Title: STATE EX REL RASMUSSEN v DISTRICT

State: montana

Issuer: Montana Supreme Court

Document:

No. 80-215 I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA THE STATE OF MONTANA, ex rel., DAVID ERROL RASMUSSEN, a/k/a DAVID ERROL HENSRUD, R e l a t o r , THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE EIGHTEENTH JUDICIAL D I S T R I C T , GALLATIN COUNTY, HON. JOSEPH B. GARY, DISTRICT JUDGE, R e s p o n d e n t . ORIGINAL PROCEEDING: For R e l a t o r : A. M i c h a e l Salvagni, B o z e m a n , Montana For R e s p o n d e n t : D o n a l d E. White, C o u n t y A t t o r n e y , B o z e m a n , M o n t a n a S u b m i t t e d on briefs: A u g u s t 8 , 1 9 8 0 D e c i d e d : AbG 2 5 1980 Filed: M r . J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly delivered t h e Opinion of t h e Court. Relator has f i l e d an a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a w r i t of super- v i s o r y c o n t r o l t o review and reverse t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d e n i a l of h i s motion t o dismiss Count 11 of an information charging him with a s s a u l t , a misdemeanor, i n v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n 45-5-201 (1) ( a ) , MCA. Count I of t h e information charges burglary, a felony, i n v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n 45-6- 204 ( I ) , MCA. The two charges i n t h e information i n d i c a t e t h a t r e l a t o r entered t h e apartment of Robin Lessley i n Bozeman, Montana, f o r t h e purpose of ransacking it, and while i n t h e apartment, he h i t Robin Lessley i n t h e f a c e t h r e e times with h i s hand. Relator contends t h e D i s t r i c t Court has no j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y him f o r a misdemeanor, simple a s s a u l t . The S t a t e contends t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t Court has j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y a felony and a misdemeanor together where t h e two a r e connected together i n t h e i r commission. The question i n t h i s case, t h e r e f o r e , i s whether t h e D i s t r i c t Court has j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y r e l a t o r f o r simple a s s a u l t , a misdemeanor. J u r i s d i c t i o n of t h e D i s t r i c t and J u s t i c e Courts over criminal matters depends on t h e maximum sentence t h a t can be imposed f o r committing t h e crime. Under s e c t i o n 3-5-302(1), MCA, t h e D i s t r i c t Court i s given o r i g i n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n i n a l l felony criminal cases and " a l l cases of misdemeanor n o t otherwise provided f o r . " The J u s t i c e Court, on t h e o t h e r hand, i s given criminal j u r i s d i c t i o n of a l l misdemeanors punishable by a f i n e n o t exceeding $500 o r imprisonment n o t exceeding s i x months o r both. Section 3-10-303(1), MCA. The maximum sentence f o r a person convicted of a s s a u l t i s a f i n e n o t exceeding $500 o r imprisonment not exceeding s i x months o r both. Section 45-5-201 ( 2 ) , MCA. Under s e c t i o n 46-11-404(1), MCA, " [ a l n . . . informa- t i o n . . . may charge two o r more d i f f e r e n t offenses connected together i n t h e i r commission." This s e c t i o n i s n o t a g r a n t of j u r i s d i c t i o n b u t simply a permissive joinder s t a t u t e f o r offenses within t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n of a given court. I t i s provided t h a t j u r i s d i c t i o n f o r misdemeanor a s s a u l t l i e s with t h e J u s t i c e Court. W e , t h e r e f o r e , r e v e r s e the D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d e n i a l of dismissal of Count I1 and remand t o t h e D i s t r i c t Court f o r f u r t h e r proceedings on Count I. J / J u s Ice W e concur: Z - ~ Q P G ~ Chief J u s t i c e