State v. Gerrish

Nov 19, 1987
860159
Reporters:
, , ,
Before:
Hall
HALL, Chief Justice:

In September 1985, defendant pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first degree felony. 1 The crime is ‍‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‍punishable by incarceration for a minimum mandatory term of three, six, or nine years. 2

In October 1985, defendant was sentenced to a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years. In November 1985, this erroneous sentence was amended without hearing to specify a minimum mandatory term of six years.

In ‍‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‍February 1986, the trial court sua sponte resentenced defendant, with defendant and his counsel present. Defendant’s motion to have sections 76-5-404.1(4) and 76-3-406(1) declared unconstitutional was denied. Defendant was resentenced to a minimum mandatory term of six years.

On appeal, defendant claims that the minimum mandatory sentencing scheme set forth ‍‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‍in Utah Code Ann. §§ 76-5-404.1(4) (1987), 76-3-201(5)-(10) (Supp.1985) (amended 1986 & 1987), 76-3-406(1) (Supp.1985) (amended 1986), and 77-27-9(2) (Supp.1985) (amended 1986) is unconstitutionally vague. In State v. Egbert, 3 we faced a similar challenge to the minimum mandatory sentencing requirements of Utah Code Ann. § 76-5-405(2) (Supp.1983) (amended 1986) and § 76-3-201(5) (Supp.1983) (amended 1984, 1986, & 1987), and there the ‍‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‍Court held the minimum mandatory provisions constitutional. The minimum mandatory sentencing scheme challenged in this case is substantively no different than that challenged in Egbert. 4 Therefore, our ruling in Egbert controls this appeal.

Defendant’s sentence is affirmed.

STEWART, Associate C.J., and HOWE, DURHAM and ZIMMERMAN, JJ., concur.

Notes

1

. Utah Code Ann. § 76-5-404. l(3)-(4) ‍‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‍(Supp.1987).

2

. Id. at -404.1(4); see also Utah Code Ann. §§ 76-3-201(5)-(10) (Supp.1985) (amended 1986 & 1987), -406 (Supp.1985) (amended 1986), 77-27-9(2) (Supp.1985) (amended 1986).

3

. 748 P.2d 558 (Utah 1987).

4

. See id. at 559, n. 2.