Opinion ID: 836201
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Criticisms of My Approach

Text: I disagree with the majority and Justice Markman that my interpretation contravenes consecutive sentencing. When someone has been convicted of multiple offenses and received a consecutive sentence, time he or she serves is not credited to the minimum sentences for more than one conviction. In contrast, under a concurrent sentence, any time served is applied to all prisoners' minimum sentences. Under my interpretation of MCL 769.11b, consistent with a consecutive sentence, a prisoner's time served would never be applied toward more than one minimum sentence. Time served would not be applied toward the second minimum sentence until the first minimum sentence had been served. Time served might be applied against the minimum term of a new sentence and the maximum term of the old sentence at the same time. But, under Michigan's indeterminate sentencing scheme, minimums and maximums are often served concurrently, even when consecutive sentencing applies. [12] Indeed, the current application of MCL 791.234(3) applies time served by reoffending parolees to satisfy the minimum sentence of the new offense and the maximum sentence of the old offense simultaneously. This occurs because the maximum sentence for the old offense has not been served when the convict is resentenced. The time left is incorporated into the offender's new combined maximum sentence. Moreover, I disagree with the majority opinion that my interpretation is undermined by MCL 791.238(6). As discussed previously, the Parole Board has no authority to alter a defendant's sentence. A defendant's early release date is not calculated until after the minimum and maximum terms of both consecutive sentences have been added together. I believe that all the time that a defendant has served should be applied toward that aggregate term, as calculated by the Parole Board pursuant to MCL 791.234(3). I reject the majority's contention that the Legislature intended that time spent on parole should count only toward the sentence imposed by the court before the prisoner was paroled. [13] The majority's conclusions are premised on an erroneous assumption: A prisoner serving an existing prison term while awaiting trial for a new offense cannot be considered to be serving time toward a new sentence that is imposed after the trial. The error in this assumption is illustrated by examining the application of jail credit to the sentences of first-time offenders. While a first-time offender is in jail awaiting trial, he is not serving his sentence. He has not yet been convicted, and there is no sentence to serve. But once convicted, he is considered to have been serving the sentence while in jail awaiting trial. Similarly, while a parolee is incarcerated awaiting trial for new criminal conduct, he or she cannot be serving his or her new sentence because it does not yet exist; he or she is only serving his or her prior sentence. But once the second sentence has been imposed, MCL 791.234(3) becomes operative. Only at that point can the new aggregate term governing the prisoner's incarceration be computed. The minimum terms of both sentences are added together, as are the maximum terms of both sentences. At that point, it is relevant to ask, with respect to parole eligibility and maximum discharge dates, how much time the prisoner has served. MCL 791.238(6) indicates that the parolee is considered to have been serving his sentences while on parole. That none of the sentences existed at the time he was deemed to be serving them is not inherently problematic. [14] The same result occurs with the award of jail credit to a first-time offender. While in jail, a first-time offender is similarly considered to have been serving a sentence that did not yet exist. The sentence imposed by the court referenced in MCL 791.238(6) should not be given the overly restrictive meaning that the majority ascribes to it. [15] This is made clear by MCL 8.3b, which provides that in construing statutes, [e]very word importing the singular number only may extend to and embrace the plural number, and every word importing the plural number may be applied and limited to the singular number. Thus, even though MCL 791.238(6) refers to a single sentence, it may properly be considered to reference multiple sentences, including those being served consecutively. Furthermore, MCL 791.238(6) credits all parolees for time served while on parole, whether they are serving two sentences imposed consecutively, or three or more. Another example illustrates how this occurs. A prisoner is paroled from a single sentence and receives a consecutive sentence for a new felony committed while on parole. The prisoner is paroled again and commits a third felony resulting in a third consecutive sentence. In what sense was the prisoner serving out the sentence imposed by the court? Quite literally, the prisoner was not actually serving a single sentence imposed by a court. Rather, the prisoner was serving a combined term of imprisonment computed by the DOC under MCL 791.234(3) after the prisoner's second offense. This combined term is an aggregate term with added minimums and added maximums. That combined term included two sentences imposed by the court as its component parts. Thus, it is not a failure of logic to read MCL 791.238(6) to mean that, while on parole, parolees are serving sentences imposed by the court. They are serving all of them, including the one imposed for the most recent episode of new criminal conduct committed while on parole. I also disagree with the assertion in the majority's and Justice Markman's opinions that my interpretation leads to illogical or anomalous results. [16] Most of this criticism is that my interpretation could result in a repeat offender being deemed eligible for parole immediately upon being sentenced for a new offense. Clearly, such a situation could occur. But, of course, the Parole Board always has the discretion not to grant parole. Therefore, the situation does not constitute the absurd result of a repeat offender likely being paroled without serving time for a second offense. Certainly, it does not warrant disregarding the statutory language. I offer this hypothetical example by way of illustration of what MCL 791.234(3) requires: An offender is sentenced to 1 to 10 years in prison. The offender is granted parole after serving the minimum sentence. No time remains on the minimum sentence, and 9 years remain on the maximum sentence. After 2 years on parole, the offender commits an act that gives rise to a new felony charge. The offender is immediately arrested and jailed. At that time, the offender has 7 years remaining to serve on the maximum sentence. The offender then spends 1 year in jail awaiting trial, conviction, and sentencing on the new offense. Accordingly, on the sentencing date, 6 years remain to be served on the original maximum term. The offender receives a 7- to 15-year term of imprisonment for the new offense. Under MCL 791.234(3), the DOC calculates the new parole-eligibility date by adding the new minimum term (7 years) and the minimum term of his original sentence (1 year). His new minimum term is 8 years. The DOC calculates the new maximum discharge date by adding the new maximum sentence (15 years) to the original maximum sentence (10 years). Thus, the offender's new maximum sentence is 25 years. [17] The key question is how much time has the offender served toward this newly calculated 8- to 25-year term by the time the DOC calculates it? I conclude that under a plain reading of MCL 791.234(3), the offender has served 4 years of that sentence: 1 in prison on the original offense, 2 on parole, and 1 while incarcerated awaiting trial for the new offense. Therefore, in the hypothetical example, the offender is eligible for parole 4 years after sentencing for the new offense.