Case Title: STATE v MORTENSON

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: montana

Court: Montana Supreme Court

Date: 1978-01-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
No. 13898 IN THE SUFREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1978 STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff and Respondent, ROGER MORTENSON, Defendant and Appellant. Appeal from: District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District, Honorable B. W. Thomas, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: William E. Gilbert, Bozeman, Montana For Respondent: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana Ronald W. Smith, County Attorney, Havre, Montana Submitted on briefs. Submitted: January 5, 1978 Filed: .j/?p; . M r . Justice John Conway Harrison delivered the Opinion of the Court : This is an appeal from an order of the District Court, H i l l County, dismissing defendant's appeal from a justice court conviction for failure t o give notice of appeal within the prescribed statutory period. O n December 23, 1975, a complaint was filed in justice court, H i l l County, charging defendant with a violation of privacy i n communications, a misdemeanor, under section 94-8-114, R.C.M. 1947. Defendant was arrested and arraigned on December 24, 1975. Trial i n justice court was held April 7, 1977, and defendant was found guilty. Time for sentencing was waived by the defendant, and oral judgment was imposed i n open court, i n the presence of counsel, on April 7. The judgment was reduced to writing on April 12, 1977. Counsel for defendant executed a written notice of appeal, dated April 21, and it was mailed t o the H i l l County Justice Court on April 23, and received by the court on April 27. The presiding justice of the peace thereafter s e t an appeal bond, which was furnished by defendant. The District Court dismissed defendant's appeal stating: ''(2) Whether the appeal time is computed from the date of the oral judgment on April 7, 1977, or from the date of the written judgment of April 12, 1977, the notice of appeal was not given within 'ten days a f t e r judgment' as required by R.C.M. 95-2009." The controlling issue is whether the time for appeal from a justice court conviction runs from the date of verbal pronounce- ment of judgment in open court, or the date the judgment is executed by the justice of the peace and received by defendant. Defendant centrally contends the time for appeal runs from the date the judgment is executed by the justice of the peace and received by defendant, u n t i l the notice of appeal is mailed by defendant. Given such parameters, defendant maintains h i s notice of appeal was f i l e d within the ten day period prescribed by statute. W e cannot agree. The time allowed for appeal from a justice court convic- tion is s e t i n section 95-2009, R.C.M. 1947: "(b) The defendant may appeal t o the d i s t r i c t court by giving written notice of h i s intention t o appeal within ten (10) days a f t e r judgment." Section 95-2007(b), R.C.M. 1947, indicates judgment upon a plea o r judicial determination of g u i l t is rendered i n open court. There is no requirement i n the Montana Code of Criminal Procedure, sections 95-101 e t seq., R.C.M. 1947, that a justice of the peace reduce t o writing o r a l judgments, nor is it required t h a t a defendant be served a copy of a written judgment. Therefore, the statutory ten day period f o r f i l i n g a notice of appeal runs from the date of o r a l pronouncement of judgment i n open court. W e further hold the written notice of appeal must be f i l e d with the justice court within the ten day period. I n the absence of a specific provision regarding justice courts t h i s language of section 95-2413, R.C.M. 1947, is applicable: "(a) Filing. Papers required o r permitted t o be f i l e d must be placed i n the custody of the clerk within the time fixed for filing. Filing may be accomplished by mail addressed t o the clerk, but f i l i n g shall not be timely unless the papers are actually received within the time fixed for filing. * * *'I (Emphasis added.) (19741, See: State v. ~ush,/164 Mont. 81, 82, 518 P.2d 1406; State v. Bergum, (1974), 164 Mont. 155, 156, 520 P.2d 653. Defendant, in the instant case, was adjudged guilty in open court on April 7, 1977. His notice of appeal was received by the justice court on April 27, 1977, well beyond the ten day statutory filing period. Measured by the standards outlined herein, we find the District Court properly dismissed defendant's appeal for noncompliance with the provisions of section 95-2009(b). Further, even under defendant's argument the notice of appeal was not timely. The order of the District Court dismissing defendant's appeal is af f irmed.