People v. Miller, No. 00SA389.
| Decision Date | 25 June 2001 |
| Docket Number | No. 00SA389. |
| Parties | The PEOPLE of the State of Colorado, Plaintiff, v. Corey Joseph MILLER, Defendant. |
| Court | Colorado Supreme Court |
David J. Thomas, District Attorney First Judicial District, Donna Skinner Reed, Chief Appellate Deputy, Golden, CO, Attorneys for Plaintiff.
Patrick J. Mulligan, Denver, CO, Attorney for Defendant.
The prosecution in this case initiated this original proceeding pursuant to C.A.R. 21, seeking relief from a trial court order granting Defendant's motion for reconsideration of the trial court's ruling revoking Defendant's Youthful Offender System ("YOS") sentence that had been imposed after suspending a fifteen-year sentence in the Department of Corrections ("DOC"). The trial court determined that because the DOC had unconditionally discharged Defendant prior to its ruling, it lacked jurisdiction to revoke the YOS sentence. Thus, the trial court withdrew its mittimus issued pursuant to its revocation of the YOS sentence, which remanded Defendant to the DOC to serve the remainder of his fifteen-year DOC sentence. It then ordered that Defendant be released. We issued a rule to show cause why the trial court's order should not be vacated, and the defendant responded.
We now hold that the DOC erred in issuing an unconditional discharge because Defendant had failed to successfully complete the YOS sentence as required by the YOS statute. Accordingly, we make our rule absolute and direct the trial court to vacate its order withdrawing its July 26, 2000 mittimus remanding Defendant to the DOC to serve the remainder of his fifteen-year sentence.
In September 1996, after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery and a count of violent crime, Defendant was sentenced to fifteen years in the DOC. The sentence was suspended pursuant to section 16-11-311, 6 C.R.S. (2000), on the condition that Defendant successfully complete a five-year YOS sentence.1
On May 3, 2000, the prosecution moved to revoke Defendant's YOS sentence on the basis that Defendant had violated various terms and conditions of the YOS program and had thus failed to successfully complete his YOS sentence. On the same day, the prosecution filed a motion for a detainer seeking to prevent the release of Defendant from the YOS facility pending the court's decision as to whether to revoke Defendant's YOS sentence and remand Defendant to the DOC on his fifteen-year DOC sentence. The trial court granted the prosecution's motion and issued a detainer.
On July 7, 2000, the DOC's time/release section issued an unconditional statutory discharge that became effective on July 23, 2000. A hearing was held on July 26, 2000 on the prosecution's revocation motion. At the close of the hearing, the trial court, unaware of the discharge, revoked Defendant's YOS sentence and imposed the fifteen-year DOC sentence.
On December 13, 2000, Defendant moved for reconsideration of the trial court's revocation of his YOS sentence. The trial court granted the motion because it determined that it had no jurisdiction to revoke Defendant's YOS sentence because the unconditional discharge was in effect at the time of its order. Accordingly, the trial court withdrew the mittimus it had issued effective July 26, 2000, and ordered Defendant to be released.
The prosecution petitioned for a writ in the nature of prohibition pursuant to C.A.R. 21. We issued a rule to show cause why the trial court's order should not be vacated, and Defendant responded.
Under C.A.R. 21, we may, in our discretion, grant relief only when (1) the trial court is proceeding without or in excess of its jurisdiction, or (2) it has abused its discretion, and (3) when no other adequate remedy exists. C.A.R. 21; People v. Shreck, 22 P.3d 68, 73 (Colo.2001); People v. District Court, 898 P.2d 1058, 1060 (Colo.1995). In this case, we determine below that the trial court abused its discretion by releasing Defendant. Furthermore, although the prosecution has a right to appeal, such an action would be inadequate to remedy Defendant's immediate release from the DOC. Thus, relief under C.A.R. 21 is appropriate here.
The YOS provides, as a sentencing option to youthful offenders convicted of felonies as adults, a "controlled and regimented environment that affirms dignity of self and others, promotes the value of work and self-discipline, and develops useful skills and abilities through enriched programming." § 16-11-311(1)(a). Thus, youthful offenders sentenced under the YOS serve their sentences in a facility specifically designed to be separate from inmates sentenced to the DOC. § 16-11-311(1)(c). Furthermore, youthful offenders sentenced under the YOS are subject to community supervision consisting of highly structured surveillance and monitoring, as well as educational and treatment programs. § 16-11-311(4).
Under the YOS, a trial court must first impose a sentence to the DOC, and then suspend the sentence on condition of successful completion of a YOS sentence. § 16-11-311(2)(a)(I). Thus, if the youthful offender successfully completes the YOS program, the DOC sentence is deemed to have been completed. § 16-11-311(2)(a)(II). However, an offender who cannot successfully complete his YOS sentence must be returned to the district court. § 16-11-311(5)(c). The YOS statute further provides, "[w]henever a person is returned to the district court for revocation. . . the court shall impose the original sentence following the revocation of the sentence to the youthful offender system." Id. The specific procedures for revocation are described in section 16-11-311(5)(c), which reads:
In the present case, Defendant's fifteen-year DOC sentence had been suspended on the condition that he successfully complete his YOS sentence. Indeed, the trial court determined that Defendant did not successfully complete his YOS sentence, but instead had violated the terms and conditions of the YOS program five times during his YOS sentence. Thus, under the YOS statute, the trial court properly revoked the YOS sentence and imposed the fifteen-year DOC sentence.
The DOC's issuance of an unconditional discharge therefore represents a clerical error from which Defendant should not be permitted to benefit. The YOS statute makes clear that only if the youthful offender successfully completes the YOS program will the DOC sentence be deemed to have been completed. § 16-11-311(2)(a)(II). The record demonstrates that Defendant in this case failed to meet this condition under the YOS statute. Thus, the DOC erroneously issued the unconditional discharge pending the trial court's determination of revocation. See Bullard v. Dep't. of Corr., 949 P.2d 999, 1001 (Colo....
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