People v. White
People v. White
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). This writer is unable to subscribe to the result obtained in the majority opinion.
The essential sordid facts indicate that the defendant met the complaining witness and two of her girlfriends at the Windsor Race Track during the evening of February 15, 1968. After a night of socializing, the complaining witness and her friends drove to one of the friend’s homes in Inkster, Michigan. The defendant and two companions followed them. When the complaining witness exited her vehicle, the defendant stopped her and asked her to return to Detroit with him. She refused. The defendant then struck her with a gun and forced her into his vehicle. Thereafter, inside the corporate limits of the r City of Detroit, the defendant forced the complaining witness to engage in sexual intercourse with him.
On March 21, 1969, the defendant was convicted by a jury in Wayne County Circuit Court of kidnapping. A scheduled trial for March 25, 1969, in the Detroit Recorder’s Court on the charges of rape and felonious assault was adjourned. Thereafter, defendant was sentenced in the Wayne County Circuit Court to 5 to 15 years for kidnapping.
Subsequent to the sentencing for kidnapping, the prosecution proceeded to trial on the rape and felonious assault charges in the Detroit Recorder’s Court. Defendant was convicted by a jury of both charges. He was sentenced to prison terms of 8 to 30 years on the rape conviction and 3 years and 9 months to 4 years on the felonious assault conviction.
On appeal, defendant contends that the Detroit Recorder’s Court erred in denying defendant’s motion to quash on the basis of double jeopardy. The majority opinion concurs, adopting the "same transaction” test for determining whether double jeopardy is applicable.
I
The Const 1963, art 1, § 15 states:
The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution makes the same provision but adds the words "of life or limb.”
The double jeopardy provision of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution applies to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. Benton v Maryland, 395 US 784; 89 S Ct 2056; 23 L Ed 2d 707 (1969); People v McPherson, 21 Mich App 385 (1970); People v Sharp, 9 Mich App 34 (1967). Benton, supra, is retroactive in its effect. Ashe v Swenson, 397 US 436; 90 S Ct 1189; 25 L Ed 2d 469 (1970); North Carolina v Pearce, 395 US 711; 89 S Ct 2072; 23 L Ed 2d 656 (1969).
There are two elements of the constitutional interdict: (1) There must be successive subjection to "jeopardy” and (2) in each instance the offense must be the same. People v Wilson, 6 Mich App 474 (1967). The second prosecution must be for the identical act and crime both in law and fact for which the first prosecution was instituted. People v Beverly, 247 Mich 353 (1929). In determining the identity of the offense, one act may constitute several offenses. Unless the offense is a necessary element in and part of another, an acquittal or conviction of one is not a bar to prosecution for the other. People v Wilson, supra.
In the instant case, the crime of kidnapping is not identical in law or fact with the crimes of felonious assault or rape. The elements of kidnapping do not prove the crimes of felonious assault or rape. Thus, the defendant’s conviction of kidnapping does not prevent the prosecution from prosecuting the defendant for the crimes of felonious assault or rape.
It is necessary to realize that the actions of the prosecutor in prosecuting the defendant and the actions of the trial courts involved in exercising their jurisdiction over the defendant are authorized by law. The crime of kidnapping occurred within Wayne County, but outside the corporate limits of the City of Detroit. Therefore, the Wayne County Circuit Court had jurisdiction over that offense. People v Rosa, 382 Mich 163 (1969); People v Jackzo, 206 Mich 183 (1919). The crimes of felonious assault and rape were committed within the corporate limits of the City of Detroit. As such, the Detroit Recorder’s Court had exclusive jurisdiction over those offenses. MCLA 726.11; MSA 27.3561; People v Rosa, supra. Thus, the prosecutor acted properly in prosecuting the defendant in the respective trial courts and they properly exercised their jurisdiction.
However, the majority opinion asserts that these rules of jurisdiction are procedural rules that must be subordinated to a constitutional right not to be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense. Cf Gouled v United States, 255 US 298, 313; 41 S Ct 261, 266; 65 L Ed 647, 654 (1921). A reading of Gouled indicates that the rule involved therein was indeed merely a rule of procedure. However, in the instant case, the rule involved is one of jurisdiction. As far back as Langdon v Wayne Circuit Judges, 76 Mich 358 (1889), it has been held that jurisdiction, when applied to the courts, is the power to hear and determine a cause or matter. Ward v Hunter Machinery Co, 263 Mich 445 (1933), pointed out that jurisdiction lies at the foundation of all legal adjudications, and it means the authority which the court has to hear and determine a case. Again in People v Joseph, 384
Ill
The legislature has the constitutional right to create any court and to vest it with whatever jurisdiction it pleases, provided only that it shall be inferior to the Supreme Court. Detroit v Wayne Circuit Judges, 233 Mich 356 (1925). Only the Supreme Court has the power to modify the provisions of a legislative enactment in the exercise of its power "by general rules [to] establish, modify, amend, and simplify the practice and procedure in all courts”. Const 1963, art 6, § 5; Pressley v Wayne County Sheriff, 30 Mich App 300 (1971). Therefore, this Court is without power or authority to modify the jurisdiction of the trial courts here involved by adopting the "same transaction” test.
IV
There are two major shortcomings with the adopted "same transaction” test of the majority opinion. The first problem concerns the definition of "transaction.” "Any sequence of conduct can be defined as an 'act’ or a 'transaction.’ An act or
The second problem involved concerns who is to make the determination whether the crimes committed by the defendant are all a part of the "same transaction” and what the standard of review on the appellate level is to be. The majority opinion indicates that the prosecutor and the trial court are responsible for making the determination. Yet, the majority opinion did not review any findings of the trial court or the prosecutor, and they did not establish any standard of review of any decisions made by the trial court or prosecutor. In fact, the majority made their own findings of fact after all the evidence was completed in both trials, and then made their own conclusions of law thereon. There is no authority cited whereby this Court has the power or the authority to hear criminal cases de novo.
V
Even if the "same transaction” test could be properly adopted, there still is no basis for reversing the defendant’s convictions under the facts of the instant case. The defendant was arraigned in
VI
Assuming without determining that the "one transaction” rule set forth in the majority opinion should be applied to the facts in the instant appeal, it is evidént that the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit would be the only court that could have jurisdiction of all three of the charged offenses, i.e., the rape and felonious assault crimes were committed wholly in the City of Detroit, thus precluding jurisdiction being, in the Circuit Court for Wayne County, People v Rosa, supra. Certainly, in applying any "single transaction” rule
I vote to affirm the convictions in the Detroit Recorder’s Court.
Opinion of the Court
Defendant was convicted by a jury in the Detroit Recorder’s Court of rape, MCLA
Prior to this trial, defendant was convicted of kidnapping, MCLA 750.349; MSA 28.581, by a jury in the Wayne County Circuit Court. The kidnapping trial was based on the same facts which led to defendant’s later trial and convictions for rape and felonious assault. He received a sentence of 5 to 15 years for his kidnapping conviction. Defendant did not appeal that conviction and its validity is not before this Court.
The record reveals that defendant met the victim and two of her girlfriends at the Windsor Racetrack on the evening of February 15, 1968. After leaving the track, defendant accompanied the victim and her companions to a local nightclub and then to a party. Upon leaving this party, the victim and her friends drove home to Inkster, Michigan. Defendant followed them to one of the friend’s homes. When the complaining witness exited her vehicle, defendant apprehended her and asked her to return to downtown Detroit with him. When she refused, defendant struck her with the butt of a gun and forced her into his car, which
Following defendant’s conviction for kidnapping on March 21, 1969, a scheduled trial for March 25, 1969, on the rape charge was adjourned to await his sentencing for kidnapping.
Subsequent to his sentencing for kidnapping, the prosecution proceeded to schedule a trial on the rape charge. Defendant’s motion to quash the complaint and warrant were denied. This Court granted his motion for immediate consideration for leave to appeal that denial and denied an application for emergency leave to appeal. Following the instant convictions, defendant moved for a new trial. The motion was denied.
The question presented for review is whether multiple prosecutions for several crimes arising out of the same criminal transaction violates defendant’s right not to be placed in jeopardy twice for the same offense in contravention of the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
The generally stated rule is that there is no double jeopardy unless the offenses are the same both in law and in fact. A second prosecution is barred only when the facts necessary to convict in the second prosecution would necessarily have convicted in the first. This is known as the same evidence test. The rule has been criticized generally by commentators as inconsistent with the objectives underlying the double jeopardy prohibition.
As can be seen, the various policies lead to different rules which cover different situations. The courts have applied the same evidence test to both retrial and multiple punishment situations without considering the evil each situation presents. Applying the test in this way ignores the growing sophistication of legislatures in defining criminal activity. The test emphasizes a prosecutor’s skill in framing an information rather than the state’s interest in vindicating itself against defendant for his antisocial conduct. By applying the limiting definition of same offense inherent in the same evidence test, courts have permitted prosecutors, who have almost unlimited discretion in initiating a prosecution, to circumvent the protection which the double jeopardy clause affords and make the criminal trial an instrument capable of harassment. An examination of defendant’s
The United States Supreme Court has given some credence to the same evidence test by applying it in other situations.
The same transaction test has been used in several jurisdictions.
Michigan has implicitly recognized the test in People v Miccichi, 264 Mich 581, 583-584 (1933). The Court there held that a prosecution for murder which results in acquittal does not bar subse
One advantage of this test is that it is consistent with double jeopardy’s purpose of bringing finality to criminal proceedings. When double jeopardy operates it enables a defendant to consider the matter closed and saves the cost of redundant litigation. It also helps, to some extent, to equalize the adversary capabilities of grossly unequal litigants.
The same transaction test also goes a long way towards preventing harassment and sentence shopping. In doing so, it recognizes that the prohibition of double jeopardy is for the defendant’s protection. It is not a device which allows the state, by using legal technicalities, to determine when it has received fair treatment at a trial or when the defendant has received a satisfactory sentence.
We believe harassment occurs whenever a prosecutor acts without legitimate justification. Sentence shopping is not a legitimate justification for
In Michigan, the Legislature defines what conduct is considered criminal and the length of prison confinement which may be imposed for such conduct. The judiciary determines the proper sentence, within the legislatively-defined limits, for a convicted defendant based on all relevant considerations before it. MCLA 769.1; MSA 28.1072. In imposing sentence, the judge normally has before him not only the evidence presented at trial but also the circumstances surrounding the crime in a presentence report. Miller, Prosecution: The Decision to Charge a Suspect With a Crime (Little, Brown & Co, 1969), pp 199-200 and fn 21. It is not the prosecutor’s function to become involved in the sentencing procedures. To the extent that he does become involved he should seek to assure that a fair and informed judgment is made on the sentence and to avoid unfair sentence disparities. ABA Standards, The Prosecution Function and the Defense Function §6.1 (Approved Draft, 1971). When the prosecutor is able to reprosecute a defendant for a technically different crime, he is able to do indirectly what he cannot do directly — challenge a judge’s discretion in imposing sentence.
By adopting the same transaction test, we are not depriving the state of its right to vindicate itself for each crime an accused commits during one criminal transaction. Liberal joinder rules permit the state to vindicate its interest in one trial when the crimes are committed in the same local jurisdiction.
A procedural rule allocating jurisdiction to try offenses between the several courts of the state must be subordinated to a defendant’s constitutional right not to be put twice in jeopardy for the same offense. Cf. Gouled v United States, 255 US 298, 313; 41 S Ct 261, 266; 65 L Ed 647, 654 (1921). This state’s judicial power is, under our Constitution, vested in "one court of justice”. Const 1963, art 6, § 1. While that power is divided among several courts, all the courts are parts of the same unified judicial system. When two or more such jurisdictions may try a defendant for a criminal transaction, the first to obtain jurisdiction does so to the exclusion of the others. People v Hanrahan, 75 Mich 611 (1889). Application of the same transaction test does not prohibit separate trials where a defendant is involved in several criminal transactions at different times.
In the instant case, defendant committed three identifiable crimes in one continuous sequence to achieve one purpose — sexual intercourse with his
Reversed.
Defendant bases much of his argument on People v Otis Adams, 34 Mich App 546 (1971), which held that a significantly independent asportation is required to constitute forcible kidnapping under MCLA 750.349; MSA 28.851. Defendant argues there was no asportation of significant independence in this case to constitute kidnapping and there is no difference between what he was tried for at his first trial and what he was tried for at his second trial. Adams deals with the validity of a kidnapping charge. For purposes of this appeal we must assume that the defendant’s kidnapping conviction was valid. We express no opinion as to whether there was a significantly independent asportation to justify the kidnapping conviction.
See, e.g., Kirchheimer, The Act, the Offense and Double Jeopardy, 58 Yale L J 513 (1949); Comment, Ashe v Swenson: Collateral Estoppel, Double Jeopardy, and Inconsistent Verdicts, 71 Colum L Rev 321 (1971); Comment, Double Jeopardy, Vandercomb to Chicos — Two Centuries of Judicial Failure in Search of a Standard, 45 J Urban Law 405 (1967); Comment, Twice in Jeopardy, 75 Yale L J 262 (1965).
The Federal courts have followed the same evidence test. See, e.g., United States v Buonomo, 441 F2d 922 (CA 7, 1971); Smith v Cox, 435 F2d 453 (CA 4, 1970); United States v Wilshire Oil Co of Texas, 427 F2d 969 (CA 10, 19701). The has not been without its critics in the Federal system. See United States v Rollerson, 145 US App DC 338; 449 F2d 1000 (1971); United States v Mirra, 220 F Supp 361 (SD NY, 1963).
In Williams v Oklahoma, 358 US 576; 79 S Ct 421; 3 L Ed 2d 516 (1959), and Ciucii v Illinois, 356 US 571; 78 S Ct 839; 2 L Ed 2d 983 (1958) the Supreme Court held that reprosecutions for several crimes arising out of the same criminal transaction did not violate a defendant’s right to due process of law. In Benton v Maryland, 395 US 784; 89 S Ct 2056; 23 L Ed 2d 707 (1969), the Court held that the Fifth Amendment applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court has not decided this problem as a matter of Fifth Amendment law since Benton was decided.
Harris v United States, 359 US 19; 79 S Ct 560; 3 L Ed 2d 597 (1959) ; Blockburger v United States, 284 US 299; 52 S Ct 180; 76 L Ed 306 (1932); Ebeling v Morgan, 237 US 625; 35 S Ct 710; 59 L Ed 1151 (1915). See Abbate v United States, 359 US 187; 79 S Ct 666; 3 L Ed 2d 729 (1959) (separate opinion, Brennan, J.); Ashe v Swenson, 397 US 436; 90 S Ct 1189; 25 L Ed 2d 469 (1970) (concurring opinion, Brennan, J.).
In the only recent case which posed this question to the Supreme Court as a matter of Fifth Amendment law, the Court vacated the
See, e.g., State v Richardson, 460 SW2d 537 (Mo, 1970); Walton v State, 448 SW2d 690 (Tenn Crim App, 1969); People ex rel Micieli v Webster, 269 App Div 887; 56 NYS2d 155 (1945); Burnam v State, 2 Ga App 395; 58 SE 683 (1907); State v Bell, 205 NC 225; 171 SE 50 (1933). The test is not always applied consistently. Compare Burnam v State, supra, with Harris v State, 193 Ga 109; 17 SE2d 573 (1941). Compare State v Cooper, 13 NJL 361 (Sup Ct 1833) with State v Hoag, 35 NJ Super 555; 114 A2d 573 (1955), aff’d, 21 NJ 496; 122 A2d 628 (1956), aff’d, 356 US 464; 78 S Ct 829; 2 L Ed 2d 913 (1958).
Some states have reached the same result by statutes which forbid multiple trials and punishment for crimes arising during a single transaction. See, e.g., State v Corning, 289 Minn 383; 184 NW2d 603 (1971); Smith v State, 486 P2d 770 (Okla Crim App, 1971); In re Henry, 65 Cal 2d 330; 54 Cal Rptr 633; 420 P2d 97 (1966).
The Alaska formulation focuses on the quality of differences, if any, between the separate statutory offenses, as such differences relate to the basic interests sought to be vindicated or protected by the statutes, 479 P2d 302, 312. For other variations of the test see, Kirchheimer, supra, note 2; Comment, 43 Notre Dame Lawyer 1017 (Symposium, 1968).
See Irby v United States, 390 F2d 432, 435 (1967) (concurring opinion, Leventhal, J.).
One reason for the original formulajtion of the same evidence test was the strictness of common law pleading and amendment procedures. Strict application of the test allowed substance to govern over form where the state’s initial prosecution was barred by a technical
It also should be made clear that we do not decide what would happen where defendant, while perpetrating his criminal activity, attempts to accomplish objectives not within his original contemplation. We only decide that a defendant who commits several crimes while attempting to achieve a single criminal objective may be tried only once for crimes committed during that single transaction in the furtherance of that objective.
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