Court Opinion

ID: 9658479
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 21:01:18.748485+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:55.610689
License: Public Domain

*332T. M. Burns, J.
(concurring). I concur in the result reached by the majority and write separately only to reaffirm my belief that it is error to excuse a defendant from an in-chambers sentencing conference between his counsel and the judge. See People v McIntosh, 101 Mich App 422, 423; 300 NW2d 584 (1980) (T. M. Burns, J., dissenting). A criminal defendant cannot exercise adequately his right to allocute unless he is made aware of all factors deemed by the sentencing judge to be pertinent. If a defendant’s counsel believes that he better can represent the interests of his client at a private conference with the judge, then he only need get his client to state on the record that he waives his right to be present at the conference.
Therefore, in addition to the remedy granted by the majority opinion, I would hold that on remand no in-chambers conference should be held in the absence of defendant unless he waives on the record his right to be present.