Court Opinion

ID: 9907229
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-05 23:05:57.27705+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:57:45.032934
License: Public Domain

12/05/2023

           IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                         Case Number: DA 23-0670

                                        DA 23-0670

STATE OF MONTANA,

           Plaintiff and Appellee,

      v.                                                           ORDER

KEITH M. BORRA,                                                    F          7d

             Defendant and Appellant.                              DEC      5 2023
                                                                 Bowen Greenw000
                                                               Clerk of Supreme C curt
                                                                  State of Montartu

       Keith M. Borra has filed a verified Petition for an Out-of-Time Appeal, indicating
that he failed to file the Notice of Appeal because his attorney failed to inform him of his
right to file an appeal. He states that "[his attorney] did not discuss an appeal at all."
Borra represents he learned he may have appealable issues, such as jury selection.
       Borra includes a copy of the judgment he seeks to appeal. On December 9, 2019,
the Fergus County District Court found that a jury had found Borra guilty of three
criminal counts. The District Court imposed a five-year, unsuspended sentence to the
Department of Corrections (DOC) for felony stalking and a consecutive, five-year,
unsuspended DOC term for felony tampering with a witness or informant. The court
sentenced Borra to a concurrent, six-month jail term for misdemeanor attempted violation
of a protective order. Borra received 230 days of credit for time served.
      M. R. App. P. 4(6) allows this Court to grant an out-of-time appeal "[i]n the
infrequent harsh case and under extraordinary circumstances amounting to a gross
miscarriage of justice[.]" "Extraordinary circumstances do not include mere mistake,
inadvertence, or excusable neglect." M. R. App. P. 4(6).
      Upon review, this Court concludes that extraordinary circumstances do not exist.
Borra seeks relief almost four years after sentencing, and he does not provide any reason
for the delay. He has also served almost half of his sentence. Borra has not shown he is
entitled to an out-of-time appeal, and denial of his Petition will not amount to a gross
injustice. Therefore,
      IT IS ORDERED that Borra's Petition for an Out-of-Time Appeal is DENIED and
DISMISSED.
      The Clerk of the Supreme Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to
counsel of record and to Keith M. Borra personally.
      DATED this S       -day of December, 2023.

                                                            Chief Justice

                                                               ( -2—'
                                                       /      Justice

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