Court Opinion

ID: 9614684
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 04:27:11.70644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:03:38.026164
License: Public Domain

COATS, Judge,
dissenting.
In State v. LaPorte, 672 P.2d 466 (Alaska App.1983), this court concluded that where the sentence imposed was “patently illegal,”
the double jeopardy clauses of the United States and Alaska Constitutions do not prevent us from vacating the sentence, ordering resentencing, and allowing the sentencing judge or the three-judge panel to impose a greater sentence than the illegal sentence which was imposed on the defendant in this case. The great weight of case authority appears to us to support this view.
672 P.2d at 468-69 (footnote omitted). The court went on to say:
We believe that the better policy arguments favor our adopting the majority rule that double jeopardy does not preclude [the defendant] receiving a greater sentence on remand. We recognize that there are strong policy arguments in favor of having a defendant in a criminal case face sentencing one time. He has that matter settled and knows that if he appeals or takes advantage of his other rights, that his sentence cannot be increased. However, our decision in this case does not turn on any exercise of rights by [the defendant]. We have taken this case as a petition for review by the state, and the case does not involve increasing [the defendant’s] sentence because he has taken a sentence appeal or otherwise exercised his rights. We believe that the state should have the ability to petition for review if a trial judge imposes an illegal sentence. To rule otherwise would allow an individual trial judge to completely depart from the provisions of the Revised Criminal Code without any recourse by the state. Certainly, in at least the most blatant of those cases, this court should grant review and vacate the illegal sentence.
672 P.2d at 469 (footnote omitted).
I believe that we should allow a defendant’s sentence to be increased only in rare cases. In the instant case it does not appear that the state, the trial judge, or Price had any idea that at the time sentence was imposed the sentence imposed was illegal. It was not until nearly six months later that the state moved to correct the sentence. Under these circumstances I believe that Price had a right to rely on the sentence which the court imposed, and it strikes me as being unfair to allow the court to impose a greater sentence on Price at this late date. Certainly we have an obligation to carry out the mandate of the legislature as set forth in the Alaska Revised Criminal Code. However, in my opinion, the state could accomplish this goal by bringing a sentence appeal. We could publish an opinion disapproving the sentence. In my opinion this would tend to eliminate the kind of error which took place in this case without being unfair to Price.