Court Opinion

ID: 9548313
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:01:29.914328+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:18:47.591391
License: Public Domain

VOLLACK, Justice,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent because in my view this case is not properly postured for our review.
The People have shown no injury to a legally protected interest. Gary Fager-holm sought probation. His application for probation was denied under section 16-11-201(2), 8A C.R.S. (1986), because of two prior convictions. Fagerholm then collaterally attacked both prior convictions under Crim.P. 35. The People sought to prevent him from becoming eligible for probation by objecting to his collateral attack. Although the trial court upheld Fagerholm’s collateral attack on one of those convictions, it denied his request for probation and imposed the maximum sentence in the presumptive range. Under these circumstances, I conclude that the People were not aggrieved by the disposition of the trial court. “Appeals are not allowed for the mere purpose of delay, or to present purely *694abstract legal questions however important or interesting, but to correct errors injuriously affecting the rights of some party to the litigation. Only parties aggrieved may appeal.” Miller v. Reeder, 157 Colo. 134, 136, 401 P.2d 604, 605 (1965) (quoting Miller v. Clark, 144 Colo. 431, 432, 356 P.2d 965, 966 (I960)); see People v. Tharp, 746 P.2d 1337, 1339 (Colo.1987); see also Ragsdale Bros. Roofing, Inc. v. United Bank of Denver, 744 P.2d 750, 755 (Colo.App.1987) (only parties denied some claim or burdened with some obligation may appeal).
Although the People are presumably appealing a question of law under section 16-12-102(1), see majority op. at 690, n. 1, the right to appeal under section 16-12-102 must be predicated upon the theory that the errors committed were prejudicial to the People. See People v. Wolff, 111 Colo. 46, 48, 137 P.2d 693, 695 (1943). In this case, the People have failed to show prejudice resulting from whatever error may have been committed by the trial court.
I would dismiss the appeal.