State v. Greene
State v. Greene
Opinion
*781 Defendant appeals the Satellite-Based Monitoring Order entered after his Alford plea to two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. Defendant argues on appeal that the trial court erred in ordering lifetime satellite-based monitoring in the absence of evidence from the State that this was a reasonable search of defendant. We agree, and conclude that this matter must be reversed.
*344 Background
Defendant Linwood Earl Greene (defendant) was indicted on 27 October 2014 and on 14 July 2015 for sex offense with a 13, 14, or 15-year old child. On 15 August 2016, defendant entered an Alford plea before the Honorable Walter H. Godwin, Jr. to two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. Judge Godwin then entered an order sentencing defendant to an active term of twenty-six to forty-one months' imprisonment and requiring that defendant register as a sex offender for the remainder of his natural life. No order regarding satellite-based monitoring was entered on that day.
On 14 November 2016, a satellite-based monitoring determination hearing was held upon the State's application before the Honorable Jeffery B. Foster. Defendant filed a Motion to Dismiss the State's Application for Satellite-Based Monitoring prior to the hearing. At the satellite-based monitoring hearing, the State put forth evidence establishing that defendant had a prior conviction of misdemeanor sexual battery, in addition to his conviction on 15 August 2016 of two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. The State offered no further evidence beyond defendant's criminal record.
The trial court heard arguments from both parties. Referencing his motion to dismiss, defendant challenged the constitutionality of the lifetime satellite-based monitoring enrollment by citing Grady v. North Carolina , State v. Blue , and State v. Morris , positing that the State had not met its burden of establishing, under a totality of the circumstances, the reasonableness of the satellite-based monitoring program in light of both the State's interests and defendant's privacy interests. The trial court denied defendant's motion to dismiss, reasoning "that based on the fact that this is the second conviction that ... defendant has accumulated of a sexual nature, ... his privacy interests are outweighed by the State's interest in protecting future victims." Judge Foster then ordered that defendant be enrolled in the satellite-based monitoring program for the remainder of his natural life.
*782 On appeal, defendant argues that the trial court erred in ordering lifetime satellite-based monitoring because the State's evidence was insufficient to establish that the enrollment constituted a reasonable Fourth Amendment search under Grady v. North Carolina , State v. Blue , and State v. Morris . The State has conceded this point. However, the State contends that it should have a chance to supplement its evidence, upon remand from this Court, in order to support the finding that enrolling defendant in lifetime satellite-based monitoring is a reasonable Fourth Amendment search. Defendant argues that this Court should reverse without remand. Accordingly, the only issue before us involves the appropriate remedy.
Discussion
The United States Supreme Court has held that North Carolina's satellite-based monitoring program constitutes a search for purposes of the Fourth Amendment.
Grady v. North Carolina
, 575 U.S. ----, ----,
Notwithstanding the fact that satellite-based monitoring proceedings are civil proceedings, the State argues that the civil bench proceeding standard, pursuant to which "[a] dismissal under Rule 41(b) should be granted if the plaintiff has shown no right to relief[,]"-is inapplicable here.
Hill v. Lassiter
,
Next, the State argues that remand is proper under State v. Blue and State v. Morris .
*783
After
Grady
was decided, there was some uncertainty concerning the scope of the State's burden at satellite-based monitoring proceedings, and several cases came up to this Court in the midst of that uncertainty.
See
State v. Blue
, --- N.C.App. ----,
Even accepting its burden, the State contends that, "[a]s with any appellate reversal of a trial court's determination that plaintiff's evidence is legally sufficient, nothing ...
precludes
the Appellate Division from determining in a proper case that plaintiff[-]appellee is nevertheless entitled to a new trial."
Harrell v. W.B. Lloyd Constr. Co.
,
Because "dismissal under Rule 41(b) is to be granted if the plaintiff has shown no right to relief[,]" having conceded the trial court's
*784
error, the State must likewise concede that the proper outcome below would have been for the trial court to grant defendant's motion and dismiss the satellite-based monitoring proceeding against him.
1
See
Jones v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co
.,
We reverse the trial court's order denying defendant's motion to dismiss the State's application for satellite-based monitoring.
REVERSED.
Judges CALABRIA and MURPHY concur.
Both parties correctly note that defendant's motion for a "directed verdict" should have been more properly characterized as a "motion for involuntary dismissal" pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1A-1, Rule 41(b) (2017).
See
Hill
,
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of North Carolina, v. Linwood Earl GREENE, Defendant.
- Cited By
- 34 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Fourth Amendment, Search and Seizure, Remedies, Sexual Offenses, Indecent Liberties, Sentencing, Satellite-Based Monitoring