Title: STATE EX REL FORSYTHE v COATE
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 13442
State: Montana
Issuer: Montana Supreme Court
Date: July 13, 1976

No. 13442 I N T H E SUPREME C O U R T O F T H E STATE O F MONTANA 1976 STATE ex r e l . JOHN S. FORSYTHE, Relator, DISTRICT JUDGE ALFRED B. COATE, Judge of t h e Sixteenth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t , County of Rosebud, Respondent. ORIGINAL PR-OCEEDING: Counsel of Record: For Relator : Eugene LaLonde argued, B i l l i n g s , Montana Lee Overfelt, B i l l i n g s , Montana Submitted: J u l y 7, 1976 ' 2 i - Decided: j t i i 1- 1$?8 Mr. Justice Wesley Castles delivered the Opinion of the Court. This is an application for a writ of supervisory control ordering the reinstatement of relator, John S. Forsythe, as county attorney of Rosebud County. Following the return of an indictment from the Rosebud County grand jury accusing relator of official mis- conduct, he was suspended from his office without pay by order of the district court dated May 19, 1976. The indictment charged relator violated his duty to diligently prosecute public offenses by dismissing charges against four persons who were accused of parti- cipating in an illegal card game. On or about October 19, 1975, sheriff's deputies investigating alleged illegal gambling activities entered Buff's Bar in Forsyth, Montana. Upon observing a game of blackjack in progress, they arrested the bar's owner, the card dealer, and four customers who were playing in the game. The cases were originally set for arraignment on November 17, 1975, and later reset to November 26, 1975. On that date relator filed a motion to dismiss the cases against the four customers: Clyde V. Thompson; Marjorie R. Dobson; Lester P . Leischner; and Joe D. Opp. Arraignment for all six defendants was continued to December 11, 1975. On December 4, 1975, relator filed an Information against the owner and the dealer charging them with illegal gambling. An affidavit was filed in support of the Information naming the four customers as witnesses and indicating that they had participated in the game. A t the hearing of December 11, 1975, the owner entered a plea of "guilty" t o Count I of the Information charging him with conducting an unauthorized card game. H e entered a plea of "not guilty" t o Count I1 of the Information charging him with cheating. The d i s t r i c t court inquired i n t o the basis of the g u i l t y plea and the owner reported the events a t the time of the a r r e s t s a s he remem- bered them. The d i s t r i c t court found t h a t the facts sustained the charge and accepted the g u i l t y plea. Relator then moved t h a t the d i s t r i c t court dismiss without prejudice Count I1 of the Information for lack of evidence. The d i s t r i c t court granted the motion. After argument by the owner's counsel, the d i s t r i c t court sentenced the owner t o pay a f i n e of $200. The dealer, who was not present a t the hearing of December 11, 1975, entered a g u i l t y plea i n April 1976 t o the charge of i l l e g a l gambling and was also fined $200. After the owner was sentenced, the d i s t r i c t court heard and granted an o r a l motion by r e l a t o r t o dismiss the charges against the four customers. The relevant portion of the t r a n s c r i p t of the d i s t r i c t court proceedings s t a t e s : "THE COURT: And i n criminal cause 1116, 1117, 1119, and 1120, those being S t a t e of Montana vs. Clyde Thompson ---1116, S t a t e of Montana vs. Marjorie R. Dobson---1117, S t a t e of Montana vs. Lester P. Leischner --- 1119, and 1120---State of Montana vs. Joe D. Opp. "The County Attorney has f i l e d a written motion t o dismiss i n each of them. D o you desire t o make an o r a l motion a t t h i s time? "MR. FORSYTHE: Yes, Your Honor. Comes now the County Attorney f o r Rosebud County and moves the Court t o dismiss Criminal Cause Nos. 116,117,119, and 120*(sic) f o r the reason t h a t there i s an insufficient evidence t o support a prosecution i n each of these cases, p a r t i c u l a r l y with respect t o Count 11. I a m c e r t a i n t h a t these people were unaware t h a t there was any cheating going on i n the game o r they would not have participated i n the game. "THE COURT: They were customers i n the game? "MR. FORSYTHE: Yes, Your Honor. "THE COURT: Very well, the motion w i l l be granted and those cases a r e dismissed. * * *" It is c l e a r from an examination of the proceedings a s s e t f o r t h above, t h a t the d i s t r i c t court was f u l l y aware of the f a c t s and circumstances surrounding the motion t o dismiss when it was presented. In ordering the suspension, the d i s t r i c t court evidently f e l t bound by section 94-8-414, R.C.M. 1947: 1 1 Every county attorney, s h e r i f f , constable, chief of ~ o l i c e , marshal, or police o f f i c e r must iniorm against and make complaint and d i l i g e n t l y prosecute persons whom they know, or concerning whom they may be informed, or whom they may have reasonable cause t o believe t o be offenders against the provisions of t h i s a c t . The neglect o r r e f u s a l of any such o f f i c e r t o make complaint against or d i l i g e n t l y prosecute persons he has reasonable cause t o believe t o be offenders against the provisions of t h i s a c t s h a l l be deemed s u f f i c i e n t cause f o r removal from off i c e . I ' (Emphasis supplied .) This s t a t u t e creates a presumption t h a t f a i l u r e t o follow the prescribed conduct constitutes s u f f i c i e n t grounds f o r suspension from office. However, t h i s presumption i s not irrebuttable o r mandatory upon the d i s t r i c t court. The d i s t r i c t c o u r t ' s own records show t h a t i t granted r e l a t o r ' s motion t o dismiss the charges. When a motion t o dismiss criminal charges is made by the county attorney and approved by the d i s t r i c t court, the stamp of j u d i c i a l approval overcomes the statutory presumption leaving no room f o r discretion. Suspension, ab- sent any indication of deception o r fraud upon the court, is inappro- p r i a t e . W e a l s o note t h a t section 94-7-401, R.C.M. 1947, "Official isc conduct", under subsections ( l ) ( a ) and ( 4 ) , provides f o r a d i s - cretionary suspension. Here, again the Court's own records show j u d i c i a l approval of the prosecutor's actions. Therefore, i t i s ordered t h a t r e l a t o r , John S. Forsythe, s h a l l receive a l l back pay t o May 19, 1976, and be reinstated i n h i s o f f i c e pending f i n a l determination of the charges against him. - L Justices.