Court Opinion

ID: 9711531
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:33:50.79185+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:05.702453
License: Public Domain

*656
Smith, J.,

dissenting:

I think that Mr. Conti is entitled to receive the strongest type of reprimand for approaching a trial judge out of the presence of counsel to make a recommendation not contained in his written presentence report. Anyone in his position, with the possible exception of a complete neophyte, certainly knows better than to engage in this type of conduct. However, so far as I can determine from the record in this case the only thing not contained in the official report was that recommendation for a life sentence.
I am much inclined to agree with the opinion of Judge Moore for the Court of Special Appeals in Scott v. State, 43 Md. App. 323, 327, 405 A.2d 320 (1979), and with the concurring opinion of Judge Wilner in that court, 43 Md. App. at 328, that the point was not preserved for appellate review. Even if it were raised I would agree with Judge Moore when he said for the Court of Special Appeals:
Even if it were properly before us, we would find it without merit. The information was disclosed by the court prior to sentencing and appellant’s counsel argued against the recommendation for a maximum (life) sentence. The maximum sentence was not imposed. There is no evidence that the oral communication improperly influenced the sentence or that the court abused its discretion when imposing sentence. [Id. at 327.]
The majority opinion suggests that had trial counsel "been informed of the recommendation sufficiently in advance of the hearing, as Rule 771 b prescribes, he could have called expert and character witnesses, including the author of the medical report, for examination in open court.” I suggest that in a case in which the life sentence can be imposed a trial lawyer worth a plugged nickel will "have called expert and character witnesses, including the author of the medical report, for examination in open court” if he thinks that there is any way under the sun that such examination can be helpful to his client. He knew here that a life sentence could *657be imposed. He thus would have wanted to explore avenues calling for more lenient punishment.
Since he knew that a sentence of life imprisonment could be imposed in this case, trial counsel certainly should have been turning over in his mind in advance of the hearing the arguments that he might use against such a sentence. I would. The late recommendation for life imprisonment in no way precluded his advancing those arguments. He did in fact argue against life imprisonment. What arguments would he have advanced that he did not advance simply because of this late recommendation? I suggest that there were none. One can always think after one leaves the courtroom of things one wishes he had said, but the late recommendation did not prevent arguments here.
In an earlier generation, the majority might be correct in saying, "Forty years ... to a twenty-six year old defendant ... is tantamount to a life sentence.” However, in today’s world with most lenient grants of parole one is closing his eyes to reality if he regards the 40-year sentence here as anything approaching even half of a life sentence.
As I see it we are taking up valuable judicial time for resentencing — possibly imposition of the same sentence — when it can be said that the error, if any, was harmless.
I would affirm.