Court Opinion

ID: 9633687
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 11:56:42.824553+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:55:47.574614
License: Public Domain

ZIMMERMAN, Justice
(dissenting):
I join Justice Durham in concluding that the three-tier mandatory sentencing provisions of section 76-5-405 are unconstitutionally vague. I write separately, however, because I do not join in her suggestion that the Judicial Council could not constitutionally promulgate rules that trial judges could use in deciding which sentences to impose. This is an issue I would leave for another day.
Utah has long adhered to an indeterminate sentencing philosophy. Under this scheme, the trial judge has no discretion in fixing the term of imprisonment. He or she simply imposes the statutorily prescribed sentence of a range of years, and the board of pardons determines exactly how long the prisoner is to be confined. See Utah Code Ann. §§ 76-3-203 to -204 (1978 & Supp.1987); Utah Code Ann. § 77-27-5 (Supp.1987). The fact that this has been the prevailing philosophy in Utah, however, does not mean that indeterminate sentencing is constitutionally mandated. There is nothing inherently suspect about a judge exercising broad discretion to determine the exact number of years a convict must spend in prison. In several states and in the federal courts, trial judges are given the power, in certain types of cases, to fix the number of years a defendant is to serve. See, e.g., 18 U.S.C. § 4205(b) (1982); Cal. Penal Code §§ 1170.1 to .95 (West 1985 & Supp.1987); Colo.Rev.Stat. § 16-11-101 (1986); N.C. Gen.Stat. §§ 14-1.1, -2, -3 (1986). Vesting such discretion in trial judges has not been found to deny defendants any constitutional rights. Cf. Geraghty v. U.S. Parole Commission, 719 F.2d 1199, 1211 (3d Cir.1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1103, 104 S.Ct. 1602, 80 L.Ed.2d 133 (1984); United States v. Davis, 560 F.2d 144 (3d Cir.1977), cert. denied, 434 U.S. 839, 98 S.Ct. 133, 54 L.Ed.2d 102 (1977).
The majority agrees that a trial judge may be granted broad discretion in sentencing. However, it then relies on that fact to argue that trial courts have ample expertise to exercise the discretion given them under section 76-5-405 and to select from among the three sentences prescribed. In my view, this argument misses the point. Although the legislature could constitutionally confer unfettered discretion on trial courts to choose among the various sentences specified in section 76-5-405, there is absolutely no evidence that it intended to do so. In fact, there is abundant evidence that the legislature contemplated and attempted to assure some measure of uniformity in proportionality of sentences imposed on those convicted of crimes involving sexual abuse of children. Considering that the sentences available under the statute are very severe and depart from the indeterminate sentencing philosophy that prevails throughout our criminal system, the legislature’s aim is laudable. However, I agree with Justice Durham that the resulting statute is too unclear to accomplish its purpose.
That the legislature intended to limit judges’ sentencing discretion seems plain. Subpart (7) of section 76-3-201 provides that “[t]he court in determining a just sentence shall be guided by sentencing rules regarding aggravation and mitigation promulgated by the Utah Judicial Council.” Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201(7) (Supp.1983) (emphasis added) (current version at Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201(5)(e) (Supp.1987)). The legislature did not ask the Council to act, but apparently assumed that the Council had or would promulgate guidelines specifically addressing this issue. The legislature’s expectations concerning the guidelines can be gleaned from subpart (8) of section 76-3-201. That subpart permits re-sentencing under certain circumstances, *564and it specifically provides that any such resentencing “shall comply with the sentencing rules of the Utah Judicial Council so as to eliminate disparity of sentences and to promote uniformity of sentencing.” Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201(8) (Supp.1983) (emphasis added) (current version at Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201(6)(a) (Supp.1987)).
As Justice Durham notes, the Judicial Council’s existing guidelines have little bearing on the issues presented by section 76-3-201. The statutory scheme is therefore hopelessly incomplete. As a result, judges are effectively precluded from exercising their sentencing discretion as the legislature intended. The majority would save this statute by ignoring the intention of the legislature and treating it as an enactment designed to give plenary sentencing discretion to the trial courts. I disagree. The legislature had a better idea, but it failed in the execution. And absent discernible sentencing criteria, there appears to be no sensible alternative to restricting sentences to the mandatory minimum, as Justice Durham suggests. I cannot agree with her, however, that under no circumstance could the Judicial Council promulgate guidelines that trial judges could use in balancing mitigating and aggravating circumstances. We must await such guidelines before passing on such a delicate constitutional issue.
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