Court Opinion

ID: 9638909
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 15:58:16.074829+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:37:27.557680
License: Public Domain

STEADMAN, Associate Judge,
dissenting:
The trial court here made an explicit finding that the government proved by a preponderance of the evidence that Sump-ter had affirmatively concealed the fact of his rearrest and subsequent conviction while on probation.1 I believe the trial court was correct in its view that this act of concealment permitted a revocation of probation on the facts here.
As the majority indicates, our case law has “liberally and broadly” construed the time limit imposed by § 24-104. In Dent v. United States, 465 A.2d 841 (D.C.1983), we held that no formal order of extension was required “to toll the expiration of the probationer’s term” if appropriate steps were taken by the trial court prior to the term expiration date “to put the probationer on notice that probable cause exists for revocation of probation.” Id. at 843. In my view, the active concealment by a probationer during the probation term of a prior arrest and conviction may fairly be deemed to demonstrate knowledge by that probationer just as effectively as a show cause order that his probation status is in jeopardy, and this interaction (by the act of concealment) between the petitioner and the parole authorities relative to a possible parole violation ought equally effectively to toll the expiration of the probation term.2
It has been generally held that the running of a statute of limitations is tolled by a defendant’s fraudulent concealment of the underlying cause of action. 51 Am. Jur.2d Limitation of Actions § 147 (1970); see, e.g., Sperry v. Barggren, 523 F.2d 708, 710-11 (7th Cir.1975) (equitable tolling doctrine read into every federal statute of limitations). Likewise, it has been held that a defendant’s concealment of a violation from his probation officer can act to excuse what might otherwise be an “unreasonable” delay between the violation and a post-expiration3 revocation. See Commonwealth v. Sawicki, 369 Mass. 377, 339 N.E.2d 740, 744-45 (1975); Commonwealth v. Ferguson, 201 Pa.Super. 649, 193 A.2d 657, 660 (1963). I believe these general principles can be applied by analogy here.4

. For purposes of this dissent, I assume (ás I believe the record supports) that this finding was not clearly erroneous and that the correct standard of proof was applied. See D.C.Code § 17-305 (1981); cf. United States v. Gonsalves, 675 F.2d 1050 (9th Cir.), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 837, 103 S.Ct. 83, 74 L.Ed.2d 78 (1982).

. This is not to say that such knowledge is a prerequisite to an extension, which can be effected ex parte by the trial court in appropriate circumstances. Wallace v. United States, 475 A.2d 401 (D.C.1984).

. In the jurisdictions cited, revocation of probation is permitted within a "reasonable" time after the termination of the probation term.

. Like the majority, see note 7, I know of no jurisdiction similar to ours which has adopted an exception where the probationer has concealed his violation, but likewise I know of no case which has rejected such an exception. While it is true that all of our cases to date extending the probation term have relied on trial court action of one kind or another, I do not read the language of those cases to absolutely preclude any other mode of extension through tolling. Nor do I think that couching the issue in terms of jurisdiction bars an analysis along the lines I set forth.
I might add that I fail to see why § 24-104, viewed in its entirety, impels a strict construe*26tion to strip the trial court of all power to act following the end of the probation term. As pointed out in our recent decision in Jones v. United States, 560 A.2d 513, 516 (D.C.1989), the first sentence of that section (otherwise generally ignored in our jurisprudence) seems clearly to contemplate, in at least some circumstances, an extension of the probation term by the trial court after the probation period has expired.