Court Opinion

ID: 9844184
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 02:58:38.367253+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:15:29.438727
License: Public Domain

SHEPARD, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur in the result obtained by the majority in Parts I and II of the majority *439opinion. I dissent as to Part III of the majority opinion.
It is clear that defendant Thompson was charged with, pleaded guilty to, and was sentenced for assault with a deadly weapon in that he “did make an assault upon the person of Danford Dann and Leo T. Ariwite, police officers of the Port Hall Tribal Police, with a deadly weapon, to wit: a shotgun, by firing said gun at and toward the Fort Hall Tribal Police car in which said Danford Dann and Leo T. Ariwite were riding and hitting said vehicle with buckshot.” The majority has no problem with that conviction and the sentence imposed therefor, albeit defendant Thompson did not pull the trigger of the weapon which fired the shots which struck the police vehicle. Clearly, what is sauce for the co-principal under the assault with a deadly weapon statute is a horse of a different color under the firearm enhancement statute. I discern no rationale for the different results.
As indicated by the majority opinion, the instant ease is the first interpretation by this Court of the provisions of I.C. § 19-2520. (the enhancement statute). I discern much mischief which may follow from the result obtained by the majority in its interpretation of this statute. The majority does not tell us why I.C. § 18-204, which provides, “all persons concerned in the commission of a crime, whether it be felony or misdemeanor, and whether they directly commit the act constituting the offense or aid and abet in its commission * * * are principals in any crime so committed,” (emphasis added) has no application to the enhancement statute. The majority opinion merely tells us that the enhancement statute is vague as to its application to co-principals.
The majority relies upon State v. Hahn, 92 Idaho 265, 441 P.2d 714 (1968). As I view Hahn, the only language of any relevancy to the present issue states, “a statute defining a crime must be sufficiently explicit so that all persons subject thereto may know what conduct on their part will subject them to its penalties.” Id. at 267, 441 P.2d at 716. However, as McFadden, J. stated in his dissent in Hahn “consideration of a statute and its purposes and scope must be given not ‘in vacuo,’ but in light of other existing legislation. * * * It is my view that we must construe [the statute] in a reasonable manner to effectuate the purpose of the legislature.” Id. at 270, 441 P.2d at 719.
Thus, in the instant case, I believe it clear that the legislative purpose of I.C. § 19-2520 (the enhancement statute) is to control and inhibit the violence which does or may result from the utilization of firearms in the commission of certain crimes. The legislature has clearly said that any person convicted of certain crimes while carrying, displaying, using, threatening, or attempting to use firearms while committing the crime shall have their sentence for the crime enhanced. Here, it is clear that defendant Thompson was convicted of the crime of assault with a deadly weapon in shooting at the police officérs. It is clear he was at least at one time in possession of the particular firearm, had the shells in his possession, that the weapon was passed to another, that the shells were passed on, and that the person who actually pulled the trigger was encouraged to fire at the police officers. To hold that the enhancement statute cannot be applied to a co-principal is, in my judgment, a clear frustration of the legislative purpose shown by the literal language of I.C. § 19-2520 without any rationale therefor. To refuse application of the enhancement statute under the circumstances of the instant case is, in my judgment, utterly without reason.