State v. Ledbetter
State v. Ledbetter
Opinion
PER CURIAM.
*692
This case is before the Court on remand by Order of the North Carolina Supreme Court dated 22 September 2016, to be reconsidered in light of that Court's recent decisions in
State v. Thomsen
, --- N.C. ----,
I. Procedural Background
The facts underlying this case are set forth in detail in our previous opinion,
State v. Ledbetter
, --- N.C. App. ----,
Following the court's denial of her motion, Defendant entered a plea of guilty. The plea arrangement stated "[Defendant] expressly retains the right to appeal the Court's denial of her motion to dismiss/suppress her Driving while Impaired charge in this case and her plea of guilty is conditioned based on her right to appeal that decision[.]" Defendant purportedly appealed to this Court from the judgment entered upon her guilty plea, and argued the trial court erred by denying her "motion to dismiss." The State moved to dismiss Defendant's appeal, and to deny her petition for writ of certiorari.
This Court held Defendant did not have a statutory right to appeal the motion to dismiss under either §§ 15A-1444(a)-(d) or 15A-979(b).
Ledbetter,
--- N.C. App. at ----,
II. Thomsen and Stubbs
After our initial opinion was issued in this case, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in
Thomsen
. In that case, the defendant pled guilty to rape of a child and sexual offense with a child, both felonies which carry mandatory minimum sentences of 300 months.
Thomsen
, --- N.C. at ----,
*694 The State petitioned this Court to issue the writ of certiorari to review the trial court's order granting its own MAR. This Court allowed the State's petition, addressed the State's argument and held, over a dissent, the mandatory minimum sentence did not violate the Eighth Amendment, and remanded the case for resentencing. Id . The Supreme Court addressed the issue raised by the dissenting opinion, whether this Court had subject matter jurisdiction to review, by certiorari, the trial court's grant of its own MAR. Id .
In
Thomsen
, the Supreme Court relied upon its decision in
State v. Stubbs
,
In
Stubbs
, the Court considered whether the Courts in the appellate division have jurisdiction to review, by certiorari, the trial court's grant of a MAR in favor of the defendant. The trial court's
ruling
on a MAR is statutorily subject to review by certiorari. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1422(c) (2015). The Court noted the statute "does not distinguish between an MAR when the State prevails below and an MAR under which the defendant prevails."
Stubbs
,
Accordingly, given that our state constitution authorizes the General Assembly to define the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals, and given that the General Assembly has given that court broad powers "to supervise and control the proceedings of any of the trial courts of the General Court of Justice," id . § 7A-32(c), and given that the General Assembly has placed no limiting language in subsection 15A-1422(c) regarding which party may appeal a ruling on an MAR, we hold that the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction to hear an appeal by the State of an MAR when the defendant has won relief from the trial court.
Id
. at 43,
The Court noted the Rules of Appellate Procedure are pertinent to its analysis. Id .
*554 At that time, the language of Rule 21 only permitted appellate review of the issuance of the writ of certiorari to review an " 'order of the trial court denying a motion for appropriate relief.' " Id . (quoting N.C. R. App. P. 21(a)(1) ) (emphasis supplied). The defendant in Stubbs argued that under the language of the Rule, the State may not seek review by certiorari of an order of a trial court granting a motion for appropriate relief. Id .
*695 The Supreme Court disagreed, and held:
As stated plainly in Rule 1 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure, "[t]hese rules shall not be construed to extend or limit the jurisdiction of the courts of the appellate division as that is established by law." [ N.C. R. App. P. 1 ] Therefore, while Rule 21 might appear at first glance to limit the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals, the Rules cannot take away jurisdiction given to that court by the General Assembly in accordance with the North Carolina Constitution.
Id
. at 43-44,
Where § 15A-1422(c) contains "no limiting language ... regarding which party may appeal a ruling on an MAR," the Court held this Court has jurisdiction to hear an appeal by the State of an MAR when defendant has won relief from the trial court.
Id
. at 43,
As in
Stubbs
, the Court in
Thomsen
noted "[t]he General Assembly has exercised [its] constitutional authority in N.C.G.S. § 7A-32(c) by giving the Court of Appeals 'jurisdiction ... to issue the prerogative writs, including ... certiorari, ... to supervise and control the proceedings of any of the trial courts of the General Court of Justice.' "
Thomsen
, --- N.C. at ----,
"Subsection 7A-32(c) thus creates a default rule that the Court of Appeals has
jurisdiction
to review a lower court judgment by writ of certiorari. The default rule will control unless a more specific statute restricts
jurisdiction
in the particular class of cases at issue."
Id
. at ----,
III. Authority Under the Rules of Appellate Procedure
Both Thomsen and Stubbs address the appellate courts' jurisdiction to issue the writ of certiorari upon the State's petition, where statutorily *696 authorized, after the trial court granted both defendants' MAR. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e) provides that a criminal defendant who pleads guilty to a criminal offense "may petition the appellate division for review by writ of certiorari." N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e) (2015). Our initial opinion in this case neither denies, nor purports to limit, this Court's jurisdiction to issue the writ under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e), or any other statute.
The issue in the present case does not pertain to the existence of appellate jurisdiction under the statutes. Rather, the issue pertains to the "govern[ing] procedure" and processes available to properly exercise our jurisdiction and guide our discretion of whether to issue a writ of certiorari, following a defendant's guilty plea. N.C. Rule App. P. Rule 1(b) (2016). Defendant's petition, purportedly under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e), does not invoke any of the three grounds set forth in Appellate Rule 21 to guide this Court's discretion to issue the writ under this Rule to review her guilty plea.
We are without a procedural basis to do so, without invoking Rule 2 to suspend the Rules. See
Steingress v. Steingress
,
Appellate Rule 1 states the Rules of Appellate Procedure "
govern procedure
in all appeals from the courts of the trial division to the courts of the appellate division ...
and in applications to the courts of the appellate division for writs and other relief
which the courts or judges thereof
are empowered
to give." N.C. R. App. P. 1(b) (emphasis supplied). Appellate Rules 1, 2 and 21 provide this Court with a procedure and mechanism to guide our discretion to grant or deny a petition to issue the writ of certiorari under the jurisdiction the appellate courts are "empowered" to exercise under our Constitution and statutes. N.C. R. App. P. 1(b),
Thomsen
, --- N.C. ----,
Under the current language of Appellate Rule 21, no procedural mechanism exists under that Rule to issue the discretionary writ of certiorari to review the trial court's judgment entered upon Defendant's guilty plea under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e), without further exercising our discretion to invoke Rule 2 to suspend the Rules.
See
State v. Biddix
, --- N.C. App. ----,
This Court's jurisdiction to hear and consider issues raised by a party is often broader, but not necessarily synonymous, with the procedural framework under our appellate rules. The appellate rules are replete with circumstances in which this Court possesses jurisdiction, but the rules procedurally do not allow appellate review without invoking Rule 2. For example, although this Court maintains jurisdiction over an appeal, this Court is also bound by Rules 10 and 28 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure, which generally limits review to a only those issues properly preserved and briefed. N.C. R. App. P. 10(a)(1) (2016); N.C. R. App. P. 28(b) (2016).
IV. Conclusion
After further consideration and review of both Thomsen and Stubbs, and under the jurisdictional authority provided by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444(e), Defendant's petition for writ of certiorari to review her motion to dismiss, prior to entry of her guilty plea, does not assert any of the procedural grounds set forth in Rule 21 to issue the writ. Although the statute provides jurisdiction, this Court is without a procedural process under either Rule 1 or 21 to issue the discretionary writ under these facts, other than by invoking Rule 2.
In the further exercise of our discretion under the facts before us, we decline to invoke Rule 2 to suspend the requirements of the appellate rules to issue the writ of certiorari. Appellate Rule 2 sets forth the discretionary basis and restates "the residual power of our appellate courts to consider, in exceptional circumstances, significant issues of importance in the public interest, or to prevent injustice which appears manifest to the Court and only in such instances."
Steingress
,
Upon remand and after reconsideration and further discretionary review, Defendant's petition is denied, and her appeal is dismissed. The prior mandate issued by this court remains undisturbed. It is so ordered .
PETITION DENIED AND APPEAL DISMISSED.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of North Carolina v. Donna Helms LEDBETTER
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published