Opinion ID: 890177
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Breadth and Severity

Text: ¶ 23 Melton does not challenge Condition 14, which prohibits him from having contact with any individual under the age of 18 (other than his own children) unless accompanied by a trained and responsible adult. Melton also does not challenge Condition 15's general prohibition on his frequenting places where children typically congregate (unless accompanied by a chaperone). What Melton challenges is the absence of an exception in Condition 15 allowing him to accompany his own children, without a chaperone, to places where other children are reasonably expected to be present, such as schools, parks, playgrounds, malls, movies, fairs, parades, swimming pools, carnivals, arcades, parties, family functions, and holiday festivities. Melton suggests that the absence of such an exception unnecessarily burdens his constitutionally protected relationship with his children and his right to freedom of travel. [2] Citing Muhammad, Melton complains that Condition 15 significantly impacts his right to family relations and is more restrictive than is reasonably necessary to achieve its purpose. ¶ 24 In Muhammad, the sentencing court banished the defendant from Cascade County as a condition of his probation and required him to reside in Lewis and Clark County. In concluding that this restriction was unduly severe and punitive to the point of being unrelated to rehabilitation, and broader than necessary to protect the victim, we observed that Muhammad was residing in Cascade County at the time of the sentencing hearing, that he had family in Cascade County, that he had no family in Lewis and Clark County, and that he had been precluded from petitioning the district court to temporarily lift the restriction. Muhammad, ¶ 28. Notably, we further observed that the district court had imposed several less restrictive means to rehabilitate Muhammad and to protect the victim and society, including that he have no contact with females under the age of 18 and not frequent places where children congregate. Muhammad, ¶ 28. Thus, while Melton argues that Condition 15 is even broader in effect than the condition challenged in Muhammad, this is incorrect. Unlike Muhammad, who was categorically prohibited from having contact with females under the age of 18 and from frequenting places where children congregate, Melton is still permitted to engage in these activities so long as he is accompanied by a trained and responsible adult and obtains permission from his probation officer. This Court has affirmed similar restrictions where the specific facts of the case justified their imposition. See e.g. State v. Rowe, 2009 MT 225, ¶¶ 26-30, 351 Mont. 334, 217 P.3d 471 (affirming a condition that prohibited Rowe from having contact with any person under the age of 15, unless accompanied by an approved adult); State v. Brinson, 2009 MT 200, ¶ 18, 351 Mont. 136, 210 P.3d 164 (affirming a condition that required any contact between Brinson and his underage daughter to be supervised until such time as a counselor made a different recommendation). ¶ 25 Here, we are not persuaded that Condition 15 is unreasonable, unduly punitive, or overbroad. The condition's purpose is to preclude Melton from having unsupervised contact with children other than his owna restriction which Melton has not objected to and which is justified, in any event, for the reasons discussed above. In order to accomplish this purpose, it is necessary to prohibit Melton from frequenting places where children congregate, unless accompanied by a trained and responsible adult. The fact that Melton's children are with him does not vitiate the need for a chaperone. As the State points out, the likelihood of Melton's having unsupervised contact with children in places like parks and playgrounds would actually increase if he were accompanied only by his own children, who would be likely to interact with other children themselves. The sentencing judge stated that he did not want to place other children at risk. Given Melton's demonstrated failure over the preceding ten years to face the legal consequences of the 1999 rape and to complete treatment for that offense, as well as his ongoing resistance to therapy, the District Court was clearly justified in this concern. ¶ 26 We reached the same conclusion in State v. Malloy, 2004 MT 377, 325 Mont. 86, 103 P.3d 1064, which involved similar facts. There, Malloy (a registered sex offender) was convicted of failing to report his change of residence. He was given a partially suspended sentenced that included certain conditions prohibiting from coming into contact with persons under the age of 18. In affirming this restriction, we observed that Malloy had been convicted of two prior sexual offenses and had failed to complete two different sexual offender programs. In fact, he had never completed sexual offender treatment, either while incarcerated or under supervision of probation and parole. We reasoned that Malloy's history demonstrates his inability to conform his conduct to the demands of this State's sexual offender laws. As such, Malloy exhibits behavior which places society in danger because of his recidivism. Malloy, ¶ 14. We noted that the probation conditions had been included in Malloy's suspended sentence so that he must avoid situations which could reasonably be expected to lead to further offenses, given his history as a sexual offender. Malloy, ¶ 14. This reasoning in Malloy is also persuasive here with respect to Melton's history of absconding and failing to complete treatment. ¶ 27 As a final matter, we note that Melton, unlike the defendant in Muhammad, has not been precluded from petitioning the District Court to lift or modify Condition 15's restriction. In this regard, the State posits that once Melton has answered for his crimes in Washington and has successfully completed sexual offender treatment, his treatment provider may conclude that Melton no longer requires supervision when around young girls, in which case Melton may petition the court to modify or remove the condition. Similarly, in considering an identical restriction in State v. Johnson, 2011 MT 286, 362 Mont. 473, 265 P.3d 638, this Court observed that the conditions challenged here appear to be quite restrictive of Johnson's movements. There is good reason for the imposition of restrictions, but if these prove to be unduly burdensome in practice, Johnson and/or his probation officer may seek relief from the District Court. Johnson, ¶¶ 18, 20. ¶ 28 In conclusion, the requirement that Melton, as a condition of his two-year suspended sentence, be accompanied by a trained and responsible adult when going to any places where children typically congregate, and obtain permission from his probation officer before doing so, is reasonably related to the objectives of rehabilitation and the protection of society, § 46-18-202(1), MCA, and is not overbroad or unduly punitive. ¶ 29 Affirmed. We Concur: MIKE McGRATH, BETH BAKER, MICHAEL E. WHEAT and BRIAN MORRIS.