Court Opinion

ID: 9563405
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 18:39:22.981002+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:17:49.563509
License: Public Domain

HOLOHAN, Justice
(dissenting) :
While I agree with the Court’s position and holding on the first two questions presented by the defendant, I dissent from the holding and disposition by the Court in the final point.
Because of a conflict between the minutes and the court reporter’s transcript, the Court has determined to remand this matter to the trial court for a determination of the “correct sentence.” If these two items were the only matters to be considered, I would be in agreement with the Court’s po*602sition. The Court ignores, however, the fact that the Judgment of Guilt and Sentence is a document which was actually signed by the trial court.
The sentence was imposed on January 29th, and the formal written Judgment was signed on February 3rd and filed in the clerk’s office on February 4th. The Judgment of Guilt and Sentence signed by the trial judge clearly shows that the sentence pronounced was that reflected by the minutes, namely that the terms of confinement were to run consecutively.
The Statement of Facts required by A. R.S. § 11-533 also reflected that the sentences were to run consecutively, and this document was signed by the trial judge and a Deputy County Attorney for the County Attorney. It is also worthy of note that attached to the Statement of Facts was a copy of the pre-sentence report. The trial court had been presented with the pre-sentence report prior to the sentencing, and the recommendation to the court in that report was that the terms of confinement should be consecutive. A comparison of the recommendation and the actual sentence discloses that the court followed the recommendation.
The holding today also ignores our previous decisions on this issue which have held that a judgment is complete and valid when it is orally pronounced by the court and entered in the minutes. State v. Johnson, 108 Ariz. 116, 493 P.2d 498 (1972), and State v. Wheeler, 108 Ariz. 338, 498 P.2d 205 (1972). In the instant case, the minutes and the formal written Judgment are in agreement, and under our former rulings the terms of the sentence entered in the minutes are the judgment of the court. With the showing made in the record it seems a sorry state of affairs to remand this matter to the trial court for hearing. It appears clear to me that the trial judge imposed a consecutive sentence. It was reflected in the minutes by his clerk and confirmed by the trial judge in the formal written Judgment and in the Statement of Facts. On the record and on the strength of our previous decisions, I would affirm both the conviction and the sentence of consecutive terms of imprisonment.