State ex rel. McDougall v. Strohson (Cantrell)

• Decision Date: 04 September 1997
• Docket Number: No. CV-97-0118-SA,CV-97-0118-SA
• Citation: 945 P.2d 1251,190 Ariz. 120
• Parties: , 251 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 3 STATE of Arizona, ex rel. Roderick G. McDOUGALL, Phoenix City Attorney, Petitioner. v. Hon. Malcolm STROHSON, Magistrate of the Municipal Court of Phoenix, Arizona, Respondent, and Dale W. CANTRELL, Real Party in Interest.
• Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Page 1251

945 P.2d 1251

190 Ariz. 120, 251 Ariz. Adv. Rep. 3

STATE of Arizona, ex rel. Roderick G. McDOUGALL, Phoenix City Attorney, Petitioner. v. Hon. Malcolm STROHSON, Magistrate of the Municipal Court of Phoenix, Arizona, Respondent and Dale W. CANTRELL, Real Party in Interest.

No. CV-97-0118-SA.

Supreme Court of Arizona En Banc.

Sept. 4, 1997.

Roderick G. McDougall, Phoenix City Attorney by Ronald Ozer, Assistant Phoenix City Prosecutor, Phoenix, for Petitioner.

Neal W. Bassett, Phoenix, for Dale W. Cantrell.

Lowell D. Hamilton, Mesa City Prosecutor by R. Kevin Hays, Chief Assistant City Prosecutor, Mesa, for Amicus Curiae Mesa City Prosecutor's Office.

OPINION

MOELLER, Justice.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Respondent Dale W. Cantrell was charged in Phoenix Municipal Court with simple assault, a class 1 misdemeanor, in violation of A.R.S. § 13-1203(A)(1). The victim of the alleged assault was the sixteen-year-old son of respondent's girlfriend. In accordance with Arizona's domestic violence statutes, A.R.S. §§ 13-3601 and 13-3602, the complaint designated the offense to be "domestic violence," a designation that is unchallenged in this proceeding.

Respondent requested a jury trial. In doing so, he acknowledged that, under established Arizona law, misdemeanor assault historically has been held not to require a jury trial. He contended, however, that the recent enactment of a federal law relating to firearms, 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9), now requires Arizona to grant him a jury trial. The federal law prohibits possession of a firearm which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce by persons who have been convicted of a "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(33)(A). 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). Respondent argued that if he were convicted of misdemeanor assault under Arizona law and the federal law applied to him, he would be unable to hunt or possess a weapon for self-protection. This fact, according to respondent, entitles him to a jury trial. ¹ The municipal court agreed and set the case for trial to a jury. The state, through the Phoenix City Attorney, filed a special action directly in this court.

ISSUE

Whether Congress' recent enactment of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) requires Arizona to change its rule that jury trials are not required in misdemeanor assault cases for those individuals who may be subject to the federal firearms act if convicted.

SPECIAL ACTION JURISDICTION

By previous order we accepted jurisdiction of this special action and ordered oral argument, which has been held. We now set forth our reasons for accepting special action jurisdiction.

First, special action is available where there is no "equally plain, speedy, and adequate remedy by appeals." Ariz. R.P. Sp. Act. 1(a). Here, the state has no remedy by appeal. See A.R.S. §§ 13-4032, 22-375; State v. Miller, 172 Ariz. 294, 295, 836 P.2d 1004, 1005 (App.1992). Second, the pleadings show that, in 1995 in the City of Phoenix alone, approximately 5300 domestic violence assault complaints were filed, and an additional 4600 such cases were filed in 1996. An amicus brief from the City of Mesa shows that adoption of a rule requiring jury trials in these assault cases would significantly impact that jurisdiction. Clearly, given the volume of these cases in city courts and in justice of the peace courts, resolution of the jury trial issue is a matter of statewide concern. See Sanchez v. Coxon, 175 Ariz. 93, 94, 854 P.2d 126, 127 (1993). Third, the issue presented is entirely one of law, not requiring the resolution of any facts. Id. Fourth, the issue of entitlement to a jury trial is an issue properly brought via special action. Spitz v. Municipal Ct., 127 Ariz. 405, 406, 621 P.2d 911, 912 (1980).

In our view, the special action presents an issue that merits a definitive resolution at this time by this court without requiring that the issue wend its way here through special actions in the superior court and the court of appeals. Prompt resolution of the issue is in the best interests of vast numbers of citizens and of the state itself.

DISCUSSION

I. Development of Arizona Law to Date

Arizona has long provided its citizens with greater access to jury trials than is required by the federal constitution. Federal constitutional law has evolved such that, unless the crime is punishable by more than six months incarceration, it is presumptively a petty offense not entitled to a jury trial. Lewis v. United States, 518 U.S. 322, ----, 116 S.Ct. 2163, 2166, 135 L.Ed.2d 590 (1996); Blanton v. North Las Vegas, 489 U.S. 538, 543, 109 S.Ct. 1289, 1293, 103 L.Ed.2d 550 (1989). The United States Supreme Court has indicated that some exceptions to this presumptive rule may exist where there are other significant consequences flowing from the conviction in addition to incarceration, but the exception has rarely, if ever, been applied. See Blanton, 489 U.S. at 543, 109 S.Ct. at 1293.

Arizona has looked to the length of possible incarceration as highly important, but not controlling, on whether a jury is required. In Rothweiler v. Superior Ct., 100 Ariz. 37, 410 P.2d 479 (1966), this court concluded that Arizona courts also would examine the moral quality of the act charged, and its relationship to common law crimes. Thus, in Rothweiler this court held that a defendant charged with driving under the influence was entitled to a jury trial. Id. at 44-45, 410 P.2d at 484-85. Rothweiler was subject to no more than six months jail time, so he was not eligible for a jury trial under current federal constitutional standards. See Lewis, 518 U.S. at ----, 116 S.Ct. at 2166. In State v. Superior Court, 121 Ariz. 174, 589 P.2d 48 (App.1978), the court of appeals, applying Rothweiler, held that a person charged with shoplifting was entitled to a jury trial because the crime was one of moral turpitude and the consequences of a conviction were sufficiently serious. Id. at 175-76, 589 P.2d at 49-50. In so holding, the court noted the relationship between the statutory crime of shoplifting and the common law crime of larceny. Id. at 176, 589 P.2d at 50.

In the most recent case in which this court spoke on this issue, we held that a defendant charged with possession of marijuana was entitled to a jury trial. State ex rel. Dean v. Dolny, 161 Ariz. 297, 778 P.2d 1193 (1989). We first noted that our legislature had defined "petty offense" to exclude any offense for which any sentence of incarceration could be imposed. Id. at 299-300, 778 P.2d at 1195-96. Although the statutory definition was not controlling with respect to the right to a jury trial, we concluded it was entitled to considerable deference. Id. We then discussed the three-part test of Rothweiler. We determined that the moral quality prong of the Rothweiler standard was not strictly limited to crimes that involved moral turpitude in its classic sense. Id. at 300, 778 P.2d at 1196.

We further concluded that a conviction for possession of marijuana involved consequences sufficiently grave to warrant a jury trial. Id. We observed that anyone convicted for possession of an illegal drug could expect, as a result of such a conviction, decreased employment opportunities or the imposition of employment conditions such as drug counseling, treatment, or testing. Id. Moreover, we noted that certain occupational and professional licenses could be unavailable to a person convicted of possession of an illegal drug. Id.

Petitioner points out that although a conviction may have a deleterious effect on defendant's employment, it does not automatically warrant a jury trial. This court held, in Spitz v. Municipal Court, 127 Ariz. 405, 621 P.2d 911 (1980), that suspending Spitz' liquor license, which prevented him from working in liquor sales, was not a sufficiently grave consequence to warrant a jury trial. Id. at 408, 621 P.2d at 914. In the present case, the effect on defendant's employment more closely aligns with the sanction in Spitz than in Dolny. Here, in contrast to Dolny, defendant will not be subject to employment conditions such as counseling, testing or treatment. Moreover, a drug possession conviction potentially could prevent a defendant from getting any job, whereas prohibiting a defendant from possessing a gun would only potentially affect employment opportunities in limited areas.

Notwithstanding the fact that Arizona has granted jury trials in cases where a jury was not required by the federal constitution, we have never extended jury status to misdemeanor assault cases. Indeed, we have twice expressly refused to do so. In Goldman v. Kautz, 111 Ariz. 431, 531 P.2d 1138 (1975) this court rejected the request for a jury trial where the charge was simple assault and battery. Id. at 433, 531 P.2d at 1140. Harking back to an earlier case, O'Neill v. Mangum, 103 Ariz. 484, 445 P.2d 843 (1968), in which the court refused a jury trial for a defendant charged with drunk and disorderly conduct, the Goldman court rejected the argument that simple assault and battery required a jury trial because it involved moral turpitude, stating: "We are not convinced, however, that simple battery involves any appreciable degree of moral turpitude in American society today." Goldman, 111 Ariz. at 433, 531 P.2d at 1140.

In Bruce v. State, 126 Ariz. 271, 614 P.2d 813 (1980), the defendant was charged in city court with two counts of simple assault. The defendant argued that because she might receive consecutive sentences which would total more than six months, she was entitled to a jury trial. Id. at 272, 614 P.2d at 814. This court held "that where a defendant is charged with several petty offenses, factually related or arising out of a single event, there is no constitutional requirement of a jury trial, but the actual punishment may not exceed that which would be permissible without a jury trial in case of a single offense." Id. In so holding, the court noted that the...