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State v. Heywood

Supreme Court of Minnesota
Sep 16, 1983
338 N.W.2d 243 (Minn. 1983)

Summary

holding that to justify a dispositional departure the district court "can focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [her] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Alwin

Opinion

Nos. C2-83-211, C4-83-212.

September 16, 1983.

Appeal from the District Court, Ramsey County, Hyam Segell, J.

Hubert H. Humphrey, III, Atty. Gen., Thomas J. Foley, County Atty., St. Paul, for appellant.

J. Thomas Mott, St. Paul, for respondent Heywood.

C. Paul Jones, State Public Defender, Minneapolis, for respondent Hubbard.

Considered and decided by the court en banc without oral argument.


These sentencing appeals by the state raise the issue whether the trial court erred in departing dispositionally by staying presumptively executed 54-month prison terms. We affirm.

Defendants Peter Lee Heywood and Ralph Todd Hubbard, ages 21 and 18 respectively, along with Heywood's 31-year-old sister, Lynn, were charged with two counts of burglary with a dangerous weapon and six counts of assault with a dangerous weapon. Lynn Heywood was tried and convicted of all the charges and was sentenced by the trial court to consecutive terms of 90 months and 36 months for the two burglaries and concurrent terms of 65 months for the remaining counts. Defendants each pleaded guilty to counts of burglary with a dangerous weapon in exchange for a dismissal of the other charges and a promise by the prosecutor to recommend concurrent sentencing. Neither had any prior criminal history score, but using the so-called Hernandez rule — see Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines and Commentary, II. B.101. (1982) and State v. Hernandez, 311 N.W.2d 478 (Minn. 1981) — each was assigned one point for the second of two burglaries. The presumptive sentence for each offense was 54 months executed as a result of Minn.Stat. § 609.11 (1982), the minimum term law. The trial court, acting pursuant to State v. Olson, 325 N.W.2d 13 (Minn. 1982), decided on its own motion to sentence without regard to the mandatory minimum terms of imprisonment specified in section 609.11. The court sentenced each of the defendants to two concurrent 54-month terms but stayed execution and placed each on probation for 20 years with probation conditioned on a year in jail.

In justifying the dispositional departure in Hubbard's case, the court pointed to the defendant's age, the fact that this was his first felony conviction, the fact that his role was more passive than the others, the fact that none of the victims was seriously injured, and the belief of the probation agent that he would succeed on probation and that he would not do this sort of thing again. In Peter Heywood's case the court pointed to the defendant's youth, the fact that he was less involved in difficulties as a juvenile than Hubbard, evidence that he was amendable to treatment in a probationary setting and that he was not a threat to the public safety, and his reluctance to treat him differently than Hubbard.

In State v. Fairbanks, 308 N.W.2d 805 (Minn. 1981), we upheld an upward durational departure against a contention that the sentence was unjustifiably severe when compared with the sentences of two accomplices to a burglary of a residence in which the victim was beaten and terrorized. One of the accomplices, Stately, received the presumptive sentence and the other, Robinson, received a downward durational departure. We upheld the appellant's sentence, stating that the disparity was justified because it was appropriate that the appellant receive a greater sentence than Stately because the appellant's conduct was more serious and it was appropriate that Robinson's conduct in discouraging violence toward the victim be recognized. In this case the conduct of both defendants arguably was less serious than that of Lynn Heywood, the planner and instigator of the violence, but we do not believe that their conduct was sufficiently out of the ordinary for the offenses in question to justify a departure of any sort.

The mitigating and aggravating factors listed in section II.D. of the Guidelines focus primarily on the degree of a defendant's culpability. However, when justifying only a dispositional departure, the trial court can focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for him and for society. Thus, in State v. Garcia, 302 N.W.2d 643 (Minn. 1981), we upheld a refusal to stay execution on the basis of evidence that the defendant was particularly unamenable to probation. Similarly, in State v. Wright, 310 N.W.2d 461 (Minn. 1981), we approved reliance on the particular amenability of a defendant to probation as a basis for a dispositional departure in the form of a stay of the presumptively executed sentence. In State v. Trog, 323 N.W.2d 28, 31 (Minn. 1982), we said, "Numerous factors, including the defendant's age, his prior record, his remorse, his cooperation, his attitude while in court, and the support of friends and/or family, are relevant to a determination whether a defendant is particularly suitable to individualized treatment in a probationary setting." See also State v. Clemmer, 328 N.W.2d 739 (Minn. 1983), and State v. Hennessy, 328 N.W.2d 442 (Minn. 1983).

In the two present appeals, the presentence investigation reports and the sentencing transcripts support the view that the defendants are particularly amenable to probation. While the trial court was more explicit in its reliance on this factor in one of the two cases, we believe it is clear that the court's intent in both cases was to rely on the factor.

Affirmed.


Summaries of

State v. Heywood

Supreme Court of Minnesota
Sep 16, 1983
338 N.W.2d 243 (Minn. 1983)

holding that to justify a dispositional departure the district court "can focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [her] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Alwin

holding that district court's reliance on defendant's amenability to probation and lack of criminal history was proper

Summary of this case from State v. Lichtsinn

concluding a defendant's prior record and passive role are relevant in determining amenability to probation

Summary of this case from State v. Gomez

affirming departure that was based, in part, on district court's finding that defendant "was not a threat to the public safety"

Summary of this case from State v. Leckner

affirming downward departure in two cases, finding that, although the court was more explicit in its reliance on the particularly-amenable-to-probation factor in one case, its intent to rely on it in both cases was clear

Summary of this case from State v. Quinnell

discussing particular amenability to probation

Summary of this case from State v. Rund

explaining that “when justifying only a dispositional departure, the trial court can focus more ... on whether the presumptive sentence would be best ... for society,” in addition to other factors (second emphasis added)

Summary of this case from State v. Soto

explaining that a defendant's age and family support are relevant sentencing factors

Summary of this case from State v. Ali

stating that in considering dispositional departure, this court’s focus is on defendant as an individual and whether presumptive sentence is best for defendant and for society

Summary of this case from State v. Bauer

stating that in considering a dispositional departure, the court's focus is on the defendant as an individual and whether the presumptive sentence is best for him and for society

Summary of this case from State v. Gibson

stating that when justifying dispositional departure, district court may focus "more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for him and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Lee

providing that with dispositional departure requests, the district court "focus[es] more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [the defendant] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Tischer

stating that a decision on a dispositional departure allows the court to "focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [her] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Bolden

stating that when considering "only a dispositional departure, the [district] court can focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [the defendant] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Molina

discussing the use of "youth" as a factor justifying a departure

Summary of this case from State v. Soto

stating that the district court can focus on defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence is good for him and for society in justifying a dispositional departure

Summary of this case from State v. Soto

stating that, when deciding whether to make a dispositional departure, the district court focuses "on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for [the defendant] and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Erlandson

noting district court's finding that defendant was not a threat to public safety

Summary of this case from STATE v. MATA

stating that dispositional departure permits sentencing court to "focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for him and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Willis

noting that for dispositional departure, sentencing court "can focus more on the defendant as an individual and on whether the presumptive sentence would be best for him and for society"

Summary of this case from State v. Gomez

considering defendant's passive role and that offense was first felony in examining amenability to probation

Summary of this case from State v. Hughart

supporting downward dispositional departure finding, among other reasons, that defendant was not threat to public safety

Summary of this case from State v. Krautkremer

sentencing court must weigh rehabilitation and needs of society

Summary of this case from State v. Pratt

supporting a downward dispositional departure with, among other reasons, a finding that the defendant was not a threat to public safety

Summary of this case from State v. Chatman
Case details for

State v. Heywood

Case Details

Full title:STATE of Minnesota, Appellant, v. Peter Lee HEYWOOD, Respondent. STATE of…

Court:Supreme Court of Minnesota

Date published: Sep 16, 1983

Citations

338 N.W.2d 243 (Minn. 1983)

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