Court Opinion

ID: 9656266
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 19:44:53.213888+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:30.911918
License: Public Domain

J. T. Kallman, J.
(concurring in part; dissenting in part). I respectfully dissent from that portion of the majority opinion which remands for further articulation of the reasons for the sentence imposed. I believe that the trial judge’s statement that he followed the guidelines adequately explained the sentence as required by People v Coles, 417 Mich 423, 450; 339 NW2d 440 (1983).
In People v Coles, supra, pp 458-551, the Supreme Court determined that there was a need for greater appellate review of sentences. In order to facilitate the appellate review process, the Court mandated that the trial court articulate on the record its reasons for imposing the sentence given. The Court recognized the existence of the sentencing guidelines but did not define the relationship between the sentencing guidelines and its requirement that the trial court articulate its reasons for imposing a sentence.
Three months after Coles was decided, the Supreme Court entered Administrative Order No 1984-1, 418 Mich lxxx, which made the use of the *475sentencing guidelines mandatory. The sentencing, information report is now available to the appellate courts for review in every case. This report contains a prior record score, and an offense score (which includes scoring of offense variables and the offense severity level), and mitigation variables. The sentencing information report also requires a statement by the judge of any other considerations or reasons for departing above or below the sentence range in the guidelines. Also available to the appellate courts is the presentence investigation report which now contains an explanation for the suggested scoring of the sentencing information report. An appellate court may also review the sentencing transcript which contains comments by the judge, the attorneys, and defendant. The transcript may contain any objections to the guidelines scoring or the information contained in the presentence information report and resolution by the trial judge.
In light of the materials now available to the appellate courts for sentencing review, the requirement that a trial judge utilize the sentencing guidelines and state reasons for departure does more to facilitate appellate review of sentences than a requirement that overburdened trial judges additionally make a rote recitation of the factors articulated in People v Snow, 386 Mich 586, 592; 194 NW2d 314 (1972). Consequently, I believe that for offenses to which the sentencing guidelines are applicable, the use of the guidelines obviates the need for a Coles articulation of the reasons for imposing a sentence. See People v Murray, 147 Mich App 227; — NW2d — (1985).
A remand for further articulation of the reasons for the sentence imposed is particularly inefficacious in the present case because defendant does not argue that the trial court abused its discretion *476or that the sentence imposed is so excessive that it should shock the conscience of this Court. More importantly, I must reach the inevitable conclusion that from 16 to 30 years for second-degree murder, where defendant has a prior homicide conviction, does not amount to an abuse of discretion or shock my appellate conscience.
I would affirm.