Opinion ID: 2065993
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Costs Permitted Under Prosecution Costs Statute

Text: Having decided that the trial court did not err by imposing costs without finding an ability to pay, we now turn to the question of whether the specific costs claimed by the state are recoverable under section 631.48. [3] The costs allowed must either be expressly provided for in the statute or analogous to costs taxable to the prevailing party in a civil action. See Morehart, 149 Minn. at 433, 183 N.W. at 960. As we examine the specific costs claimed in this case, we expressly limit our holding to what costs may be imposed against a defendant in a criminal action.
The prosecution costs statute expressly allows for the recovery of extradition costs. Therefore, the trial court's award of $1,654 in extradition costs is affirmed.
The state sought reimbursement for translation of autopsy reports, assistance of a translator during its presentation of evidence to the grand jury, translation of witness statements, and for the use of an interpreter to assist the prosecution during trial. The state did not seek reimbursement for the costs of the interpreters assigned to assist Lopez-Solis at trial. The court of appeals affirmed the trial court's award of translator costs, comparing them to discovery costs. Lopez-Solis, 1998 WL 8453, at . We disagree and hold that translator and interpreter costs are not recoverable under the prosecution costs statute. The language of the statute does not contain a provision allowing for the recovery of interpreter costs. See Minn.Stat. § 631.48. While it is true that in civil cases some costs incurred in discovery may be awarded, the use of interpreters and translators is fundamental to a criminal defendant's fair treatment and is not analogous to discovery. The legislature requires that interpreters be appointed for criminal defendants handicapped in communication at arrest and through all subsequent proceedings, including grand jury proceedings. See Minn.Stat. §§ 611.30-.34 (1996). The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that all criminal defendants who are handicapped in communication are treated as fairly as [those] who speak[] English fluently. State v. Mitjans, 408 N.W.2d 824, 829 (Minn.1987). Therefore, the trial court's award of $1,100 for translator and interpreter costs is reversed.
Lopez-Solis was originally charged by complaint with second-degree intentional murder and second-degree felony murder. The original charges were dismissed and the grand jury's substituted indictment included a count of first-degree intentional murder. The jury acquitted Lopez-Solis on the first-degree intentional murder charge, the only charge the state was required to present to the grand jury. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 17.01. The trial court awarded the state the costs of having a court reporter attend and transcribe the grand jury proceeding, produce transcripts after the proceeding, and for the presentation of photographic evidence to the grand jury. In addition, the trial court awarded costs for witness travel in connection with grand jury testimony and reimbursement for travel expenses incurred by the assistant attorneys general who helped Rice County present the case to the grand jury. The state argues that grand jury proceedings are analogous to discovery in a civil case and thus are recoverable under the criminal prosecution costs statute. The procedures that govern grand jury proceedings are enumerated in our rules of criminal procedure. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 18.01-.09. We have explained the extraordinary nature of these proceedings: The grand jury system is deeply embedded in the criminal law in this state. The Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution and the laws of Minnesota contain provisions requiring grand jury indictments in the more serious cases. A grand jury proceeding has long been held to be basic to the rights of an accused. State v. Thompson, 273 Minn. 1, 14, 139 N.W.2d 490, 501 (1966). The only person authorized to convene a grand jury inquiry is the county attorney. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 18.01. Only the attorneys for the state, the grand jury members, court reporters, and qualified interpreters for witnesses handicapped in communication are permitted to attend grand jury proceedings. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 18.04. In limited circumstances, police officers and attorneys for a witness may be permitted to attend. See id. The deliberations and votes of grand jurors are secret and may not be disclosed. See Minn. R.Crim. P. 18.08. At first glance, grand jury proceedings may be seen as analogous to discovery in a civil case. In both settings, facts are uncovered which may be used at trial. The grand jury system is, however, a creature of the criminal justice system. See Thompson, 273 Minn. at 14, 139 N.W.2d at 501. No mechanism with such broad power is available to litigants in a civil case. Moreover, grand jury proceedings are not enumerated as a recoverable cost in the prosecution costs statute. See Minn.Stat. § 631.48. Because grand jury costs are not enumerated in the prosecution costs statute and because the proceedings do not have an analog in the civil setting, the trial court's award of $2,144.27 for grand jury costs is reversed.
Lopez-Solis challenges the assessment of fees paid to Dr. Susan Roe, the medical examiner, and Joe Castorena, a toxicologist. Lopez-Solis concedes that fees incurred for expert testimony are recoverable. See Minn. Stat. § 357.25 (1996) (providing that trial judge has discretion to award expert witness fees); Minn. Gen. R. Prac. 127 (providing that court administrators may tax $300 per day for expert witness fees subject to increase or decrease by a judge); see also Klinzing v. Gutterman, 250 Minn. 534, 538, 85 N.W.2d 665, 668 (1957) (holding that expert witness fees are recoverable against defeated party in civil case); Kundiger v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 218 Minn. 273, 286, 15 N.W.2d 487, 495 (1944) (allowing expert witness fees in civil case).
The record before us indicates that Rice County does not employ a medical examiner. Instead, Rice County used the services of Dr. Roe, an assistant medical examiner for Ramsey County, who conducted an autopsy. Dr. Roe also testified at each of Lopez-Solis' trials, testifying that in her opinion the victim's cause of death was a homicide. The trial court granted the state's request for reimbursement for Dr. Roe's expert witness fees. Lopez-Solis argues that the costs of a medical examiner conducting an autopsy, preparing an autopsy report, and testifying at trial are costs that should not be imposed against a criminal defendant following conviction. Lopez-Solis contends that because the legislature requires county sheriffs to report all violent deaths to the medical examiner and because it is within the medical examiner's discretion whether to conduct an autopsy, the medical examiner should be viewed as an independent party. See Minn.Stat. § 390.32 (1996). We agree with Lopez-Solis that expenses incurred by medical examiners in conducting an autopsy, preparing an autopsy report, and testifying at trial may not be imposed against a criminal defendant following conviction. These services are provided independent of a criminal prosecution and therefore are not recoverable. Therefore, the $1,200 awarded by the trial court for Dr. Roe's trial testimony is reversed. [4]
While Lopez-Solis does not take issue with the costs imposed for the testimony of toxicologist Castorena, he challenges the award of costs for Castorena's travel from Texas. Lopez-Solis argues that travel expenses incurred as part of an expert's preparation and testimony are limited by Minn. Stat. § 357.22 (1996), which provides: The fees to be paid to witnesses shall be as follows    (2)[f]or travel to and from the place of attendance, to be estimated from the witness's residence, if within the state, or from the boundary line of the state where the witness crossed it, if without the state, 28 cents per mile. Id. However, the same section further states that [n]o person is obliged to attend as a witness in any civil case unless one day's attendance and travel fees are paid or tendered the witness in advance. Id. Lopez-Solis' argument that section 357.22 limits expert travel costs to mileage within the state is misplaced. An award of expert witness fees is discretionary with the trial court and will be reversed only where there is an abuse of discretion. See Carpenter v. Mattison, 300 Minn. 273, 280, 219 N.W.2d 625, 631 (1974). Section 357.25 is the controlling statute regarding the award of costs and fees associated with an expert's preparation for and testimony at trial, and the legislature afforded trial courts discretion in determining what fees are just and reasonable. Minn.Stat. § 357.25. The trial court was within its discretion in awarding travel costs of $1,168.60 for the toxicologist's travel. [5]
The trial court imposed costs for transporting witnesses to the second trial. [6] Lopez-Solis contends that the language of section 357.22 limits the award of travel fees to mileage incurred within the state. In the context of a civil case, we have held that [t]his statute clearly does not authorize the payment of travel expense to a nonresident witness for travel outside the state of Minnesota. In re Miller's Estate, 242 Minn. 29, 32, 64 N.W.2d 1, 3 (1954). While the legislature has afforded trial courts discretion in awarding expert witness fees and costs, no such provision exists for lay witnesses. Furthermore, the prosecution costs statute is silent regarding witness travel fees. We will not read such language into the statute. Therefore, the trial court's award of $1,289.30 is reversed.
Lopez-Solis claims the trial court's award of costs for exhibits, including photographs, slides, and blood testing, was in error. However, Minn.Stat. § 357.315 (1996) authorizes the imposition of such costs. That statute provides that the cost of obtaining medical records used to prepare a claim, whether or not offered at trial, and the reasonable costs of exhibits shall be allowed in the taxation of costs. Id. The legislature has specifically noted that these costs may be included in a taxation of costs. The imposition of $123.70 attributable to exhibit costs is affirmed.
The trial court awarded $300 for the cost of subpoenas and service of process incurred in the trials of Lopez-Solis. [7] Lopez-Solis maintains that the legislature prohibited any such award when it enacted Minn.Stat. § 357.24 (1996), which provides: When a defendant is represented by a public defender or an attorney performing public defense work    neither the defendant nor the public defender shall be charged for any subpoena fees or for service of subpoenas by a public official. We read this provision to preclude the state from charging a defendant or the attorney representing the defendant for service of process or subpoenas incurred while defending criminal charges. Here, the state did not seek costs for subpoenas or service of process fees incurred by Lopez-Solis in putting on his defense. Instead, the state seeks reimbursement for expenses incurred by the prosecution. The civil disbursements statute expressly provides that fees and mileage paid for service of process by the sheriff or by a private person are recoverable. Minn. Stat. § 549.04. The trial court's imposition of $125 in costs is therefore affirmed.
The trial court imposed costs associated with the travel of the assistant attorneys general, the county attorney who prosecuted the case, and the office manager of the Rice County attorney's office. Lopez-Solis claims that these costs are not recoverable under the prosecution costs statute. The court of appeals relied upon its decision in State v. Niemczyk as authority for allowing recovery of the travel costs incurred by the prosecuting attorneys. Lopez-Solis, 1998 WL 8453, at  (citing Niemczyk, 400 N.W.2d 401, 404 (Minn.App.1987)). Niemczyk, however, did not deal with the travel costs of prosecuting attorneys. Instead, Niemczyk listed various fees recoverable in a civil action, including witness travel costs expressly provided for in section 357.22. 400 N.W.2d at 404. As we have discussed above, section 357.22 applies only to witness travel fees; thus the court of appeals erred when it applied the holding of Niemczyk to allow the recovery of travel costs for the prosecuting attorneys in this case. Therefore, and because travel costs for prosecuting attorneys are not expressly provided for in the prosecution costs statute, we reverse the trial court's imposition of $1,163.95 in travel costs.