d 894 (1964), the United States Supreme Court stated that “[t]here can be no doubt that a deprivation of the right of fair warning can result not only from vague statutory language but also from an unforeseeable and retroactive judicial expansion of narrow and precise statutory lan
The dispositive issue in determining whether the majority’s novel interpretation operates to the defendant’s disadvantage is whether the starting point for the due process analysis is ten years incarceration or ten years incarceration with an additional ten years special parole. That is, if we begin our analysis as to whether the new sentence increases the punishment for the crime from the original sentence of ten years imprisonment, with ten years special parole, then a sentence of ten years imprisonment, with nine years special parole clearly does not increase the punishment and would not operate to the defendant’s disadvantage. That starting point, however, does not adequately recognize the fact that the original sentence of ten years imprisonment, with ten years special parole was an illegal sentence. Accordingly, I believe it is improper
The discussion in footnote 23 of the majority opinion reflects a misunderstanding of the due process question. As I recognize in this dissenting opinion, I agree that underrate v. Raucci, 21 Conn. App. 557, 575 A.2d 234, cert. denied, 215 Conn. 817, 576 A.2d 546 (1990), and State v. Miranda, 260 Conn. 93, 794 A.2d 506, cert. denied, 537 U.S. 902, 123 S. Ct. 224, 154 L. Ed. 2d 175 (2002), the trial court is bound only by the original sentencing intent of a period of ten years of incarceration followed by a period of ten years postrelease supervision. That sentencing limit, however, does not speak to the specific question before us, namely, whether the ten year period of postrelease supervision can be fulfilled by a period of special parole, as opposed to other forms of postrelease supervision. As noted previously, the periods of special parole urged by the majority are not authorized by statute and, therefore, the majority’s proposed sentence results in an increase to the defendant’s punishment in light of a legal sentence inclusive of special parole which, because of the irreconcilable conflict, is simply ten years incarceration. In addition, because the majority has reached its remedy sua sponte, the parties did not have the opportunity to brief the issue of whether the proposed sentence violates the defendant’s right to due process.
II
Because I agree with the majority that the defendant’s current sentence is illegal, I next set forth what I believe is the appropriate remedy in light of the unique circumstances of this case. In State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 544, we remanded the matter back to the trial court for resentencing in accordance with Raucci and Miranda. Embodied in that order was the concept that when a sentence imposed as a result of a plea bargain is illegal, the best remedy is to resentence the defendant to a new legal sentence that approximates, as closely as possible, but does not exceed, the original sentencing intent. See State v. Raucci, supra, 21 Conn. App. 563; see also United States v. VanDam, 493 F.3d 1194, 1206 (10th Cir. 2007) (“[w]hen . . . the defendant does not seek to withdraw his guilty plea, the less drastic remedy of resentencing appears to be most apt”). It is clear to me, however, that under the sentencing scheme at the time of the defendant’s crimes, there is no legal sentence that approximates the original sentencing intent, namely, a period of ten years of incarceration followed by a period of ten years postrelease supervision. Accordingly, in these unusual circumstances, I conclude that the proper remedy is to rescind the defendant’s original plea and permit the defendant to plead anew.
In Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 263, 92 S. Ct. 495, 30 L. Ed. 2d 427 (1971), the United States Supreme Court listed two potential remedies — specific performance or withdrawal of the plea — when a prosecutor
I first address the defendant’s request to have this court strike the periods of supervision from the plea
I turn next to my conclusion that the only appropriate remedy under these unique circumstances is to order a rescission of the original plea agreement, thereby placing the parties in their original positions.
Although I recognize that rescission of a plea agreement may result in a manifest injustice if the defen
Under this remedy, of course, the defendant ultimately could receive a sentence harsher than the original sentence contemplated by the plea agreement. United States v. Palladino, 347 F.3d 29, 35 (2d Cir. 2003) (“what appears to be a ‘victory’ for [the] defendant in this case could ultimately result in a conviction on remand that carries a longer sentence than that initially imposed”); United States v. Greatwalker, supra, 285 F.3d 730 (“[The defendant’s] success in this appeal may be costly. Because the illegal sentence prevents both [the defendant] and the [government from being bound by the plea agreement, the [g]ovemment may reinstate the dropped charges and proceed to reprosecute the first-degree murder charge.”).
Accordingly, I respectfully dissent, and would reverse the judgment and remand the case with instructions that the trial court vacate the plea bargain and permit the defendant to plead anew.
General Statutes § l-2z provides: “The meaning of a statute shall, in the first instance, be ascertained from the text of the statute itself and its relationship to other statutes. If, after examining such text and considering such relationship, the meaning of such text is plain and unambiguous and does not yield absurd or unworkable results, extratextual evidence of the meaning of the statute shall not be considered.”
I join in parts IA and II of the majority opinion.
We generally have applied the law in existence on the date of the offense. In re Daniel H., 237 Conn. 364, 377, 678 A.2d 462 (1996).
We recognized in State v. Tabone, supra, 279 Conn. 532 n.9, that General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 54-125e (c) was the applicable revision of the statute. We determined that although the statute had been amended in 1999; see Public Acts, Spec. Sess., June, 1999, No. 99-2, § 52; that amendment did not apply because the defendant was convicted of conduct that allegedly occurred before October 1, 1999, when the amendment took effect. Subsequent references to § 54-125e are to the 1999 revision, unless noted otherwise.
Neither the state nor the defendant sought the remedy set forth by the majority.
So clear was our decision that § 54-125e (c) required a minimum ten year sentence of special parole, that subsequent to publication of Tabone in the Connecticut Law Journal, the defendant filed a motion to correct an
To the extent that the majority relies on our decision in Tabone to justify its current interpretation of § 54-125e (c), such reliance, in effect, amounts to a bootstrapping approach. It is improper to rely on Tabone, which merely identified the conflict, to conclude that Tabone acts as a legal basis for authorizing the current interpretation. Had the majority’s current interpretation of § 54-125e (c) been addressed in Tabone, that opinion likewise would have had to proffer a legal basis to justify that interpretation.
General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 54-125e (c), as amended by Public Acts, Spec. Sess., June, 1999, No. 99-2, § 52, provides that “such period may be for more than ten years for a person convicted of a violation of . . . 53a-71 . . . .”
Respectfully, I dispute the majority’s contention that fair notice is not at issue here. As the majority itself recognizes, but does not adhere to, “such a practice [is] inappropriate when construing a penal statute wherein the construction proposed by the [majority] raises concerns of fair notice.” State v. Cote, 286 Conn. 603, 624 n.14, 945 A.2d 412 (2008). The majority, however, provides only cursory analysis as to why such reliance does not raise the concerns of fair notice alluded to in Cote. That the trial court is bound by the limits of the defendant’s plea does not speak to the issue of wiiether the novel interpretation of a criminal statute contrary to its plain meaning raises issues of fair notice, a point that I will address subsequently.
State v. Kozlowski, 199 Conn. 667, 682, 509 A.2d 20 (1986), on which the majority relies, is inapposite. In that case, the public act at issue “clearly spelled out [the] increased penalties . . . .” Id. In the present case, the
The subsequent amendment underscores the fact that the statute, at the time of the defendant’s conviction, required a ten year minimum sentence of special parole.
In State v. Quinet, 253 Conn. 392, 752 A.2d 490 (2000), we addressed a claim regarding a term of probation and the application of General Statutes (Rev. to 1995) § 53a-29 (e), which, prior to the legislature’s amendment of § 54-125e (c), was an almost verbatim equivalent of, and undoubtedly the model for, § 54-125e (c) prior to its creation. In Quinet, the defendant claimed that No. 95-142, § 2, of the 1995 Public Acts, which amended General Statutes (Rev. to 1995) § 53a-29 (e) after the defendant’s crime to create the imposition of a mandatory minimum sentence of probation for various crimes, could be applied retroactively in the hopes that the trial court could sentence him to a shorter prison term and longer probationary period. Id., 412-13. In reviewing the text and legislative history of the statute, we
Presumably, the majority relies on the fact that the legislature amended the statute in the subsequent legislative session. Reliance on the amount of intervening time, however, is a subjective consideration and improperly elevates that heretofore unannounced consideration above our well established requirement that the legislature has to evince a clear intent before we apply a change in the law retroactively. Mead v. Commissioner of Correction, 282 Conn. 317, 325, 920 A.2d 301 (2007) (“[t]he presumption that [a criminal statute] has only prospective effect can be overcome only by a clear and unequivocal expression of legislative intent that the statute shall apply retrospectively”). Silence in the text and silence in the legislative history do not evince a clear and unequivocal expression of legislative intent.
There also exists an irreconcilable conflict for a violation of General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-72b, which, at the time, carried a maximum period of incarceration of five years. See General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-35a. On the other hand, there is no conflict with respect to violations of General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) §§ 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-70b and 53a-40, all of which then carried a maximum sentence of twenty years or greater. See General Statutes (Rev. to 1999) § 53a-35a.
Although my research ultimately leads me to conclude that the majority’s remedy violates the defendant’s right to due process, I would have permitted the parties to file supplemental briefs on the issue.
The record reveals, however, that the defendant previously requested to withdraw his plea and that he had expressed interest in doing so again at the first resentencing hearing after Tabone.
I recognize, however, that a total effective sentence of ten years incarceration with no postrelease supervision is one of several possible results if the parties were to choose to enter into a second plea bargain or if the parties proceeded to trial.
In its brief, the state argues, in the alternate, that vacating the defendant’s plea is the proper remedy if the court finds that the state’s agreement is invalid.
North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 37, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162 (1970).
If the defendant either renegotiates a new plea bargain or goes to trial and is convicted, he must receive credit for time served. If, on the other hand, the defendant proceeds to trial and is acquitted, he may be able to pursue a civil remedy.
I recognize that rescission of the plea agreement may require the state to marshal stale evidence and, more importantly, may require the testimony of a traumatized victim long after the crime. Arevalo v. Farwell, United States District Court, Docket No. 3:04-cv-00568-ECR-VPC, 2008 WL 820194 (D. Nev. March 24, 2008) (court shied away from withdrawing plea, in part, because state would have to marshal previously traumatized victim of sexual offense years after attack). Although the state principally has argued that we should enforce the plea agreement, in taking the alternate position that a rescission is proper, I assume the state has taken into account the possibility that the victim may be called on to testify.
Reference
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- State of Connecticut v. John Tabone
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