Court Opinion

ID: 9398503
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-05-31 15:09:38.449918+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:19:34.034433
License: Public Domain

ORIGINAL                                               05/30/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                              Case Number: OP 23-0259

                                        OP 23-0259

 GUADALUPE PABLO GALICIA, SR.,
                                                                       N:,V 3 0 2'223
                                                                     Bovven G   er -   - OCI
              Petitioner,                                                                 _dun
                                                                                        or—

       v.
                                                                    ORDER
 .11 M SALMONSEN, Warden,
 Montana State Prison,

              Respondent.

       Guadalupe Pablo Galicia Sr. has filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus,
requesting the award of credit for time served in his two criminal cases from the Eighth
Judicial District Court, Cascade County. The State of Montana responds that this Court
should grant Galicia's Petition in part to amend the written judgments and sentences,
reflecting awards of credit for time served.
       Both the State and Galicia provide background information that we summarize. On
December 26, 2018, the State charged Galicia with felony assault with a weapon, and the
District Court issued an arrest warrant.       The State amended the charges to include
additional felonies during the next eighteen months. On December 19, 2019, Galicia was
charged in his second case with felony aggravated assault by accountability, and the court
issued an arrest warrant. Several days later, the State charged him with three additional
felonies in a third criminal case. In September 2020, the State and Galicia entered into a
plea agreement for all cases whereby he would enter guilty pleas in the two initial cases in
exchange for dismissal of his third criminal case.
       On November 25, 2020, the District Court sentenced Galicia to the Montana State
Prison for a ten-year term with five years suspended for aggravated kidnapping and a
concurrent, suspended five-year term for failure to register as a violent offender
(hereinafter first sentence). The court declined to award credit for time served. On
January 13, 2021, the District Court committed Galicia to the Department of Corrections
for a concurrent, three-year term for felony aggravated assault by accountability (second
sentence). The District Court did not mention credit for time served.
       Galicia explains that he was a parolee when he was arrested on December 12, 2019,
for violation of his parole, and pending disposition of his first criminal case. He adds that
he was also arrested for new charges. Galicia notes that he was unable to post bond in his
cases and that his first sentence does not provide any credit for time served, even though
his counsel requested 671 days of credit for time served in jail. Galicia explains that the
final judgment for his second sentence did not include any credit.
      Both the State and Galicia provide that he was in custody following his arrests, at
the time of his change of plea hearings, and until sentencing. The State agrees that Galicia
is entitled to credit for time served for his first and second sentences. State v. Pitkanen,
2022 MT 231, ¶ 25, 410 Mont. 503, 520 P.3d 305 (citations omitted). The State calculates
that for his first sentence (Cause No. ADC-18-826), Galicia is entitled to 670 days from
the January 25, 2019 warrant's service date to the November 25, 2020 sentencing date.
Further, the State notes that Galicia should be awarded 387 days toward his second
sentence because that is the time between his December 23, 2019 arrest until the
January 13, 2021 sentencing (Cause No. DDC-19-904).
      Given that a portion of Galicia's first and second sentences are illegal, we conclude
that remanding his underlying matters to the District Court is proper. State v. Heafner,
2010 MT 87, ¶ 11, 356 Mont. 128, 231 P.3d 1087. The District Court should amend both
written judgments to award credit for time served. Accordingly,
      IT IS ORDERED that:
      1. Galicia's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is GRANTED in part and Galicia's
          underlying criminal matter, Cause No. ADC-18-826, is REMANDED to the
          Eighth Judicial District Court, Cascade County, to amend its November 25, 2020
          Sentence, Order to Close File, and Order Exonerating Bond, to reflect credit for
          time served of 670 days from January 25, 2019 to November 25, 2020;

                                             2
      2. Galicia's Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus is GRANTED in part and Galicia's
          underlying criminal matter, Cause No. DDC-19-904, is REMANDED to the
          Eighth Judicial District Court, Cascade County, to amend its January 13, 2021
          Judgment of Conviction and Sentencing Order, to reflect credit for time served
          of 387 days from December 23, 2019 to January 13, 2021; and
      3. this matter is CLOSED as of this Order's date.
      The Clerk of the Supreme Court is directed to provide a copy of this Order to: the
Honorable David J. Grubich, District Court Judge; the Honorable John W. Parker, District
Court Judge; Tina Henry, Clerk of District Court, Cascade County, under Cause Nos.
ADC-18-826 and DDC-19-904; counsel of record, and Guadalupe Pablo Galicia Sr.
personally.
      DATED this        8   day of May, 2023.
                    S
                                                              Justices

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