424 P.3d 823
Or. Ct. App.2018Background
- Defendant convicted by jury of one count reckless driving and two counts DUII (Class A misdemeanors).
- At sentencing the trial court orally pronounced a $1,500 fine for each DUII conviction and said it would not require payment of court-appointed attorney fees.
- Written judgments, however, each imposed a $1,755 monetary penalty for the DUII convictions (an extra $255 over the pronounced fines).
- The $255 amount corresponds to a statutorily required DUII conviction fee (ORS 813.020(1) / ORS 813.030) that must be imposed unless the court waives it for indigence.
- The record contains no express waiver or imposition of the $255 fee and does not clarify the trial court’s intent.
- The state concedes error; the appellate court must decide whether to remand for entry of corrected judgments or for full resentencing.
Issues
| Issue | State's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the written judgments improperly imposed monetary penalties exceeding fines announced at sentencing | The state concedes the written judgments erred but urges remand for further proceedings | Defendant urges reversal and remand only to correct judgments to reflect $1,500 fines per DUII count | Court held the judgments erred by including $1,755; vacated that portion and remanded for resentencing |
| Whether appellate court should simply correct the judgments to $1,500 or remand for resentencing to decide the $255 fee | Argues remand for further proceedings is appropriate to permit trial court to determine whether to impose the statutory $255 fee | Argues ORS 138.222(5)(a) permits simple correction to $1,500 without resentencing | Court held simple correction would frustrate legislative goal of imposing the $255 fee when not waived; remanded for resentencing so trial court can decide whether to impose or waive the fee |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Lewis, 236 Or. App. 49 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (preservation not required when sentence component not announced in open court)
- State v. Beckham, 253 Or. App. 609 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (interpretation of ORS 138.040 remand scope for sentencing errors)
- State v. Johnson, 260 Or. App. 176 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (remand under ORS 138.222 in felony probation-revocation context)
- State v. Sankey, 289 Or. App. 846 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (error to impose DUII conviction fee outside presence of defendant)
- State v. Hurst, 282 Or. App. 915 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (error to impose a fine not announced in open court)
- State v. White, 269 Or. App. 255 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (error to impose court-appointed attorney fees not announced at sentencing)
- State v. Frier, 264 Or. App. 541 (Court of Appeals of Or.) (remand appropriate when record unclear whether trial court believed fee/fine mandatory or discretionary)
Portion of each judgment requiring payment of $1,755 vacated; remanded for resentencing; otherwise affirmed.
