Court Opinion

ID: 9943310
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-23 06:08:55.743595+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:46:47.176594
License: Public Domain

If this opinion indicates that it is “FOR PUBLICATION,” it is subject to
                 revision until final publication in the Michigan Appeals Reports.

                          STATE OF MICHIGAN

                           COURT OF APPEALS

PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,                                    UNPUBLISHED
                                                                    February 22, 2024
               Plaintiff-Appellee,

v                                                                   No. 361078
                                                                    Ionia Circuit Court
DANIEL SCOTT CAMPBELL,                                              LC No. 2021-018234-FH

               Defendant-Appellant.

Before: LETICA, P.J., and CAVANAGH and SWARTZLE, JJ.

PER CURIAM.

       Defendant’s electronic tablet was found containing child-sexually-abusive material
involving defendant and the 13-year-old adopted daughter of defendant’s neighbor. Defendant
was convicted of several charges after a bench trial, and the trial court imposed consecutive
sentences. We affirm defendant’s convictions, vacate the consecutive aspects of defendant’s
sentences, and remand for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

                                       I. BACKGROUND

       The adopted daughter of defendant’s neighbor was using defendant’s electronic tablet
when defendant’s neighbor found child-sexually-abusive material on that tablet involving
defendant and the adopted daughter. Defendant’s neighbor took the tablet and called the police.
Several police officers arrived at defendant’s residence in uniform. Ionia County Sheriff’s
Detective Sergeant Phillip Hesche knocked on defendant’s door, told defendant that they had a
search warrant for his electronic devices, and the other police officers accompanying Detective
Sergeant Hesche conducted a “protective sweep” of defendant’s residence with their guns drawn.
Detective Sergeant Hesche then told defendant that he was not under any obligation to speak with
him.

        Nevertheless, during the search of defendant’s residence, defendant sat at a table with
Detective Sergeant Hesche and answered many questions with incriminating responses.
Defendant also answered another police officer’s question regarding the passcode for at least one
of the electronic devices. Defendant was not handcuffed during this time, and he freely moved
from the table, at least twice, without restriction from any police officer. Defendant was not read

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his Miranda1 rights, and defendant did not indicate that he wanted to stop answering Detective
Sergeant Hesche’s questions or that he wanted the counsel of an attorney. After completing the
search of defendant’s residence, getting a statement from defendant’s neighbor, and interviewing
the neighbor’s adopted daughter, Detective Sergeant Hesche arrested defendant.

       Before trial, defendant moved to suppress the incriminating statements that he made to
Detective Sergeant Hesche because, he argued, he was in custody and not provided a Miranda
warning. After holding an evidentiary hearing consistent with People v Walker, 374 Mich 331;
132 NW2d 87 (1965), the trial court denied defendant’s motion because the evidence showed that
defendant was free to leave during his conversation with Detective Sergeant Hesche and, thus,
defendant was not in custody.

       After a bench trial, defendant was convicted of one count aggravated child-sexually-
abusive material, one count of possession of child-sexually-abusive material, two counts of using
a computer to commit the crimes, and three counts of second-degree criminal-sexual-conduct.
Defendant appeared at his sentencing hearing remotely, and the trial court asked defense counsel,
“are you and your client agreeable to him being sentenced via Zoom here today?” To which
defense counsel answered, “Yes, your Honor.” Defendant also, personally, provided a statement
in which he expressed remorse for his conduct.

        The trial court stated that it reviewed the presentence-investigation report, which included
information pertaining to defendant’s history as a veteran, lack of other criminal history, and his
reformation efforts regarding his participation in therapy. Further, the trial court highlighted that,
even though defendant had no prior criminal history and had participated in attempting to make
amends while fully engaging in treatment, this was a case that warranted a sentence at the “top-
end of the guidelines” because defendant victimized a young child.

         The trial court then sentenced defendant as follows:

                So the Court will be imposing eighty-five months to twenty-five years on
         Count 1, which is aggravated child sexually abusive activity. There’s been a
         request that these, all of the sentences, be served concurrently, but I do find that a
         consecutive sentence is appropriate in this case, in light of the breadth of the
         criminal conduct that occurred in this case.

                [Defendant], I hope that you will continue to be committed to doing
         everything within your power to help others in this situation. I’m mindful that if
         you choose to continue to invest in your time and energy in helping others, that you
         will not be the first person that has been able to do some really good work from
         behind bars. But I simply cannot find that the conduct that you engaged in warrants
         something less than what the Court and the law fully allows.

1
    Miranda v Arizona, 384 US 436; 86 S Ct 1602; 16 L Ed 2d 694 (1966).

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               So the Court will be imposing a consecutive sentence on Count 2, which is
       using a computer to commit a crime, of eighty-one months to twenty years. Again,
       that will be consecutive to Count 1.

                As it relates to Count[s] 3, 4, 5, and 7, the Court will impose—well I guess
       I really need to speak to the ten-year felonies separately. So on Counts 3, 4, and 5,
       the Court will be imposing eighty-one months to fifteen years on each of those
       counts. So that’s 3, 4, and 5, those being fifteen-year felonies.

               Then as it relates to Count 7, which is a ten-year felony, the Court will be
       imposing six years to ten years, with the Michigan Department of Corrections, in
       order to not violate the Tanner Rule.[2] The same will hold true as it relates to Count
       8, but that will be served consecutively as well.

       Defendant moved to be resentenced because, he argued, he was not physically present in
the courtroom when being sentenced and he did not waive his constitutional right to be physically
present. The trial court denied defendant’s motion, holding that defendant made a knowing and
voluntary waiver of his constitutional right.

       Defendant now appeals.

                                           II. ANALYSIS

                                     A. MIRANDA WARNING

       Defendant first argues that his incriminating statements to Detective Sergeant Hesche were
impermissibly admitted into evidence because he was not afforded a Miranda warning before he
made those statements. This Court reviews a trial court’s decision on a motion to suppress de
novo, and findings of fact for clear error. People v Hyde, 285 Mich App 428, 436; 775 NW2d 833
(2009). “A finding is clearly erroneous if, after reviewing the entire record, this Court is definitely
and firmly convinced that the trial court made a mistake.” People v Swenor, 336 Mich App 550,
563-564; 971 NW2d 33 (2021).

        “Miranda warnings are not required unless the accused is subject to a custodial
interrogation.” People v Steele, 292 Mich App 308, 316; 806 NW2d 753 (2011). “Generally, a
custodial interrogation is a questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after the accused has
been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his or her freedom of action in any significant
way.” Id. Further, this Court explained that an interrogation in a defendant’s home is generally
viewed as noncustodial, People v Coomer, 245 Mich App 206, 220; 627 NW2d 612 (2001), and
that a police officer may ask general on-the-scene questions to investigate the facts surrounding

2
 People v Tanner, 387 Mich 683;199 NW2d 202 (1972), codified in MCL 769.34(2)(b) (“The
court shall not impose a minimum sentence, including a departure, that exceeds 2/3 of the statutory
maximum sentence.”)

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the crime without implicating the holding in Miranda,” People v Ish, 252 Mich App 115, 118; 652
NW2d 257 (2002) (cleaned up).

        Defendant argues that he could not retreat to from Detective Sergeant Hesche because he
was being interviewed in his home after the police entered with a warrant and conducted a
protective sweep with their guns drawn. Therefore, under defendant’s view, a reasonable person
would not have felt free to leave. Defendant ignores, however, that, as this Court explained in
People v Mendez, 225 Mich App 381, 383; 671 NW2d 528 (1997), any interview by a police
officer will have a coercive aspect to it simply by virtue of the fact that the police officer is part of
a law enforcement system that may end with the interviewee being charged with a crime.

        But police officers are not required to administer Miranda warnings to everyone
        whom they question. Nor is the requirement of warnings to be imposed . . . because
        the questioned person is one whom the police suspect. Miranda warnings are
        required only where there has been such a restriction on a person’s freedom as to
        render him ‘in custody.’ It was that sort of coercive environment to which Miranda
        by its terms was made applicable, and to which it is limited.” [Id. at 383-384.]

In this case, defendant was not restrained or handcuffed, he was told that he was not under an
obligation to answer questions, and he freely moved about during his discussion with the police
officer. Further, Detective Sergeant Hesche questioned defendant in defendant’s home while the
police were executing a search warrant. Given the totality of the circumstances surrounding
defendant’s conversation with Detective Sergeant Hesche, defendant was not in custody when he
provided incriminating statements. Thus, the trial court did not err when it denied defendant’s
motion to suppress and admitted the statements as evidence.

                                   B. SENTENCING HEARING

        Defendant argues that he is entitled to resentencing because he was not physically present
at his sentencing hearing. Sentencing is a “critical stage of a criminal proceeding at which a
defendant has a constitutional right to be present,” and generally, “virtual appearance is not a
suitable substitute for physical presence.” People v Heller, 316 Mich App 314, 318; 891 NW2d
541 (2016). This Court reviews constitutional issues de novo. People v Malone, ___ Mich App
___, ___; ___ NW2d ___ (2023) (Docket No. 331903); slip op. at 4.

        A defendant may waive his right to be physically present if the waiver is done voluntarily
and knowingly to demonstrate that it was an “intelligent act[] done with sufficient awareness of
the relevant circumstances and likely consequences.” People v Guyton, 511 Mich 291, 299-300;
___ NW2d ___ (2023) (cleaned up). This Court held in People v Palmerton, 200 Mich App 302,
303; 503 NW2d 663 (1993), that a “valid waiver arises when the defendant specifically knows of
the right to be present and intentionally abandons the protections of that right.”

        In this case the trial court explicitly asked whether defendant had agreed to be sentenced
remotely via Zoom, and defense counsel answered, “Yes.” Defendant argues that this was
insufficient because defendant, himself, did not waive his right to be physically present. Defendant
ignores, however, that he was given an opportunity to make a statement during the sentencing

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hearing and, when he did provide a statement via Zoom, he did not object to not being physically
present in the courtroom.

        Therefore, defendant’s waiver of his right to be physically present was knowingly,
willingly, and voluntarily made, and his physical absence did not prejudice his defense because he
was still able to provide a statement. Accordingly, defendant is not entitled to resentencing on this
issue.

                            C. ALLEGED DISPROPORTIONALITY

        Next, defendant argues that the sentences imposed by the trial court were disproportional
to his conduct. This Court reviews the trial court’s sentencing decision for an abuse of discretion.
People v Milbourn, 435 Mich 630, 636; 461 NW2d 1 (1990). A trial court abuses its discretion if
it imposes a sentence that “violates the principle of proportionality,” which requires sentences to
be proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances surrounding the offense and the offender.
Id. Sentences that fall within the minimum-sentencing guidelines range are entitled to a
“nonbinding rebuttable presumption of proportionality” on review by this Court. People v Posey,
___ Mich ___, ___; ___NW2d___ (2023) (Docket No. 162373); slip op at 37.

        Defendant admits that each of his sentences are within the applicable minimum-sentencing
guidelines range, but argues that they are all disproportionate because the trial court did not
consider the mitigating factors involving his background as a veteran, lack of criminal history, and
reformation efforts with therapy. Defendant ignores, however, that the trial court stated that it had
reviewed defendant’s presentence investigation report, recognized that defendant did not have a
prior criminal history, and was pleased that defendant tried to make amends while fully engaging
in treatment. The trial court also stated, however, that, despite those mitigating factors, defendant’s
conduct could not be tolerated and warranted a sentence at the top end of the guidelines when
considering that he victimized a young child.

        Given defendant’s extreme conduct as well as the evidence surrounding his convictions,
defendant has not rebutted the presumption that his sentences are proportional. Further, the
mitigating factors that defendant argues demonstrate that his sentences are disproportional were
factors that were considered by the trial court during defendant’s sentencing, and, thus, the trial
court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing defendant within the minimum-sentencing
guidelines range.

                               D. CONSECUTIVE SENTENCING

       Lastly, defendant argues that the trial court erred by imposing consecutive sentences.
“[W]hen a statute grants a trial court discretion to impose a consecutive sentence, the trial court’s
decision to do so is reviewed for an abuse of discretion, i.e., whether the trial court’s decision was
outside the range of reasonable and principled outcomes.” People v Norfleet, 317 Mich App 649,
654; 897 NW2d 195 (2016). “Accordingly, trial courts imposing one or more discretionary
consecutive sentences are required to articulate on the record the reasons for each consecutive
sentence imposed.” Id.

       In this case, the trial court generally found that defendant’s extreme misconduct required
consecutive sentences. This was in error, however, as this Court has explained that “a trial court

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may not impose multiple consecutive sentences as a single act of discretion nor explain them as
such. The decision regarding each consecutive sentence is its own discretionary act and must be
separately justified on the record.” Id. at 665.

                                       III. CONCLUSION

        Defendant was not in custody when he was answering Detective Sergeant Hesche’s
questions, and, thus, he was not entitled to a Miranda warning. Further, defendant knowingly and
voluntarily waived his right to be physically present at his sentencing hearing as evidenced by his
counsel’s affirmative answer and defendant’s lack of objection when given the opportunity to
provide a statement. The trial court did not abuse its discretion when considering the
proportionality of defendant’s sentences within the minimum-sentencing guidelines range, but the
trial court did err by not articulating the justification for each consecutive sentence separately.

       Defendant’s convictions are affirmed, the consecutive aspects of defendant’s sentences are
vacated, and the matter of defendant’s sentencing is remanded for proceedings consistent with this
opinion. We do not retain jurisdiction.

                                                            /s/ Anica Letica
                                                            /s/ Mark J. Cavanagh
                                                            /s/ Brock A. Swartzle

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