Court Opinion

ID: 9899047
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-11-15 20:06:50.362066+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:41.914354
License: Public Domain

11/15/2023

            IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
                                                                                         Case Number: DA 22-0162

                                      DA 22-0162
                                   _________________

 STATE OF MONTANA,

              Plaintiff and Appellee,

       v.                                                            ORDER

 JOHN CHRISTOPHER RYAN,

              Defendant and Appellant.
                                _________________

       Appellant John Christopher Ryan appeals from the December 20, 2021 Judgment
and Sentence of the Eleventh Judicial District Court, Flathead County. Ryan argues the
District Court imposed an illegal sentence by ordering that his sentence run consecutive to
a sentence in another case in Idaho that had not yet been imposed.
       The State has filed a Notice of Concession that this matter should be remanded to
the District Court for the purpose of striking the court’s imposition of a consecutive
sentence because a sentencing court cannot order a defendant to serve a term of
incarceration consecutive to a sentence that has not yet been imposed. State v. McGuire,
260 Mont. 386, 388, 860 P.2d 148, 150 (1993).
       Based on Ryan’s opening brief and the State’s concession, and good cause
appearing,
       IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that this case is remanded to the Eleventh Judicial
District Court, Flathead County, with instructions for the District Court to strike from the
December 20, 2021 Judgment and Sentence the phrase “to run consecutive to the pending
Idaho matter.”
       The Clerk is directed to provide copies of this Order to all counsel of record and to
presiding judge Honorable Heidi J. Ulbricht.

                                                                              Electronically signed by:
                                                                                    Mike McGrath
                                                                       Chief Justice, Montana Supreme Court
                                                                                 November 15 2023