Court Opinion

ID: 9624949
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:22:47.394001+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:57.388577
License: Public Domain

McFarland, J.,
dissenting in part and concurring in part: I concur with that portion of the majority opinion that affirms the conviction. I dissent from that portion that sets aside the sentences and remands the case for resentencing under a different judge. It is agreed that the sentences do not exceed the permissible statutory limits. The defendant was convicted of three counts of aggravated robbery. The majority opinion would seem to imply that it was arbitrary to impose consecutive sentences because the robberies were all at the same establishment and *152closely related in time. This one-incident theory, carried to its logical conclusion, would mean anyone robbing a business crowded with customers might as well rob everyone present as no additional penalty should be imposed for the additional crime. This same theory could mean aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and rape arising out of one incident should have the sentences run concurrently unless the judge can state on the record enough reasons to satisfy this court. The sentences will be reviewed by individuals who never saw the defendant or the victim. The legislature has set the permissible limits of sentencing and left the actual sentence imposed to the discretion of the trial judge. Factors to be considered have been set forth by the legislature. This majority decision takes away some of the discretion of the trial court and gives it to the appellate courts. This is against the best interest of the public.
Jurors are instructed to decide each crime charged separately, uninfluenced by their decision as to any other crime charged. The majority opinion is telling the sentencing judge just the opposite. Basically he is told to consider all crimes arising from the same incident as one crime unless he can justify more than the minimum or consecutive sentences. This will encourage prosecutors to file separate informations whenever possible and judges to sever charges for trial in major cases.
I, further, do not see any justification for remanding the case to a different judge for sentencing.