Court Opinion

ID: 9792526
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 02:30:23.308614+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:37:43.460747
License: Public Domain

URBIGKIT, Chief Justice,
dissenting, with whom MACY, Justice, joins.
Elmer Cambio presents for appeal a misdemeanor battery plea agreement conviction case which consequently does not come encumbered with the felony conviction prosecutorial attribute. Elmer Cambio, age fifty-seven, was weeding a garden on his landlord’s property with a “pitchfork,” which was either a dull pitchfork or a spading fork. While engaged, he asked young Mr. Kirk Lewis to get off of the property fence and, when answered by the question from the youth, “why should he,” Cambio poked the fence sitter with the spading fork. The young man was not upset at that time, but his parents certainly were later which resulted in the institution of a criminal felony charge of infliction of injury on a child as aggravated child abuse because of the age difference.
The five year felony criminal offense, W.S. 6-2-503, was pled down to battery, W.S. 6 — 2—501(b), a six month, $750 fine offense. Cambio had one prior charge — a speeding offense and a $25 fine. In the plea bargain, there was no “sentencing agreement” for the plea. In the post plea bargain sentencing session before the trial court, Cambio’s plea was taken:
THE COURT: Do you understand that as amended that charge would allege that on or about the 30th of April, 1988, in Natrona County, Wyoming, you did unlawfully touch another in a rude, insolent or angry manner or did intentionally, knowingly or recklessly cause bodily injury to another?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
THE COURT: Mr. Cambio, how do you plead to that charge?
THE DEFENDANT: Guilty.
THE COURT: If you maintain your plea of guilty you are admitting all of the essential facts of the charge, the State will not have to prove any case against you, and the only issue will be the sentence. Do you understand that?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
THE COURT: Have you been induced or threatened by anyone to enter this plea?
THE DEFENDANT: No, sir.
THE COURT: Is the plea made voluntarily and of your own volition?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
THE COURT: Are you making your plea after consultation with your attorney?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes.
* * * * * *
THE COURT: The Court finds the defendant is alert and not under any influence which would adversely affect his ability to understand these proceedings, that he is competent to enter a plea, and that the plea is knowingly and voluntarily made, without any improper inducement or conditions, free of coercion, and with an understanding of the charge and the consequences. The Court further finds the plea was made after consultation with competent counsel, and that there is a factual basis for the plea. Therefore, the Court accepts the plea of guilty. I presume we should have a pre-sentence report in the case.
Defense counsel, at the scheduled sentencing session, extensively argued for W.S. 7-13-301 treatment which could only serve upon successful completion of any probationary term to vacate this rather insignificant conviction of battery. The prosecutor asked for jail time, which he did not get in the sentence actually entered of six months supervised probation. He specifically denied usage of the vacation of plea and sentence provision as a sentencing opportunity available to the trial court under the provisions of W.S. 7-13-301.
I dissent for the same reasons stated in the other cases presently before this court, but for the life of me I cannot discern why exercise of the prosecutorial veto provides *485any rational justification for exercised conduct except to acquire the feeling of sitting on the bench with the trial judge during sentencing. Billis v. State, 800 P.2d 401 (Wyo.1990) (Nos. 88-250, 304, 310, 311, 312 and 89-4, 10/5/90), Urbigkit, Chief Justice, dissenting. To make a significant difference for misdemeanor cases, the veto, if exercised after entry of the plea, could realistically only have a practical effect in cases where there is a cumulative offense aggregation possibility, which would be the case with driving while under the influence offenses.
In practical realism within the rap sheet computer society within which we presently live, the difference provided by the vacation of the entered plea following successful probation becomes de minimis. What we have is introduction of a felony issue into misdemeanor sentencing to aggregate prosecutorial power.
Consequently, I dissent from this transfer of judicial power to the advocate in the executive branch of government.