State v. Aguilar-Ramos
284 Or. App. 749
Or. Ct. App.2017Background
- Defendant pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault and resisting arrest; judgment entered November 13, 2013; restitution left "open for 90 days."
- ORS 137.106(1)(a) requires the district attorney to present restitution evidence at sentencing or within 90 days, unless the court extends time for good cause.
- Restitution hearing originally set for Feb 7, 2014 (86 days after judgment) but canceled due to an ice storm. The prosecutor did not promptly reschedule.
- Prosecutor rescheduled the hearing in April for May 14, 2014; on the day of that hearing he was called away for a family emergency and had not provided restitution documentation to defense or substitute prosecutor, causing another postponement.
- Hearing was ultimately held June 4, 2014 (203 days after judgment); trial court found some delay attributable to the DA but concluded there was "good cause" to extend the 90‑day deadline and imposed $2,663 restitution.
- Court of Appeals reversed the supplemental judgment, holding the additional delay (beyond the ice-storm-related cancellation) was prosecutorial inadvertence and did not constitute good cause.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument (State) | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether "good cause" justified extending ORS 137.106(1)(a) beyond 90 days so restitution could be imposed 203 days after judgment | Delay was reasonable and resulted from a misunderstanding about who would reschedule after the ice storm; not prosecutorial neglect | Additional 117 days of delay after the ice-storm cancellation was prosecutorial inadvertence and cannot constitute good cause | Reversed: only the ice storm justified extension; the prosecutor’s 74-day failure to reschedule and 21-day failure to provide documents were prosecutorial inattentiveness, not good cause |
| Whether the $2,663 restitution award was supported by sufficient evidence | (State would argue amount supported by evidence at hearing) | (Defendant argued insufficient evidence) | Not reached — reversal on timeliness obviated need to address sufficiency |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Biscotti, 219 Or. App. 296 (court explained prosecutorial inadvertence or neglect does not constitute good cause)
- State v. Martinez, 246 Or. App. 383 (inattentiveness by prosecutor or court is not good cause)
- State v. Condon, 246 Or. App. 403 (good cause may exist when delay is attributable to victim or third-party actions)
- State v. Landreth, 246 Or. App. 376 (good cause where delay resulted from victim’s illness and inability to cooperate)
- State v. Arwood, 46 Or. App. 653 (quoting that inattentiveness to passage of time does not constitute good cause)
