Opinion ID: 883303
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: issues

Text: Did the District Court err when it failed to order a new sentencing due to irregularities at sentencing? Arlington maintains that the District Court erred when it failed to order a new sentencing due to irregularities at the sentencing hearing, including the testimony of an incompetent person. The State argues that the District Court did not have jurisdiction to decide whether the appellant was entitled to be resentenced. We agree with the State. On December 30, 1992, the District Court sentenced Arlington to ten years in the Montana State Prison, with six years suspended, and two years in prison for the use of a dangerous weapon. That same day, Arlington filed a notice of appeal to this Court. On February 24, 1993, Arlington filed a motion and brief before this Court requesting this Court to stay the appeal until the District Court conducted a hearing on his motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. On March 16, 1993, this Court granted Arlington's motion to remand the case to the District Court to hear his motion for a new trial. The case was not remanded for the resolution of any other motion or issue. However, on May 21, 1993, the District Court conducted a hearing wherein it considered Arlington's motion for a new trial, his motion for dismissal due to prosecutorial misconduct, and his motion for resentencing. The District Court lost jurisdiction of the Arlington case at the time that he filed his notice of appeal to the Montana Supreme Court. State v. Laverdure (1984), 212 Mont. 31, 32, 685 P.2d 375, 376. See also Julian v. Buckley (1981), 191 Mont. 487, 491-492, 625 P.2d 526, 528. ([W]hen a notice of appeal has been filed, jurisdiction ... passes from the District Court and vests in the Supreme Court. It becomes the Supreme Court's duty to maintain the status quo of the parties until the controversy can be determined.) The only issue which the Supreme Court remanded to the District Court was the motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. The District Court did not have jurisdiction to decide any other issue, including resentencing. We hold that the District Court did not have jurisdiction to decide whether Arlington should have been resentenced. Accordingly, Arlington cannot predicate error on the court's failure to resentence.