Both parties have separately filed claims of appeal from an April 20, 1989, judgment, resentencing defendant on the basis of her guilty plea to one count of delivery of less than 50 grams of a mixture containing cocaine, a violation of § 7401(2)(a)(iv) of the Public Health Code. MCL 333.7401 (2)(a)(iv); MSA 14.15(7401)(2)(a)(iv).
Although the controlled substance provisions of the Public Health Code have been repeatedly amended, the parties agree that defendant’s offense was subject to a mandatory one year mini
Defendant’s offense was committed, and guilty plea entered, while the original version of the Sentencing Guidelines was in effect; however, sentence was originally imposed after October 1, 1988, when the second edition of the Sentencing Guidelines was in effect and its use mandated by Administrative Order No. 1988-4.
Defendant moved for resentencing, contending that use of the second edition of the Sentencing Guidelines, which provided a higher guideline range for this offense than the first edition, represented an ex post facto increase in the punishment applicable to the offense. The motion for resentencing was granted on March 9, 1989.
At that time, the prosecutor filed an application for leave to appeal; that application, however, was denied "for failure to persuade the Court of the need for immediate appellate review.” Such a nonsubstantive disposition means that there is no law of the case, and thus denial of that application does not foreclose the parties from pursuit of the same or related issues on later appeals of right.
Dinius v Bolibrzuch,
On April 20, 1989, defendant was resentenced, receiving a sentence identical to that originally imposed. The circuit court, however, now used the first edition of the Sentencing Guidelines, articulating reasons why a sentence outside those guidelines is appropriate.
Defendant initially challenges the jurisdiction of this Court to entertain the prosecutor’s claim of appeal.
A trial court lacks the power to grant resentencing unless the original sentence imposed was invalid.
People v Whalen,
Since the decision granting resentencing, this Court has had opportunity to address the question of whether application of the second edition of the Sentencing Guidelines retroactively violates federal or state ex post facto prohibitions. Inasmuch as the guidelines do not increase punishment or create presumptive sentences, but merely assist the sentencing judge while conveying no substantive rights to the defendant, they are procedural, and the retroactive application of the revised guidelines does not violate ex post facto considerations.
People v Potts,
No other cognizable error invalidating the first sentence having been identified, the trial court
This obviates the need to discuss or address the questions raised by defendant concerning the propriety of the resentencing vis-á-vis the first edition of the Sentencing Guidelines or whether the trial court articulated sufficient and adequate reasons for a sentence outside those guidelines.
Reversed. The original sentence is reinstated.
