City of Kalispell v. Salsgiver
City of Kalispell v. Salsgiver
Opinion of the Court
*508**61¶1 Appellant Thomas Scott Salsgiver appeals the Order of the Eleventh Judicial District Court, Flathead County, affirming the decision and sentence of the Kalispell Municipal Court finding Salsgiver guilty of partner or family member assault (PFMA), in violation of § 45-5-206, MCA, and criminal mischief, in violation of § 45-6-101, MCA.
¶2 We address the following issues on appeal:
Issue One: Whether the District Court erred by affirming the Municipal Court's Order that Salsgiver waived his right to a jury trial by failing to appear at an omnibus hearing.
Issue Two: Whether certain provisions in Salsgiver's sentencing agreement requiring him to pay fines that were not statutorily authorized are valid and legal.
Issue Three: Whether Salsgiver is entitled to receive four days of credit for jail time served, instead of two days of credit, against his sentence.
¶3 We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.
PROCEDURAL AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND
¶4 On March 17, 2015, the City of Kalispell (City) charged Salsgiver in Kalispell Municipal Court with PFMA and criminal mischief. On March 18, 2015, Salsgiver appeared for a video arraignment. Salsgiver pled not guilty to the charged offenses and was released on his own recognizance. As a condition of his release, Salsgiver was ordered to personally appear for all court proceedings and was warned that failing **62to appear would result in a waiver of jury trial. The Municipal Court also informed Salsgiver that his next scheduled court hearing would be an omnibus hearing to take place on May 5, 2015. Salsgiver signed an acknowledgement of his conditions of release.
¶5 On March 23, 2015, the Municipal Court issued a Notice of Omnibus. The Notice of Omnibus reiterated that Salsgiver's personal presence was required and that failure to appear would result in a waiver of jury trial.
¶6 On October 15, 2015, Salsgiver was arrested and taken into custody. On October 16, 2015, Salsgiver was arraigned and again released on his own recognizance. The Municipal Court informed Salsgiver his bench trial would take place on November 12, 2015. On October 28, 2015, Salsgiver's defense counsel filed a Motion for a Jury Trial. On November 10, 2015, the Municipal Court denied the Motion, deeming the matter waived due to Salsgiver's failure to appear at the omnibus hearing.
¶7 On November 12, 2015, Salsgiver appeared with his defense counsel at the bench trial. Salsgiver's defense counsel noted Salsgiver's *509continuing objection to the Municipal Court's finding that Salsgiver waived his right to a jury trial. At the conclusion of trial, Salsgiver was found guilty of PFMA and criminal mischief.
¶8 On the PFMA charge, the Municipal Court sentenced Salsgiver to 364 days of incarceration, with 362 days suspended, and gave him credit against his sentence for two days of time served in jail. The Municipal Court also ordered him to pay $ 300. On the criminal mischief charge, the Municipal Court sentenced Salsgiver to a 180-day suspended jail sentence, and imposed fines, fees, and surcharges in the amount of $ 400, including an additional $ 10 witness fee and $ 20 in court costs.
¶9 After Salsgiver indicated he could not pay the fine amount in full **63within thirty days, the Municipal Court allowed Salsgiver to pay his fines, costs, and surcharges in installments in a signed written agreement, subject to an additional $ 10 contract fee.
¶10 On November 18, 2015, Salsgiver appealed his conviction to the Flathead County District Court, challenging the denial of his Motion for a Jury Trial. On June 13, 2016, the District Court affirmed the Municipal Court's decision, determining that Salsgiver validly waived his right to a jury trial under Article II, Section 26 of the Montana Constitution and under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution. Salsgiver appeals the District Court's Order.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
¶11 We review decisions by a district court acting as an appellate court as if originally appealed to this Court. City of Missoula v. Girard ,
**64City of Missoula v. Cox ,
¶12 When a criminal sentence is not eligible for review by the Sentence Review Division-a sentence of less than one year of incarceration-this Court reviews the sentence for both legality and an abuse of discretion. State v. Himes ,
DISCUSSION
¶13 Issue One: Whether the District Court erred by affirming the Municipal Court's Order that Salsgiver waived his right to a jury trial by failing to appear at an omnibus hearing.
¶14 The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution provides that "[i]n all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State ...." The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees a right to a jury trial in criminal cases, which "were they to be tried in a federal court-would come within the Sixth Amendment's guarantee." Duncan v. Louisiana ,
¶15 Article II, Section 26 of the Montana Constitution provides: "The right of trial by jury is secured to all and shall remain inviolate. But upon default of appearance or by consent of the parties expressed in such manner as the law may provide, all cases may be tried without a jury ...." A defendant who is charged with a misdemeanor offense "may appear by counsel only, although the court may require the **65personal attendance of the defendant at any time." Section 46-16-120, MCA.
¶16 The constitutional right to a trial by jury guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution may be waived by a defendant. Duncan ,
¶17 We examine the " 'particular facts and circumstances surrounding th[e] case' " to determine whether a waiver of a fundamental constitutional right was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. See State v. Wilson ,
¶18 This Court indulges in every reasonable presumption against waiver of a fundamental constitutional right. Mann , ¶ 13 (citing State v. Swan ,
*511¶19 The Sixth Amendment requires that a defendant charged with a "serious" crime be afforded the right to a jury trial unless waived by **66the defendant. Lewis v. United States ,
¶20 We have previously established that a misdemeanor defendant may waive his or her Article II, Section 26 right to trial by jury by failing to appear as directed by the trial court. State v. Sherlock ,
¶21 We have also previously explained that a defendant's nonappearance does not automatically result in a waiver of the right to a jury trial. Girard , ¶¶ 14, 20 (finding a municipal court abused its discretion by deeming a defendant's failure to appear at a pretrial conference an automatic waiver of his right to a jury trial). Whether a defendant's nonappearance constitutes a waiver of his right to a jury trial depends on the circumstances of the particular case. Girard , ¶ 14. Finding an automatic waiver due to a nonappearance would also run contrary to Article II, Section 26 and "the language of that provision stating that a case 'may' be tried without a jury upon a default of appearance." Girard , ¶ 14. We have yet to address the implications of the Sixth Amendment in such cases because the defendants in Cox , Trier , Girard , and Sherlock were charged with offenses that did not constitute a "serious" crime, as defined in Lewis and Baldwin . See Cox , ¶ 1 (driving while under the influence of alcohol, striking an unattended vehicle, and failing to leave information at the scene); Trier , ¶ 1 (operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater); Girard , ¶ 1 (disorderly conduct); Sherlock , ¶ 1 **67(driving while under the influence of alcohol and obstructing a peace officer).
¶22 In this case, the Municipal Court determined Salsgiver's failure to appear at his omnibus hearing resulted in a waiver of his right to a jury trial under Cox's interpretation of Article II, Section 26 of the Montana Constitution. The District Court affirmed the Municipal Court's decision to deny Salsgiver's Motion for a Jury Trial, finding Salsgiver validly waived his right to a jury trial by failing to appear under the "default of appearance" provision in Article II, Section 26 of the Montana Constitution. The District Court also found that, pursuant to Illinois v. Allen ,
¶23 The State argues that although Salsgiver did not enter a formal waiver of his Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial, he *512waived the right through his conduct. The State argues under Allen that a "waiver by conduct" or "forfeiture with knowledge" occurred because Salsgiver was warned prior to the omnibus hearing, both verbally and in writing, that failing to appear would waive his right to a jury trial.
¶24 Salsgiver argues that the Municipal Court improperly relied on Article II, Section 26 of the Montana Constitution, and our line of cases interpreting it, when it determined that an automatic waiver of jury trial occurred under the "default of appearance" provision on the PFMA charge. Salsgiver argues that he possesses a Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial for the PFMA charge because it was a "serious" offense, and that the Municipal Court incorrectly dismissed his Motion because he did not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waive his Sixth Amendment right. Salsgiver additionally contends that the State's request to extend the "waiver by conduct" standard from loss-of-counsel cases is inappropriate and a constitutionally impermissible means to waive the Sixth Amendment right to a jury trial.
**68¶25 Salsgiver's PFMA charge carried a maximum sentence of one year in jail, qualifying it as a "serious" offense. Section 45-5-206(3)(a)(1), MCA ; see Baldwin,
¶26 Because his criminal mischief conviction was a petty offense, Salsgiver does not challenge the Municipal Court's holding that he waived his right to a jury trial on that charge. Thus, we confine our analysis to the PFMA charge as it pertains to the implication of the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.
¶27 Salsgiver retained the right to a jury trial on the PFMA charge under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments because this charge constituted a "serious" offense. See Baldwin,
¶28 Under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments, Salsgiver could only waive his right to a jury trial through a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver. See Patton ,
¶29 The District Court incorrectly affirmed the Municipal Court when it concluded that Salsgiver's failure to appear at his omnibus hearing constituted a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver. The District Court deemed Salsgiver's knowledge of his release conditions sufficient to meet both *513the "default of appearance" standard of Article II, Section 26, and the knowing, intelligent, and voluntary standard required by the Sixth Amendment. However, a Sixth Amendment waiver of the right to a jury trial cannot be presumed solely from a defendant's knowledge of his release conditions and subsequent failure to appear. See Finley , ¶ 32 ; Park , ¶ 36 ; Zerbst ,
¶30 The District Court's conclusion that "waiver by conduct" or "forfeiture with knowledge" standard from Illinois v. Allen should apply here is misplaced. In Allen , the defendant repeatedly and purposely disrupted proceedings to prevent his trial from going forward. Allen ,
¶31 Salsgiver did not waive his right to a jury trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments for his PFMA charge by failing to appear at his omnibus hearing. Salsgiver's PFMA charge is reversed and remanded to the Municipal Court for a jury trial.
¶32 Issue Two: Whether certain provisions in Salsgiver's sentencing agreement requiring him to pay fines that were not statutorily authorized are valid and legal.
¶33 We generally refuse to review issues on appeal where a defendant failed to object in the trial court. State v. Kotwicki ,
¶34 Generally, a defendant need only allege that the trial court imposed an illegal sentence to invoke the Lenihan rule. State v. Garrymore ,
*514¶35 A trial court's authority to impose sentences in criminal cases is defined and constrained by statute, and we have previously held that "a district court has no power to impose a sentence in the absence of specific statutory authority." State v. Stephenson ,
**71State v. Ruiz ,
¶36 We have previously declined to apply the Lenihan exception, and determined that a defendant waives appellate review of his sentencing conditions, where the defendant "acquiesced or actively participated" in the imposition of a condition of sentence. State v. Micklon ,
¶37 We have since narrowed the definition of "active acquiescence" for the purposes of invoking the Lenihan rule. See State v. Eaton ,
**72State v. Erickson ,
¶38 Salsgiver argues that the Municipal Court illegally added a $ 10 contract fee and ten-percent annual interest rate on the unpaid principal balance of his fines that it lacked statutory authority to impose. Additionally, Salsgiver argues that the Municipal Court's prohibition on prepayment of his monthly installments without prior judge authorization is similarly unsupported by statutory authority. Salsgiver argues the prepayment prohibition was also illegal because it *515was not included in the oral pronouncement of his sentence.
¶39 The State counters that Salsgiver waived appellate review of his arguments because he acquiesced when he agreed to pay the contract fee and the interest rate and agreed to the prepayment prohibition. The State argues that under Micklon , Salsgiver's affirmative agreement to the sentencing conditions takes away his right of objection to those conditions.
¶40 Salsgiver failed to raise an objection to the appealed sentencing conditions at the Municipal Court and District Court levels. However, because Salsgiver alleges that provisions in his sentencing agreement fall outside statutory parameters and are illegal, Salsgiver may challenge those provisions on appeal. See Kotwicki , ¶¶ 5,8 (citing Lenihan ,
¶41 Under these circumstances, we reverse Micklon and hold that the Municipal Court erred in imposing the $ 10 contract fee, the ten-percent annual interest rate on Salsgiver's unpaid principal balance, and the prepayment bar of his monthly installments. Notwithstanding a defendant's active acquiescence, participation, or agreement, an otherwise illegal provision of a sentence cannot allow for the imposition of a sentencing condition bereft of statutory authority. See Stephenson , ¶¶ 30, 32 ; see also Franklin , ¶¶ 1, 15 ; Duong , ¶¶ 19, 23 ; Krum , ¶¶ 1, 3, 21 ; Blackwell , ¶¶ 7-9. The defendant in such circumstances is not "actively acquiescing" or "participating" in a mere trial error, but **73instead in the imposition of an illegal sentence by the trial court, which inherently lacks the power to impose it. See Stephenson , ¶¶ 30, 32 ; Ruiz , ¶ 12.
¶42 It is fundamentally different for a defendant to acquiesce to an illegal sentence than to a trial error. An acquiescence to a trial error "takes away the right of objecting to it" and deems the issue waived. See § 1-3-207, MCA. A party may acquiesce to a trial court's error, such as the improper admission of testimony, and therefore implicitly accept it. See State v. Buck ,
¶43 Though the State correctly notes Salsgiver signed a written agreement allowing for the $ 10 contract fee, the interest rate on the unpaid balance, and the prepayment bar, the Municipal Court lacked statutory authority to impose such conditions at the sentencing agreement's inception. Sections 46-18-234 and 46-18-236(4), MCA, allow a trial court to grant permission for a defendant to pay fines and other costs in specified installments.
¶44 When the illegal portion of a sentence does not affect the **74entire sentence, the case should be remanded with instructions to strike the illegal portion. *516State v. Heafner ,
¶45 The doctrine of stare decisis "does not require us to perpetuate incorrectly-decided precedent ... we are obligated to overrule precedent where it appears the 'construction manifestly is wrong.' " ALPS Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. McLean & McLean, PLLP ,
¶46 Issue Three: Whether Salsgiver is entitled to receive four days of credit for jail time served, instead of two days of credit, against his sentence.
¶47 Each day of incarceration prior to or after a conviction must be credited against a defendant's sentence. Section 46-18-403(1), MCA ; State v. McDowell ,
**75¶48 Salsgiver argues that he was entitled to four days of credit for jail time served. The Municipal Court gave Salsgiver two days of credit for jail time served, which the District Court affirmed. The City concedes Salsgiver was entitled to four days of credit for jail time served instead of two. Accordingly, Salsgiver is entitled to an additional two days of credit for jail time served against his sentence and fines.
CONCLUSION
¶49 Salsgiver's PFMA conviction is reversed and remanded to the Kalispell Municipal Court for a jury trial. Salsgiver does not challenge his criminal mischief conviction; thus, this conviction is affirmed. Salsgiver's sentence on the criminal mischief conviction is remanded to correct sentencing errors including the illegal provisions of his sentence and to credit his sentence with two additional days of jail time served. The District Court's Order is reversed in part and remanded for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.
We Concur:
MIKE McGRATH, C.J.
INGRID GUSTAFSON, J.
LAURIE McKINNON, J.
DIRK M. SANDEFUR, J.
The Notice of Omnibus provided, in relevant part:
YOUR PERSONAL PRESENCE IS REQUIRED. FAILURE TO APPEAR WILL RESULT IN A WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL AND MAY RESULT IN A WARRANT FOR YOUR ARREST AND YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE AND DRIVING PRIVILEGES MAY BE SUSPENDED.
Salsgiver's Agreement to Pay Fines provided in part:
I agree to pay said fine/restitution/cost ordered by the court in the following manner: $ 740.00 in installments of $ 25.00 per month beginning 12/12/2015, until paid in full. I understand that the fine amount includes a $ 10.00 contract fee and that any unpaid balance under this contract shall bear interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per year.
I fully understand that if I fail to pay the fines in accordance with this agreement I can be prosecuted for contempt of Court and confined in jail until I make such payment. All payments are due on a monthly basis and no monthly prepayments are allowed unless authorized by Judge Adams.
(Emphasis in original.)
The District Court discovered "an inherent conflict" in the various orders concerning whether Salsgiver's personal presence was required at the omnibus hearing, or just his defense counsel's presence. We refuse to examine that issue because Salsgiver failed to raise it in this appeal.
Section 46-18-234, MCA, provides:
Whenever a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs under 46-18-231 or 46-18-232, the court may grant permission for payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified installments. If no such permission is included in the sentence, the payment is due immediately.
Section 46-18-236(4), MCA, provides:
When the payment of a fine is to be made in installments over a period of time, the charges imposed by this section [for each misdemeanor or felony charge of which a defendant is convicted] must be collected from the first payment made and each subsequent payment as necessary if the first payment is not sufficient to cover the charges.
Dissenting Opinion
¶50 The Court holds that under "the circumstances of this case, Salsgiver's nonappearance at the omnibus hearing waived his state right to a jury trial under the 'default of appearance' provision of Article II, Section 26 on both charges." Opinion, ¶ 25. I would reach the same conclusion regarding waiver under federal constitutional analysis.
*517¶51 As the Court correctly notes, the right to a jury trial under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution may be waived by a defendant. Duncan ,
¶52 Following his arrest on the charges, Salsgiver was arraigned on March 18, 2015, and was orally advised by the Municipal Court of his right to jury trial, as well as his other rights. During the arraignment, Salsgiver signed a statement of rights, in which he acknowledged his right to a jury trial in writing. Additionally, Salsgiver signed the Order on Conditions of Release, which, in bold and underlined typeface, virtually screamed to Salsgiver that he must "Personally appear for all court proceedings. Failure to appear shall result in a waiver of jury trial," and, immediately following, similarly advised Salsgiver in bold and underlined typeface that his next scheduled court hearing was "Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 01:30 PM." Copies of the Order on Conditions of Release were sent to Salsgiver, his attorney, and the Detention Center.
¶53 On March 23, 2015, the Municipal Court issued an Omnibus Order, which indicated in bold and italicized typeface, that "[t]he defendant must attend all court appearances and notify the court of any change of address in writing." In conjunction therewith, the Municipal Court also issued a Notice of Omnibus indicating the date, time, and location of the omnibus hearing, and reiterating in emphasized bold typeface and all capital letters, as quoted by the Court, Opinion, ¶ 5 n.1, that Salsgiver's personal presence was required and that "failure to appear will result in a waiver of jury trial." These documents were delivered to Salsgiver's counsel.
¶54 On May 5, the Municipal Court convened to conduct the omnibus hearing as it was scheduled and noticed, but despite the clear directives explained above-expressed as clearly to Salsgiver as the Municipal Court could possibly express them-Salsgiver blew it off. This is so because, in addition to these stark advisories by the Municipal Court, Salsgiver had also been clearly ordered, for which he acknowledged his understanding by signature, to maintain "weekly contact" with his appointed counsel and to immediately notify both his counsel and the Municipal Court of any change in his circumstances, including his address, contact information, and employment. However, at the omnibus hearing, neither Salsgiver's counsel nor the Municipal Court had any information about Salsgiver's location or circumstances. Indeed, at that point, a pending motion filed by the Office of Public Defender sought to rescind the appointment of counsel for Salsgiver because of his failure to provide an eligibility application. Salsgiver had kept everyone in the dark. Thus, Salsgiver blew off the omnibus **77hearing, quite intentionally, choosing not to participate in any fashion with the Municipal Court or his counsel. Consequently, the Municipal Court issued a warrant to again arrest Salsgiver, this time for his violation of the conditions of his release and to perhaps secure his presence for his own trial. The court also ruled that Salsgiver had waived his right to a jury trial, and set the matter for a bench trial.
¶55 But the process before the Municipal Court did not result in an "automatic waiver."
*518Opinion, ¶ 28. Salsgiver had the opportunity to explain his violation of the court's orders, and seek reinstatement of his jury trial. When he was arrested pursuant to the warrant on October 15, 2015, the bench trial had been set for November 12, 2015. On October 28, 2015, almost six months after he failed to attend the omnibus hearing, Salsgiver filed a motion to reinstate his jury right. However, Salsgiver's motion offered no explanation whatsoever for his disobedience of the court's orders and for his failure to participate in the process.
¶56 Important in the consideration of all the circumstances is that these proceedings occurred in a limited jurisdiction court that processes thousands of misdemeanor cases each year.
¶57 This view is widely supported by state and federal law. Fundamental rights may be waived by a person's conduct. See State v. McCartney ,
¶58 I would conclude, in contrast to the Court, Opinion, ¶ 29, that, under the Sixth Amendment, the totality of the circumstances demonstrates that Salsgiver knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waived his right to a jury trial by his conduct, which overcame the presumption against waiver. Salsgiver "abandon[ed] ... a known right or privilege." Johnson ,
¶59 Salsgiver's arguments insist he should be entitled to a jury trial until such time as he decides he no longer wants one, regardless of his own actions or the impact of those actions. However, the courts should not be held captive to the whims of voluntarily non-cooperating, non-participating parties.
¶60 I dissent from Issue 1, and would affirm the conviction.
Justice Beth Baker joins the dissenting Opinion of Justice Rice.
The Court acknowledges this point, Opinion, ¶ 25, which clearly distinguishes this case from cases such as Girard ,
In 2018, there were 5,468 misdemeanor criminal cases filed in the Kalispell Municipal Court, and 212,758 misdemeanor criminal cases were filed in limited jurisdiction courts statewide. Montana Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, Calendar Year 2018 Criminal Violations Filed , https://courts.mt.gov/Portals/189/lcourt/stats/2018/crimviolations.pdf (last visited May 29, 2019).
Reference
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- CITY OF KALISPELL and v. Thomas Scott SALSGIVER, and
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