Court Opinion

ID: 9909031
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-12 15:06:18.794863+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:49:57.229959
License: Public Domain

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
                               APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
        This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
     internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.

                                                        SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
                                                        APPELLATE DIVISION
                                                        DOCKET NO. A-2596-21

STATE OF NEW JERSEY,

          Plaintiff-Respondent,

v.

MICHAEL WASHINGTON,
a/k/a RED WASHINGTON,

     Defendant-Appellant.
__________________________

                   Argued December 4, 2023 — Decided December 12, 2023

                   Before Judges Mawla and Chase.

                   On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
                   Division, Somerset      County, Indictment No.
                   18-01-0045.

                   Daniel S. Rockoff, Assistant Deputy Public Defender,
                   argued the cause for appellant (Joseph E. Krakora,
                   Public Defender, attorney; Daniel S. Rockoff, of
                   counsel and on the brief).

                   Lorina Murphy, Assistant Prosecutor, argued the cause
                   for respondent (John P. McDonald, Somerset County
                   Prosecutor, attorney; Gerard J. Tyrrell, Assistant
                   Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief).
PER CURIAM

       A jury convicted defendant Michael Washington of:            first-degree

aggravated manslaughter, a lesser-included offense of first-degree murder,

N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4 (count one); second-degree possession of a handgun for an

unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1) (count two); and second-degree

unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1) (count three). Then,

under two separate indictments, defendant pled guilty to:          third-degree

possession of heroin, N.J.S.A. 2C:10(a)(1); second-degree unlawful possession

of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b)(1); and third-degree possession of

alprazolam (Xanax), N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10(a)(1).

       Previously, we affirmed defendant's convictions, but remanded his

sentence because the judge did not consider the factors under State v.

Yarbough.1 State v. Washington, No. A-2537-18 (App. Div. Oct. 12, 2021) (slip

op. at 18-19). We recounted the facts leading to defendant's conviction and

sentence in detail. Id. at 3-8. In brief, in October 2017, Bound Brook Police

responded to a call of shots fired and found the victim lying on his back with a

1
    100 N.J. 627 (1985).
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gunshot wound to his abdomen. Id. at 3. There were no firearms on the scene.

Ibid.

        Several witnesses testified at trial. Id. at 5. One witness saw a man in

gray handling a gun; at least two witnesses saw the man in gray handling a gun

and firing it; and another saw the man running from the scene following the

shooting. Ibid. The police found surveillance camera images of a man wearing

gray at the scene at the time of the shooting. Id. at 6. They arrested defendant,

who was hiding in a basement located within walking distance of the scene.

Ibid. A subsequent search of the basement yielded gray clothing, including a

sweat jacket and sweatpants. Ibid.

        During defendant's stay in jail following his arrest, he told two fellow

inmates he shot the victim. Ibid. He told one of the inmates he was wearing

gray during the shooting and explained why the gun "wouldn't be found." Ibid.

Defendant told the same inmate the victim had threatened his son and that

defendant planned to lie to the prosecutor and blame the shooting on a different

man. Ibid. Defendant also told the second inmate that he retaliated against the

victim by shooting him, and planned to mislead the prosecutor by saying "he

wore a blue shirt on the day of the shooting." Ibid.

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      Defendant gave the prosecutor a sworn statement blaming the shooting on

another man and claiming he was wearing blue and the other man was the one

wearing gray. Id. at 7. He claimed the victim and another man came to his home

six months prior to the shooting and threatened defendant for giving police

information regarding one of the victim's associates. Ibid. On the day of the

incident, he and the shooter ran into the victim and another man. Ibid. The

victim was armed and threatened to shoot defendant. Ibid. As defendant ran

away, the victim pulled a gun, as did the man in gray, and defendant saw the

man in gray shoot the victim. Ibid.

      Defendant then took the stand at trial and repudiated his statement. Ibid.

For the first time, he claimed he shot the victim in self-defense because the

victim and his associate had threatened defendant for implicating one of the

victim's other associates in a crime leading to that associate's arrest. Ibid.

Defendant admitted his statement to the prosecutor was a lie, that he was the

man depicted in the surveillance video, and that he wore the gray clothing police

found during the search. Id. at 8.

      At sentencing, the judge found the following aggravating factors: one, the

nature and circumstances of the offense, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(1); three, the risk

defendant will reoffend, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(3); six, the extent of defendant's

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                                       4
criminal record and seriousness of his conviction, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(6); and

nine, the need for deterring the defendant and others from violating the law,

N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(9). He also found the following mitigating factors: three,

defendant acted under strong provocation, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(3); four,

substantial grounds tending to excuse misconduct, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(4); five,

the victim induced or facilitated commission of the crime, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-

1(b)(5); seven, defendant had very little prior criminal record, N.J.S.A. 2C:44 -

1(b)(7); and eight, defendant's conduct was the result of circumstances unlikely

to recur, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(8).      The judge placed "great weight" on

aggravating factors one, six, and nine; he placed "some weight" on mitigating

factors three and five and stated mitigating factor eight "does not have great

weight."   He found "the aggravating . . . and mitigating factors to be in

equipoise."

      The judge merged count two into count one "and sentenced defendant to

thirteen years' incarceration subject to the No Early Release Act's [NERA's]

eighty-five percent parole ineligibility. See N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2. He imposed a

consecutive seven-year term, half of which he made parole ineligible, on count

three . . . ." Washington, slip op. at 2-3. On the "unlawful possession of a

handgun [charge], the judge imposed a consecutive seven-year sentence as

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                                       5
called for in the plea agreement, subject to three and one-half years of parole

ineligibility. Thus, defendant's aggregate sentence was twenty-seven years, of

which eighteen years and one month was parole ineligible." Id. at 3.

      In addition to challenging his convictions in the prior appeal, defendant

challenged his sentence, and specifically argued as follows:

            POINT III

            A RESENTENCING REMAND IS REQUIRED
            BECAUSE   (1)  THE    COURT   IMPOSED
            CONSECUTIVE TERMS WITHOUT CONSIDERING
            THE STATE V. YARBOUGH FACTORS; (2) THE
            CONSECUTIVE   TERMS    ALSO  VIOLATED
            PRECEDENT; AND (3) THE COURT ERRED BY
            NOT CONSIDERING MITIGATING FACTOR
            [TWELVE].

            [Id. at 8-9.]

      The only sentencing-related argument we found necessary to consider was

defendant's assertion the judge did not address Yarbough. We held "the judge

did not provide any explanation for imposing two consecutive seven-year terms.

While he cited Yarbough in his oral decision and in the judgments of convictions

for each of the three indictments, he did not analyze the Yarbough factors." Id.

at 18.   We vacated the sentence and remanded it for further proceedings

consistent with our opinion. Id. at 19.

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                                          6
      At the resentencing, defense counsel argued the court should reassess the

aggravating and mitigating factors, and pursuant to State v. Randolph, 210 N.J.

330, 354 (2012), "view defendant as he stands before the [c]ourt on that day

. . . ." Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:44-5(h), defense counsel argued the judge should

impose a concurrent sentence because the imposition of the consecutive

sentence would create a serious injustice as defendant had actively engaged in

rehabilitation. Counsel argued State v. Copling, 326 N.J. Super. 417, 442 (App.

Div. 1999), mandated the aggravated manslaughter sentence run concurrent to

the weapons possession offense related to the aggravated manslaughter .

      The State argued the court need only conduct a proper Yarbough analysis

and determine whether defendant's sentences should run consecutively or

concurrently, not sentence defendant anew. It further argued the consecutive

sentence the court already imposed on the gun and manslaughter convictions

was correct.

      The sentencing judge found although Randolph required a new

sentencing, in that case the Supreme Court

               did not . . . explicitly vacate or set aside the sentence
               imposed, . . . [or] specifically limit the remand order to
               the original sentencing record as it . . . [was.]

                     However, . . . defendant's sentence was remanded
               for reconsideration and for justification, both of the

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                                           7
            consecutive nature of the sentences and the imposition
            of maximum terms[,] which are two separate
            considerations.

The judge then conducted a Yarbough analysis and reconsidered the consecutive

nature of the sentences.    Regarding the unlawful possession of a weapon

conviction, he explained the imposition of a consecutive term was statutory in

nature. The "plea agreement specifically called for consecutive sentences . . . to

any sentence imposed under . . . N.J.S.A. 2C:44-5(h)."

      The judge acknowledged he could "impose a non-consecutive sentence, if

after considering 'the character and conditions of the defendant' . . . [he found]

the imposition of consecutive sentence[s] would be a serious injustice which

overrides the need to deter such conduct by others."        However, there was

"absolutely no evidence" defendant would suffer a serious injustice because:

                  [D]efendant was arrested. He had a gun . . .
            confiscated by the police and . . . thereafter, knowingly
            obtained a second handgun . . . which was eventually
            used . . . in an action which resulted in a fatality. The
            need for specific and general deterrents here is
            overwhelming.

                 Therefore, I . . . find no . . . evidence . . . a
            consecutive sentence is not required.

      The judge conducted a Yarbough analysis on count three, which was

another unlawful possession of a handgun conviction.            He found:      the

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convictions were "predominantly independent of each other" because defendant

illegally possessed the gun for a significant period before the separate act of

violence of shooting the victim. The possession of the firearm for that amount

of time "allowed . . . the shooting . . . to take place"; "the crimes were committed

at different times and different places"; and defendant had prior convictions.

Further, the punishment fit the crime because "defendant possessed the handgun

. . . prior to" the day of the shooting, and he unlawfully possessed the gun before

and after the shooting.       And defendant had previously been arrested for

possession of a handgun without a permit and knew it was a violation of the law,

which required general deterrents and "specific deterrents with regard to

illegally . . . possessing a weapon . . . ."

      The judge considered the fact defendant had been convicted of unlawful

possession of a weapon, was on pretrial release for committing a drug offense,

and then obtained another gun, which he used to shoot the victim. He concluded

the unlawful possession convictions should run consecutively to the aggravated

manslaughter conviction because he did "not . . . ha[ve] discretion[,] . . . there

are no facts which would overrule [N.J.S.A. 2C:44-5(h)] . . . and the second

degree . . . possession" conviction from 2018 is "separate and distinct from the

facts surrounding the shooting."

                                                                              A-2596-21
                                           9
      The judge sentenced defendant to the same sentence and applied the same

aggravating and mitigating factors. On April 22, 2022, the judge entered a new

judgment of conviction memorializing the sentence.

      Defendant raises the following arguments on this appeal:

            POINT I AFTER THE APPELLATE DIVISION
            VACATED DEFENDANT'S SENTENCE AND
            REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING, THE JUDGE
            INCORRECTLY       INTERPRETED    THE
            RESENTENCING ORDER TO REQUIRE ONLY A
            STATEMENT OF REASONS, NOT A DE NOVO
            REVIEW OF THE SINCE-VACATED SENTENCE.
            BECAUSE THE JUDGE FAILED TO SENTENCE
            THE DEFENDANT ANEW, A REMAND FOR
            RESENTENCING IS AGAIN REQUIRED.

                  A.   When an Appellate Court Vacates the
                  Sentence and Remands for Resentencing, a
                  Defendant Is Entitled to Be Sentenced Anew.

                  B.   Here, This Court Vacated [Defendant's]
                  Sentence and Remanded for Resentencing. Thus,
                  [Defendant] Was Entitled to Be Sentenced Anew.

                  C.    Although This Court's Order Entitled
                  [Defendant] to Be Sentenced Anew, the Law
                  Division Did Not Comply.

                        1.   The Judge Refused to Make
                        Renewed Findings on the Appropriate
                        Length of Each Prison Term.

                        2.   The Judge Refused To Make
                        Renewed Findings on the Relevant

                                                                        A-2596-21
                                     10
     N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1 Aggravating         and
     Mitigating Sentencing Factors.

     3.   The Judge Refused to Make Findings
     on New Mitigating Evidence Presented by
     Defense Counsel.

     4.    The Judge Failed to Order a New
     Pre-Sentence Report and Psychological
     Evaluation.

     5.    The Judge Failed to Give
     [Defendant] an Opportunity to Address the
     Court Before Being Resentenced.

D.   The Judge Erred by Reimposing Three
Consecutive Terms.

     1.   The Judge Erred by Imposing a
     Consecutive Sentence for Possessing the
     Weapon Used to Commit Manslaughter.

     2.    The Judge Erred by Failing to
     Evaluate the N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1 Factors,
     Absent Which the Court Could Not
     Meaningfully Assess the Overall Fairness
     of Three Consecutive Terms.

     3.   The Judge Erred by Double Counting
     Aggravating Factors.

     4.   The Judge Erred by Not Evaluating
     the    Real-Time   Consequences     of
     Consecutive NERA and Graves Act
     Sentences.

     5.   The Judge Erred by Imposing a
     Consecutive Sentence for Possessing a

                                                 A-2596-21
                 11
                          Weapon Without Any Yarbough/Torres[2]
                          Analysis.

                    E.    This Court Must Remand to a Different
                    Judge for Resentencing.

                                            I.

        Sentencing decisions are discretionary in nature. State v. Cuff, 239 N.J.

321, 347 (2019). Therefore, we review a sentence for an abuse of discretion.

State v. Jones, 232 N.J. 308, 318 (2018). We defer to the sentencing court's

factual findings and should not "second-guess" them. State v. Case, 220 N.J.

49, 65 (2014). We "must affirm the sentence of a trial court unless: (1) the

sentencing guidelines were violated; (2) the findings of aggravating and

mitigating factors were not 'based upon competent credible evidence in the

record;' or (3) 'the application of the guidelines to the facts' of the case 'shock[s]

the judicial conscience.'" State v. Bolvito, 217 N.J. 221, 228 (2014) (alteration

in original) (quoting State v. Roth, 95 N.J. 334, 364-65 (1984)). "To facilitate

meaningful appellate review, trial judges must explain how they arrived at a

particular sentence." Case, 220 N.J. at 65.

        "[T]rial judges have discretion to decide if sentences should run

concurrently or consecutively." State v. Miller, 205 N.J. 109, 128 (2011); see

2
    State v. Torres, 246 N.J. 246 (2021).
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                                         12
N.J.S.A. 2C:44-5(a). Judges are permitted to impose consecutive sentences after

considering the Yarbough factors, which are as follows:

            (1) there can be no free crimes in a system for which
            the punishment shall fit the crime;

            (2) the reasons for imposing either a consecutive or
            concurrent sentence should be separately stated in the
            sentencing decision;

            (3) some reasons to be considered by the sentencing
            court should include facts relating to the crimes,
            including whether or not:

                  (a) the crimes and their objectives were
                  predominantly independent of each other;

                  (b) the crimes involved separate acts of violence
                  or threats of violence;

                  (c) the crimes were committed at different times
                  or separate places, rather than being committed
                  so closely in time and place as to indicate a single
                  period of aberrant behavior;

                  (d) any of the crimes involved multiple victims;

                  (e) the convictions for which the sentences are to
                  be imposed are numerous;

            (4) there should be no double counting of aggravating
            factors;

            (5) successive terms for the same offense should not
            ordinarily be equal to the punishment for the first
            offense; and

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                                      13
            (6) there should be an overall outer limit on the
            cumulation of consecutive sentences for multiple
            offenses not to exceed the sum of the longest terms
            (including an extended term, if eligible) that could be
            imposed for the two most serious offenses.

            [100 N.J. at 643-44.]

      The Yarbough factors are applied qualitatively, not quantitatively. State

v. Carey, 168 N.J. 413, 427 (2001). A court may impose consecutive sentences

even though a majority of the Yarbough factors support concurrent sentences.

Id. at 427-28; see also State v. Swint, 328 N.J. Super. 236, 264 (App. Div. 2000)

(explaining even when "offenses [are] connected by a 'unity of specific purpose,'

. . . somewhat interdependent of one another, and were committed within a short

period of time of one another," concurrent sentences need not be imposed)

(citations omitted). "When a sentencing court properly evaluates the Yarbough

factors in light of the record, the court's decision will not normally be disturbed

on appeal." Miller, 205 N.J. at 129.

      Our Supreme Court has noted "that remands for resentencing 'cover a

range of proceedings, from vacated sentences which required sentencing anew

to mere corrections of technical errors.'" State v. Robinson, 217 N.J. 594, 610-

11 (2014) (emphasis added) (quoting Randolph, 210 N.J. at 350). When a

remand order is "not only for the reconsideration and justification of the

                                                                             A-2596-21
                                       14
consecutive nature of the sentences, but also for the same reconsideration and

justification for the imposition of maximum terms, [it] necessarily requires a

new analysis of the aggravating and mitigating factors." Randolph, 210 N.J. at

354. However, if the remand order "specifies a different and more limited

resentencing proceeding" or "the remand order is limited in scope[,]" the trial

court need not engage in such an involved hearing. Id. at 351, 354. Indeed, the

remand proceedings may be "circumscribed by the remanding appellate body's

delineation that a limited proceeding is sufficient." Id. at 352. See also State v.

Bellamy, 468 N.J. Super. 29, 39-40 (App. Div. 2021) ("When [this court]

comment[s] on errors . . . that statement is binding.").

      We remanded defendant's sentence because the judge "did not engage in

the necessary . . . Yarbough analysis." Washington, slip op. at 18. We noted

the State argued consecutive terms were appropriate because the

            unlawful possession of a handgun charges were
            separate from the aggravated manslaughter conviction
            and . . . at least one of the handgun offenses was
            committed after defendant had been released pending
            disposition of a previous offense . . . . However, the
            judge made no mention of even these considerations.
            Thus, the sentence is vacated.

            [Id. at 19.]

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                                       15
      It is clear we vacated the sentence because of missing Yarbough findings.

We did not direct the trial judge to reconsider the length of the sentence or re-

evaluate the aggravating and mitigating factors. Nor was the judge required to

order a psychological evaluation, which had not previously been ordered, along

with an updated presentence report. See State v. Tavares, 286 N.J. Super. 610,

616 (App. Div. 1996) (stating "depending on the scope of the remand, the

presentence report may be updated" at the discretion of the trial judge). The

judge followed our instructions in resentencing defendant. His analysis of the

Yarbough factors supported consecutive sentences.

                                       II.

      The other arguments raised by defendant also do not warrant a reversal.

In Bellamy, we ordered a full resentencing to enable the trial court to consider

then-new mitigating factor fourteen, N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(b)(14), which became

law while the appeal was pending. 468 N.J. Super. at 47-48. N.J.S.A. 2C:44-

1(b)(14) does not apply to defendant because he was twenty-seven years old

when he shot the victim.

      In State v. Jones, the Court explained a deprivation of the right to

allocution pursuant to Rule 3:21-4(b) is a structural error, requiring remand. 232

N.J. 308, 318-19 (2018).      Rule 3:21-4(b) provides, in pertinent part, that

                                                                            A-2596-21
                                       16
"[b]efore imposing sentence the court shall address the defendant personally and

ask the defendant if he or she wishes to make a statement in his or her own

behalf and to present any information in mitigation of punishment." Defendant

was afforded the right of allocution at his initial sentencing hearing.

      The judge did not double-count aggravating factor N.J.S.A. 2C:44-

1(a)(9), the need to deter defendant and others. As we noted, he found this

aggravating factor at the original sentencing. In assessing the Yarbough factors

on remand, he stated: "[T]he sentencing [j]udge may impose a non-consecutive

sentence, if after considering 'the character and conditions of the defendant', [the

judge] finds the imposition of consecutive sentence[s] would be a serious

injustice which overrides the need to deter such conduct by others." This was a

direct reference to the N.J.S.A. 2C:44-5(h), not N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1(a)(9).

      We reject defendant's contention the judge violated the holding in State v.

Marinez, which admonished that in reviewing the length of a sentence, courts

must "be mindful of the real-time consequences of NERA and the role that it

customarily plays in the fashioning of an appropriate sentence." 370 N.J. Super.

49, 58 (App. Div. 2004). At the initial sentencing, the judge explained defendant

would be parole ineligible for three-and-one-half years on the second-degree

unlawful possession of a weapon conviction pursuant to the plea agreement ; he

                                                                              A-2596-21
                                        17
explained defendant faced three-and-one-half years of parole ineligibility as a

result of the jury conviction on the second-degree unlawful possession of a

weapon offense; and would have to serve eighty-five percent of the aggravated

manslaughter sentence without parole eligibility pursuant to NERA.

      The judge also considered the overall fairness of the sentence under

Torres. 246 N.J. at 268. He stated:

            [T]he [c]ourt strongly believes that it is [fair]. Here[,
            defendant] committed [unlawful possession of a
            weapon] in 2016. He was out on bail, commits . . . a
            drug offense, is out on . . . pretrial release . . . .

                     And then goes out and obtains a handgun . . .
            which . . . is involved in a shooting in which someone
            is . . . killed. It's only fair that . . . his repeated offenses
            . . . [of] illegal possession[] of a weapon . . . be
            consecutive to the sentence imposed . . . in the
            aggravated [manslaughter].

The judge clearly followed Torres, and this argument lacks merit. R. 2:11-

3(e)(2).

      In sum, the sentencing decision was not an abuse of discretion. The judge

followed the law, analyzed the aggravating and mitigating factors, assessed the

fairness of the sentence, and the sentence does not shock our judicial conscience.

To the extent we have not addressed an argument raised on appeal, it is because

it lacks sufficient merit to warrant discussion in a written opinion. R. 2:11-

                                                                               A-2596-21
                                         18
3(e)(2). For these reasons, we also reject defendant's argument the matter should

be remanded to a different judge on grounds the judge did not follow our

instructions; he clearly did.

      Finally, defendant argues the judgment of conviction provided him prior

service credit only until March 24, 2022. He seeks prior service credit as of the

date of resentencing, which was April 1, 2022.           Rule 3:21-8(a) states a

"defendant shall receive credit on the term of a custodial sentence for any time

served in custody in jail . . . between arrest and the imposition of sentence."

      The judgment of conviction provides defendant with prior service credit

from October 29, 2018, to March 24, 2022—1,243 days. The judge stated he

intended to calculate jail credit up until the day before resentencing. For these

reasons, we remand the judgment of conviction for correction to note defendant

is awarded seven additional days of prior service credit, for the period between

March 24 and 31, 2022.

      Affirmed in part and remanded in part. We do not retain jurisdiction.

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