Court Opinion

ID: 9724736
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 11:11:01.166121+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:05.333035
License: Public Domain

CRIPPEN, Judge,
dissenting.
I join in the dissent of Judge Randall. Particularly, I agree that this case is not governed by State v. Cizl, 304 N.W.2d 632 (Minn.1981). In Cizl, the trial court attempted to identify policy reasons why it could fairly disregard the classification of a crime as a felony.
As the majority indicates, a downward dispositional departure must be based on a factor tending to mitigate the offender’s culpability for the offense. Minn. Sentencing Guidelines II.D.2.a (4). Culpability of the defendant in Cizl was not in question. Here, however, the trial judge has specifically indicated his concerns on issues of culpability. Bad checks of the defendant had been written before but had been covered later. Restitution had been made on checks described in the present complaint.
Culpability in connection with bad check cases is difficult to assess, and the topic begs for consideration of the individual circumstances of a case. The accusation and the conviction here were under the theft statute. See Minn.Stat. § 609.52 (1984). The checks in question were written shortly after the defendant’s account had been closed. Prior bad checks had been paid. It was open to question whether the defendant’s conduct could be categorized as the willful taking with an intent to deprive the *920owner permanently of property. See Minn. Stat. § 609.52, subd. 2(1).
Because of difficulties connected with the proof of theft in the issuance of bad checks, the topic has been given special attention by the Minnesota Legislature. With various presumptions of intent, the issuance of a dishonored check is a separate crime under Minn.Stat. § 609.535 (1984). Offenses under this statute are misdemeanors.
It is evident to me that the trial judge has identified the existence of substantial grounds that tend to mitigate the defendant’s culpability in connection with the issuance of checks. Given the existence of reasons for departure, I cannot identify any other basis to conclude that the trial court’s sentence is disproportional to the offense. In the absence of reason for “strong feeling” about disproportionality, we should affirm. See State v. Schantzen, 308 N.W.2d 484, 487 (Minn.1981).