STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. SUSAN HYLAND, Defendant-Respondent.
DOCKET NO. A-2530-16T2
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION
Decided November 21, 2017
Before Judges Messano, O‘Connor and Vernoia.
NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION. APPROVED FOR PUBLICATION November 21, 2017. Argued October 2, 2017. On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Camden County, Indictment No. 16-06-1879.
Linda A. Shashoua, Assistant Prosecutor, argued the cause for appellant (Mary Eva Colalillo, Camden County Prosecutor, attorney; Ms. Shashoua, of counsel and on the brief).
Tamar Y. Lerer, Assistant Deputy Public Defender, argued the cause for respondent (Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney; Ms. Lerer, of counsel and on the brief).
The
VERNOIA, J.A.D.
The State appeals from a judgment of conviction sentencing defendant Susan Hyland to special Drug Court probation,
In March 2016, an automobile driven by defendant struck sixteen-year-old Q.T. as he walked across a roadway. Q.T. suffered spinal injuries that later caused his death. Defendant, who did not have a valid driver‘s license, did not stop or call the police. She took no action to get assistance for Q.T. Instead, she fled the scene and went to a friend‘s house, where they discussed burning her badly damaged automobile and reporting that it was stolen.
Defendant‘s niece, who was in the car when Q.T. was struck, called the police, reported the incident and identified defendant as the driver. The police determined defendant‘s location, found the automobile and arrested her.
Defendant was charged in an indictment with second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident,
The Camden County Prosecutor‘s Office recommended against defendant‘s admission into Drug Court. The State determined defendant was legally ineligible for a special probation Drug Court sentence because it could not find that defendant “would not be a danger to the community if placed” in Drug Court. See
The court ordered that defendant undergo a substance abuse evaluation, which revealed defendant suffered from five substance
Over the State‘s objection, the court determined defendant was legally eligible for special probation.1 The court observed that defendant was not charged with causing Q.T.‘s death, but instead for her actions after Q.T. was struck. The court found that although defendant was not charged with driving while intoxicated, there was a connection between defendant‘s substance abuse and the commission of the offenses. The court considered defendant‘s prior record, noting her last criminal conviction was sixteen years earlier in 2000 for criminal trespass, and her “slew of arrests and convictions” for motor vehicle and disorderly persons offenses. The court found that defendant‘s prior record and “terrible choices” after Q.T. was accidentally struck did not establish that she would be a danger to the community if she was admitted to Drug Court. The court entered an order finding defendant was legally eligible for a special probation Drug Court sentence under
Defendant pleaded guilty to the charges in the indictment without the benefit of a negotiated plea agreement. The State reserved its right to object to defendant‘s admission into Drug Court at sentencing.
At sentencing, the court merged defendant‘s conviction for third-degree endangering an injured victim with her conviction for second-degree knowingly leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident. The court sentenced defendant to concurrent five-year special probation Drug Court terms on her convictions. The court denied the State‘s motion for a stay of sentence pending the State‘s appeal of defendant‘s Drug Court sentence.
Three weeks later, the court granted defendant‘s motion for post-conviction bail pending appeal and released defendant on her own recognizance with the condition that she remain in an inpatient substance abuse treatment facility until further court order. We granted the State‘s request for a stay of execution of defendant‘s sentence pending the State‘s appeal.
On appeal, the State makes the following argument:
POINT I
THIS COURT SHOULD REVERSE THE LAW DIVISION‘S SPECIAL PROBATION SENTENCING OF DEFENDANT AS A TRACK ONE DRUG COURT OFFENDER AS, AFTER KILLING THE VICTIM, DEFENDANT‘S PARTICIPATION IN DRUG COURT PRESENTS A RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND OFFENDS THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DRUG COURT PROGRAM.
The State argues that a proper assessment of defendant‘s danger to the community is required under
(1) a judgment of the trial court dismissing an indictment, accusation or complaint, where not precluded by the constitution of the United States or of New Jersey; (2) an order of the trial court entered before trial in accordance with [Rule] 3:5 (search warrants); (3) a judgment of acquittal entered in accordance with [Rule 3:18-2] (judgment n.o.v.) following a jury verdict of guilty; (4) a judgment in a post-conviction proceeding collaterally attacking a conviction or sentence; (5) an interlocutory order entered before, during or after trial, or, (6) as otherwise provided by law.
[
“Sentencing appeals by the State implicate the prohibitions against multiple punishments incorporated in the double jeopardy provisions of the Federal and State Constitutions.” State v. Johnson, 376 N.J. Super. 163, 171 (App. Div.), certif. denied, 183 N.J. 592 (2005).
Here, the State claims authority to appeal on both bases. The State asserts it may appeal because defendant‘s Drug Court sentence is illegal. It also asserts
A.
The State argues defendant‘s sentence is illegal because the court did not correctly assess and determine defendant‘s danger to the community if she were sentenced to Drug Court as required by
Our “Code of Criminal Justice,
Defendant‘s Drug Court probationary sentence does not exceed the ten-year maximum custodial term permitted by the Code for the second-degree offense for which she was convicted. See
Moreover, the sentence was imposed in accordance with the law because
We reject the State‘s contention that alleged errors in the court‘s assessment of defendant‘s alleged danger to the community under
Defendant‘s sentence is not illegal. We therefore reject the State‘s argument that it has authority to appeal on that basis. See Ciancaglini, supra, 204 N.J. at 605 (explaining the State may appeal an illegal sentence).
B.
We next address the State‘s claim that
In interpreting
Applying these principles, we first consider
The presumption of incarceration for first and second-degree offenders under
The State argues defendant was convicted of second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident,
The State‘s reliance on
When
Here, the court‘s imposition of defendant‘s Drug Court sentence did not require a determination under
In its adoption of
For a defendant otherwise eligible for a special probation Drug Court sentence,
The statute further provides that “[n]otwithstanding the presumption of incarceration
In its imposition of defendant‘s Drug Court sentence, the court did not apply the presumption of incarceration under
Unlike
The State argues
A 1999 amendment to
The 1999 amendment to
We presume the Legislature was familiar with the parameters of its grant of authority to the State to appeal sentences under
Nevertheless,
We interpret the repeal of
Dismissed.
I hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the original on file in my office.
CLERK OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
