Opinion ID: 1746430
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Departures in sentencing

Text: We first address the trial court's departures from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines as to duration and by imposing consecutive sentences. [7] As to the durational departures, in State v. Evans we held that generally in a case in which an upward departure in sentence length is justified, the upper limit will be double the presumptive sentence length. 311 N.W.2d 481, 483 (Minn.1981). Where severe aggravating factors exist however, a departure of up to the statutory maximum may be appropriate. See State v. Glaraton, 425 N.W.2d 831, 834 (Minn.1988); State v. Stumm, 312 N.W.2d 248, 249 (Minn.1981). Further, factors must be severe to support both a double durational departure and a departure as to consecutive sentencing. See State v. Mortland, 399 N.W.2d 92, 94 (Minn.1987); State v. Wellman, 341 N.W.2d 561, 566 (Minn.1983). The purpose of the guidelines in imposing sentencing departures is to achieve consistency and fairness in sentencing, but unless the trial court states with particularity what aggravating factors it is relying on to justify each departure the rationale for the departure is unknown and effective appellate review is denied. We have held that the trial court may not rely on conduct underlying one conviction to support departure on a sentence for a separate conviction, see State v. Spaeth, 552 N.W.2d 187, 196 (Minn.1996), and conduct underlying proof of the offense itself cannot be relied upon to justify an upward departure, see State v. Peterson, 329 N.W.2d 58, 60 (1983). The trial court relied on 15 aggravating factors to justify, in the aggregate, upward departures on the three sentences. In summary, the court referenced appellant's patterned sex offender status, prior sexual assault, prior felony involving personal injury, particular cruelty, permanent injury, invasion of the victim's zone of privacy, the victim's particular vulnerability, psychological trauma, humiliation suffered by the victim, the aggravated nature of the offenses, appellant's dangerousness, use of a weapon, fleeing the scene, [8] lack of remorse, and sophistication and planning. Our concern with the trial court's failure to provide separate justifications for each sentence is that a separate analysis of the reasons for departure as to each sentence may have led to a different sentencing result, would have informed the appellant as to the rationale for each sentence, and of course would have provided a clear record for review. Requiring separate justification for each departure is consistent with the intent of the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission as noted in the comments to the sentencing guidelines that where a judge departs both durationally and dispositionally in sentencing the judge must provide separate reasons for each departure. See Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines II.D.02 comment. A further concern is that factors supporting departure on one sentence may not justify a departure on another sentence. For example, the victim's vulnerability due to the fact she was asleep when appellant entered her apartment supports a departure on the criminal sexual conduct sentence but does not justify a departure on the attempted murder sentence because the victim was awake at the time of that offense. Thus, we hold that the trial court erred in not separately identifying the aggravating factors supporting each sentencing departure.