Court Opinion

ID: 9670692
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 03:24:17.902829+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:16:05.976925
License: Public Domain

LEVINE, Justice,
concurring specially.
I agree that Donald Dalman’s death moots this appeal from a postconviction order denying Dalman’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea. But the majority does not discuss the issue of abatement of the prosecution. I write specially to air the law as it relates to abatement of all proceedings in direct appeals from convictions.
All the federal circuits and the majority of states hold that death, during appellate review of a criminal conviction, abates not only the direct appeal, but all proceedings from the inception of the prosecution, including the judgment of conviction. E.g., Durham v. United States, 401 U.S. 481, 91 S.Ct. 858, 28 L.Ed.2d 200 (1971) (overruling on other grounds, Dove v. United States, 428 U.S. 325, 96 S.Ct. 579, 46 L.Ed.2d 531 (1976) (eliminating Durham rule for petitions of certiorari, but not for appeals of right)); Crooker v. United States, 325 F.2d 318 (8th Cir.1963); United States v. Asset, 990 F.2d 208 (5th Cir.1993); United States v. Davis, 953 F.2d 1482 (10th Cir.1992); United States v. Schumann, 861 F.2d 1234 (11th Cir.1988); United States v. Mollica, 849 F.2d 723 (2d Cir.1988); United States v. Bechtel, 547 F.2d 1379 (9th Cir.1977); Comm. v. De La Zerda, 416 Mass. 247, 619 N.E.2d 617 (1993); State v. Griffin, 121 Arfo. 538, 592 P.2d 372 (1979); State v. Gomes, 57 Haw. 271, 554 P.2d 235 (1976); State v. Carter, 299 A.2d 891 (Me.1973); see Annot., Abatement of State Criminal Case by Accused’s Death Pending Appeal of Conviction—Modern Cases, 80 A.L.R.4th 189, 192-95 (1990).
One rationale for death abating the conviction is that the state’s interest in protecting society has been satisfied and its interest in punishing the wrongdoer made impossible. E.g., State v. Griffin, supra 592 P.2d at 373. While some states hear and decide direct appeals of dead criminal defendants, e.g., Commonwealth v. Walker, 447 Pa. 146, 288 A.2d 741 (1972), and a few dismiss or abate the appeal but let the judgment stand, e.g., Whitehouse v. State, 266 Ind. 527, 364 N.E.2d 1015 (1977); Vargas v. State, 659 S.W.2d 422 (Tex.Crim.App.1983), I believe the best approach is the one taken by the federal courts and the majority of state courts, because when an appeal has been taken from a conviction, and death has deprived the accused of her right to appellate review, the defendant should not stand convicted without resolution of her appeal. See, e.g., United States v. Moehlenkamp, 557 F.2d 126 (7th Cir.1977). After all, “an appeal is an integral part of [our] system for finally adjudicating [her] guilt or innocence.” Griffin v. Illinois, 351 U.S. 12, 18, 76 S.Ct. 585, 590, 100 L.Ed. 891 (1956).
Black’s Law Dictionary 261 (6th ed. 1990) says that “collateral” means “[a]dditional or auxiliary; supplementary.” It follows, then, that a “collateral” appeal is one taken in a postconviction proceeding where there has been a prior appeal or the opportunity for a prior appeal.
The question is whether Dalman’s appeal should be treated as a direct appeal from a conviction and the judgment vacated and the case remanded with directions to dismiss, or as a “collateral” appeal, which other jurisdictions dismiss, but do not abate the entire prosecution. See Dove v. United States, 423 U.S. 325, 96 S.Ct. 579, 46 L.Ed.2d 531 (1971) (dismissing petition for certiorari but leaving the judgment unabated); Keeny v. State, 575 S.W.2d 850 (Mo.Ct.App.1978) (abating appeal from order denying withdrawal of guilty plea but not abating conviction). Because a defendant applying for certiorari, who dies thereafter, has had the benefit of an appeal of right, there is no need to vindicate her rights by providing more appellate review. Moehlenkamp, supra at 128. Dalman could have appealed from his guilty plea [see Rule 11(a)(2), NDRCrimP], but did not. So he has not had the benefit of any appellate review. But, I am not persuaded that his waiver of that right should convert what is plainly a collateral appeal into a direct appeal. Therefore, I conclude that his conviction should not *866be abated and I concur in the majority opinion.