People v. Johnson

• Decision Date: 22 May 1985
• Docket Number: Docket No. 72232
• Citation: 141 Mich.App. 622,368 N.W.2d 736
• Parties: PEOPLE of the State of Michigan, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Gary JOHNSON, Defendant-Appellant. 141 Mich.App. 622, 368 N.W.2d 736
• Court: Court of Appeal of Michigan — District of US

Page 736

368 N.W.2d 736

PEOPLE of the State of Michigan, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Gary JOHNSON, Defendant-Appellant.

Docket No. 72232.

141 Mich.App. 622, 368 N.W.2d 736

Court of Appeals of Michigan.

Submitted Nov. 15, 1984.

Decided April 1, 1985.

Released for Publication May 22, 1985.

[141 MICHAPP 623] Frank J. Kelley, Atty. Gen., Louis J. Caruso, Sol. Gen., John D. O'Hair, Pros. Atty., Edward Reilly Wilson, Chief Appellate Asst. Pros. Atty., and Timothy A. Baughman, Principal Atty., Research, Training and Appeals, for the People.

James R. Newhard, State Appellate Defender, by Kim Robert Fawcett, Detroit, for defendant-appellant.

[141 MICHAPP 624] Before H. HOOD, P.J., and BRONSON and TAHVONEN, ^* JJ.

PER CURIAM.

On October 23, 1979, after a jury trial in the Detroit Recorder's Court, defendant was found not guilty of felonious assault, M.C.L. Sec. 750.82; M.S.A. Sec. 28.277, and guilty of possession of a firearm at the time of the commission or attempted commission of a felony, M.C.L. Sec. 750.227b; M.S.A. Sec. 28.424(2). Defendant moved to have the guilty verdict set aside on the ground that the verdicts were inconsistent. The trial judge granted the motion to set aside the guilty verdict as inconsistent and discharged the defendant. The people appealed and this Court affirmed in an unpublished memorandum opinion (Docket No 47489, decided May 13, 1980). The people appealed and the Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals, reinstated the felony-firearm conviction, and remanded for sentencing in an opinion in which defendant's case was consolidated with two others for argument on appeal. People v. Lewis, 415 Mich. 443, 330 N.W.2d 16 (1982). Defendant now appeals as of right from his conviction.

The issues raised on appeal do not require a comprehensive statement of the facts. Briefly, defendant's car struck complainant's car. Complainant and defendant both got out of their cars and exchanged driver's licenses and car registrations. Defendant then allegedly pulled out a gun and stuck it in complainant's stomach. Complainant pushed defendant away, jumped into his car and drove away. Upon seeing police officers who had stopped defendant, complainant stopped his car and informed the police about his encounter with defendant only moments before.

Defendant's first and second arguments on appeal[141 MICHAPP 625] concern the scope and effect of our Supreme Court's opinion reversing this Court, reinstating defendant's conviction and remanding for sentencing. Defendant first argues that although the Supreme Court reinstated defendant's conviction and remanded for sentencing, id., pp. 448, 456, 330 N.W.2d 16, it did not address the issue of retroactivity. Defendant therefore requests that we not apply the Supreme Court's decision in this case retroactively, and that we reverse defendant's conviction. In addition, defendant argues that to retroactively apply the Supreme Court's decision to the instant case would be a denial of due process and a violation of the ex post facto clause of the United States Constitution.

Defendant's arguments center on the Supreme Court's opinion in People v. Vaughn, 409 Mich. 463, 295 N.W.2d 354 (1980), where the Court allowed an inconsistent jury verdict finding defendant guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and not guilty of felony-firearm. In People v. Blondell Smith, 108 Mich.App. 466, 310 N.W.2d 425 (1981), lv. den. 417 Mich. 982 (1983), we held that Vaughn would not be given retroactive effect in cases tried before the opinion was released. Defendant in the instant case was tried before the Supreme Court's opinion in Vaughn, and on appeal the Supreme Court extended Vaughn to allow defendant's inconsistent jury verdict. In a recent case, we applied Lewis, supra, retroactively to cases tried after Vaughn was released, but before the decisional date in Lewis. People v. Eady, 131 Mich.App. 627, 345 N.W.2d 653 (1983). In holding that Lewis applied retroactively we held:

"People v. Lewis, supra, did not announce a new rule of law or abrogate existing standards. Rather, the Supreme Court applied in a felony-firearm context the rule of People v. Vaughn, 409 Mich 463; 295 N.W.2d 354 [141 MICHAPP 626] (1980), WHICH PERMITS INCONSISTENT VERDICTS. while it is true that vaughn, supra, abrogated the old rule barring inconsistent verdicts, the Supreme Court's decision in that case was rendered on April 28, 1980, long before this trial. In short, Vaughn is the case which established the new rule and Lewis is not." 131 Mich.App. 629-630, 345 N.W.2d 653.

Defendant thus argues that given this Court's decision in Eady and Blondell Smith, we should not apply Lewis to defendant's case since his trial preceded the Supreme Court's opinion in Vaughn. Even though the Supreme Court reinstated defendant's conviction and remanded for sentencing in the instant case, defendant argues that the Supreme Court did not address the retroactivity question now raised. We disagree.

Although there are a great variety of ways in which a new rule of law may be given effect, application normally falls within one of three main categories. A new rule can be (1) made applicable to all cases in which a cause of action has accrued and which are still lawfully pending and all future cases, (2) made applicable to the case at bar and all future cases, or (3) made to exclude the case at bar, but made applicable to all cases filed hereafter or after an arbitrary control date specified in the opinion. Placek v. Sterling Heights, 405 Mich. 638, 662, 275 N.W.2d 511 (1979); Myers v. Genesee County Auditor, 375 Mich. 1, 11, 133 N.W.2d 190 (1965).

It is well established that the retroactive application of an overruling decision is not prohibited by the constitution and, specifically, that such retroactivity does not constitute a denial of due process or a violation of the prohibition against ex post facto laws. Anno: United States Supreme Court's Views as to Retroactive Effect of Its Own Decisions Announcing New Rules, 22 L.Ed.2d 821, [141 MICHAPP 627] 825; Anno: Retroactive or Merely Prospective Operation of New Rule Adopted by Court in Overruling Precedent-Federal Cases, 14 L.Ed.2d 992, 1002-1003; Anno: Prospective or Retroactive Operation of Overruling Decision, 10 A.L.R.3d 1371, 1391-1393, and cases cited therein. We therefore find no merit to defendant's argument that application of Lewis, supra, would constitute a denial of due process or violate the prohibition against ex post facto laws.

Turning to defendant's retroactivity argument, we believe that the Supreme Court did address the application of its decision in Lewis, supra, to defendant. The Supreme Court specifically stated that defendant Johnson's conviction was reinstated and his case remanded for sentencing. Id., 415 Mich. pp. 448, 456, 330 N.W.2d 16. Although not explicitly addressed in terms of retroactivity, it is clear that the Court intended its decision to apply to the case at bar. The Supreme Court's treatment of defendant is consistent with the marked preference it has shown for applying its overruling decisions to the cases before it unless explicitly stated otherwise. Compare Sherbutte v. Marine City, 374 Mich. 48, 130 N.W.2d 920 (1964), with People v. Stevenson, 416 Mich. 383, 331 N.W.2d 143 (1982).

Further, we believe that defendant's reliance on People v. Blondell Smith, supra, is misplaced given the Supreme Court's retroactive treatment of its holding in People v. Vaughn, supra. Although we held in Blondell Smith that Vaughn would not be given retroactive application, the Supreme Court applied its decision to defendant Vaughn by reinstating his conviction. In People v. Horton, 99 Mich.App. 40, 297 N.W.2d 857 (1980), we reversed defendant's conviction in part because of inconsistent jury verdicts. Horton was decided prior to the Supreme Court's opinion in Vaughn. The Supreme Court, however, vacated our judgment and remanded[141 MICHAPP 628] the case to us for reconsideration in light of its opinion in Vaughn. People v. Horton, 410 Mich. 865, 301 N.W.2d 775 (1980). On remand, we held that Vaughn was applicable, and reinstated defendant's conviction. People v. Horton (On Remand), 107 Mich.App. 739, 310 N.W.2d 34 (1981); lv. den. 418 Mich. 942, 344 N.W.2d 2 (1984). Our decision on remand, however, followed our decision in People v. Blondell Smith, and was necessitated by the Supreme Court's order. It appears from the Supreme Court's treatment of Vaughn that the validity of our holding in People v. Blondell Smith is questionable. In any event, the Supreme Court's application of its holding in Vaughn to the defendant at bar and its order in Horton reinforces our view that the Court intended its decision to apply to the instant defendant. As the Court gave partial retroactive effect to its decision in the instant case, this Court is powerless to alter it. Schwartz v. Flint (After Remand), 120 Mich.App. 449, 329 N.W.2d 26 (1982).

Defendant next argues that the trial court failed to instruct the jury that felonious assault is a specific intent crime, and that the decision of our Supreme Court in People v. Joeseype...