Court Opinion

ID: 9797751
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 04:28:37.548364+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:58:13.053145
License: Public Domain

FOREMAN, Judge Pro Tempore,*
specially concurring.
¶ 57 I join in the result reached by the majority, and I agree with its reasoning except for the conclusion that the term, “the proof is evident or the presumption great” in A.R.S. § 13-3961(A), cannot mean “clear and convincing evidence.” Infra ¶ 40. The majority opinion argues that “[w]hen a statute uses a specific phrase in some sections but not in others, a court cannot read that phrase into the section from which it was excluded.” Id. Respectfully, I disagree.
*279¶ 58 In 1982, the voters modified Article 2, Section 22 to allow denial of bail when a defendant is charged with any felony and is a danger to any other person or the community and no conditions of release “will reasonably assure the safety of the other person or the community.” The amendment reaffirmed “proof is evident or the presumption great” as the burden of proof for the “present charge” but did not specify a burden of proof for the issues of dangerousness and alternative conditions of release. Nothing in the drafting of the amendment or the campaign for its passage, however, suggests an intent to impose a different burden of proof for the denial of bail to these two classes of defendants.
¶ 59 The legislature implemented the change to Article 2, Section 22, in 1982 by modifying A.R.S. § 13-3961 to add “clear and convincing evidence” as the burden of proof to establish a defendant’s dangerousness and the lack of alternative release conditions. Nothing in the record indicates the legislature intended a different burden of proof to be used to deny bail on some issues, and therefore to some defendants, but not others. Between 1982 and the present, whether “the proof is evident or the presumption great” meant something other than “clear and convincing evidence” was never decided. In most trial courts, the two phrases have been treated as functionally equivalent.
¶ 60 In 2002 Proposition 103 only added three offenses to the list of crimes for which bail may be denied. Nothing in the drafting of Proposition 103, the campaign that led to its passage, or its legislative implementation indicates an intent to mandate a different burden of proof to deny bail to those charged with certain serious crimes and those charged with less serious felonies where the defendant was dangerous and no alternative conditions of release would reasonably assure the safety of an endangered person or the community. See A.R.S. § 13-3961(A), (C).
¶ 61 In choosing the language to specify the burden of proof in A.R.S. § 13-3961(A) and (C), the legislature was obviously constrained by Article 2, Section 22. This constraint distinguishes our case from those relied upon by the majority to support a contention that “proof is evident or the presumption is great” cannot mean “clear and convincing evidence.” See, e.g., Bigelsen v. Bd. of Med. Exam’rs, 175 Ariz. 86, 853 P.2d 1133 (App.1993); Patterson v. Marico-pa County Sheriff’s Office, 177 Ariz. 153, 865 P.2d 814 (App.1993); Bd. of Regents v. Pub. Safety Ret. F. Mgr., 160 Ariz. 150, 771 P.2d 880 (App.1989).
¶ 62 As this court stated in Bigelsen, “[t]he cardinal rale in statutory interpretation is to ascertain and give effect to the intent of the legislature____If the intent of the legislature is not entirely clear from the statutory language, we may also look to the policy behind the statute, and its context, subject matter, effects and consequences.” 175 Ariz. at 90, 853 P.2d at 1137 (citations omitted). If we look to the context in which the burden of proof is used and the policy reasons for the statute, it is hard to imagine a “rational” justification for using different burdens of proof.
¶ 63 The legislature made a commendable effort to follow the language of the constitution in 1982 where necessary and to fill in blanks when needed. The courts have a corresponding responsibility to construe the constitution and the statute in harmony so persons of reasonable intelligence can understand and apply them as the drafters, the legislature, and the voters intended. The phrase “the proof is evident or the presumption great” no longer has practical meaning for defendants, victims, attorneys, or judges. The legislature recognized the phrase was archaic and used the more modern term “clear and convincing evidence” in the portion of the statute where no burden of proof was dictated by the language of the constitution. It left to the courts the responsibility of interpretation and harmonization of the statute with the constitution.
¶ 64 Without saying so, the majority apparently concedes United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 107 S.Ct. 2095, 95 L.Ed.2d 697 (1987), imposed a constitutional due process floor of “clear and convincing evidence” when bail is denied. See infra n. 5, ¶ 16. The majority also allocates Arizona to the group of states “requiring some variation of clear and convincing or clear and strong evidence *280that the accused committed the crime.” Infra ¶ 29. The majority then holds that “[t]he State’s burden is met if all of the evidence, fully considered by the court, makes it plain and clear to the understanding, and satisfactory and apparent to the well-guarded, dispassionate judgment of the court that the accused committed one of the offenses enumerated in A.R.S. § 13-3961(A), bail must be denied. The proof must be substantial, but it need not rise to proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” Infra ¶ 41.
¶ 65 Although I applaud the majority’s effort to bring order from the chaos of opinions about the meaning of “proof is evident or the presumption great,” its suggested definition is as murky as the archaic phrase it is meant to explain. What is a “plain and clear” understanding? Is “plain and clear” evidence more highly probable than “clear and convincing evidence”? What is “satisfactory and apparent to the well-guarded, dispassionate judgment”? Is it also more highly probable than “clear and convincing evidence”? How is a “well-guarded, dispassionate judgment” different from other judgments? The human mind is a marvelous instrument, but I fear not capable of discerning a difference between clear and convincing evidence and the majority’s proposed definition.
¶ 66 The best way to avoid the arbitrary and unequal application of the law is to use a definition of “proof is evident or the presumption great” that is easy to understand and apply. In my opinion, “the proof is evident or the presumption great” in Article 2, Section 22 and A.R.S. § 13-3961 should be defined as “highly probable,” which is the definition of “clear and convincing evidence” adopted by our supreme court. See State v. King, 158 Ariz. 419, 424, 763 P.2d 239, 244 (1988). This definition is consistent with the intent of the voters, the intent of the legislature and the applicable state and federal constitutional provisions. In all other respects, I join in the majority opinion.

 The Honorable John Foreman, judge of the Superior Court of Maricopa County, was authorized to participate as a Judge Pro Tempore of the Court of Appeals by order of the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court pursuant to Article 6, Section 31 of the Arizona Constitution and A.R.S. § 12-145 etseq.