State v. Marzolf
| Citation | 398 A.2d 849,79 N.J. 167 |
| Parties | STATE of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. James S. MARZOLF, Defendant-Respondent. |
| Decision Date | 14 February 1979 |
| Court | New Jersey Supreme Court |
Carole Fitzgibbon Greco, Asst. Prosecutor, for plaintiff-appellant (John J. Degnan, Atty. Gen., attorney; Donald S. Coburn, Essex County Prosecutor, of counsel).
The New Jersey Prosecutors' Ass'n, amicus curiae, joined in the brief filed on behalf of the appellant (James T. O'Halloran, Hudson County Prosecutor, attorney).
Alan Silber, East Orange, for defendant-respondent.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
This case concerns the validity of a custodial sentence imposed upon defendant, James Marzolf, for the possession of marijuana, following a plea bargain pursuant to which a second charge, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, had been dismissed. In imposing the six months custodial sentence, the court took into consideration the quantity of marijuana involved, drawing the inference that defendant's possession was "commercial" in nature. The Appellate Division, in a reported opinion, 152 N.J.Super. 47, 377 A.2d 763, reversed and remanded. It held that the judge in sentencing defendant as a first offender for the simple possession of marijuana should not have considered the quantity of marijuana involved or, alternatively, should not have accepted the plea bargain if he intended to sentence defendant on the basis of the dismissed count of possession with intent to distribute. We granted certification. 75 N.J. 585, 384 A.2d 816 (1977).
Defendant Marzolf and one Richard Levine were indicted on the criminal charges of possession (N.J.S.A. 24:21-20) and possession with intent to distribute (N.J.S.A. 24:21-19) twenty-five pounds of marijuana. Prior to trial Levine entered into a plea bargain with the prosecutor's office, pleading guilty to the count of possession and agreeing to testify for the State at defendant's trial in exchange for a dismissal of the intent charge and a recommendation of a noncustodial sentence. Marzolf's trial then commenced and several days later, after the matter had been submitted to the jury but before a verdict had been rendered, he and the State entered into a plea bargain. Defendant undertook to plead guilty to the count of possession; the State in turn proposed to dismiss the count of possession with intent to distribute and agreed that no perjury charges stemming from defendant's testimony at trial would be brought; it made no recommendation as to sentencing. Before accepting the guilty plea, the trial court examined defendant as to his possession of the marijuana and satisfied itself that defendant knew that the court was not a party to the agreement, that the court could not promise a noncustodial probationary term and that defendant could be sentenced to a maximum of five years in State Prison and be subjected to a fine of $15,000. The judge then accepted the plea of guilty to the count of possession and declared a mistrial. Bail was continued and the matter scheduled for sentencing.
At sentencing, in addition to the knowledge of defendant's crime acquired during trial, the court had available a full presentence investigation report. According to its "official version", detectives of the Essex County Bureau of Narcotics arranged by telephone to buy a quantity of marijuana. At the time and location of the arranged meeting, 2:00 a. m. at a Citgo Station in South Orange, a car approached. Police officers asked the passengers to get out and identify themselves. Neither of the occupants, defendant or Levine, had a registration for the car. In the back seat of the car next to defendant the police found a duffle bag. When questioned defendant said it contained laundry. Some clothing fell out of the bag and the police were then able to see what appeared to be blocks of marijuana. The two occupants were arrested. The duffle bag contained 11 bricks of marijuana. Another half brick and a clear plastic bag which appeared to contain marijuana were also found. Subsequent chemical analysis showed that one of the bricks was composed of 819.9 grams (29.2 ounces) of marijuana. The total weight was 25 pounds with a retail market value of $30,000. The report included a characterization of defendant as a large-scale dealer in the drug, to which defendant objected and the court agreed to disregard that information. The presentence report also contained defendant's version of the crime, in which he acknowledged that he and Levine were arrested at approximately 2:00 a. m. in South Orange and that the car had been driven from Pennsylvania en route to Union, New Jersey. Defendant disclaimed responsibility for the distribution of the marijuana. However, he was obviously fully aware not only of the presence of the marijuana in the automobile but also of its intended distribution, which, he claimed, was to be handled by Levine.
The court sentenced defendant to an 18-month term in the County Correctional Center, six months of which were to be served in custody, with the balance suspended subject to probation together with a fine of $500. The reasoning expressed by the judge at sentencing is important. To a great extent, it is reflected in the colloquy between the court and defense counsel, as well as the assistant prosecutor, which focused upon whether defendant (then 22 years old) was entitled to be considered for sentencing purposes as a youthful, first-time marijuana offender charged only with the simple possession of marijuana. Defense counsel stressed that defendant should be so regarded and be accorded the benefit of a lenient, noncustodial sentence following the views expressed by our courts in State v. Ward, 57 N.J. 75, 270 A.2d 1 (1970) and State v. Brennan, 115 N.J.Super. 400, 279 A.2d 900 (App.Div.1971) (). The judge voiced doubt as to the applicability of either of these cases to a situation having commercial overtones. Defense counsel then stated:
* * * But what I'm suggesting to the Court is when you're dealing with marijuana, in the first place, everybody who is involved with marijuana is involved on a voluntary basis. There's no such thing as a physical kind of addiction when you're dealing with that kind of social phenomenon. The Court, whether it be for commercial or noncommercial, when you're dealing with young people, college age with great promise, the Court would want to exercise as much leniency as possible. The thought that there might be a suggestion, despite the fact that there was a plea of guilty of simple possession and a dismissal of the Prosecutor's office of possession with intent, I would hate to think in spite of the fact that the defendant has pleaded to a simple possession and the possession with intent to distribute is being dismissed that the defendant would be sentenced as if he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute.
To which the court rejoined:
No, sir. What I'm telling you is that I am considering the quantity of marijuana and his possession in determining whether or not there was a suggestion of commercialism in order to follow the dictates of Ward and Brennan or not. That's what I'm telling you.
The judge emphasized what he saw as the commercial aspect of the offense You went out and actively obtained and was (sic) in possession of 25 pounds of marijuana which the probation department indicates has a wholesale value of about $5,000 and a retail value of $20 to $25,000. I doubt very much whether you had intentions of using any of that marijuana for your own personal use. I suspect very strongly that you only obtained possession of that marijuana to make a profit at the expense of other people your own age.
The court stressed deterrence of both defendant and others as a basis for imposing the six months custodial sentence. On the actual judgment of conviction the judge noted reasons for the sentence imposed:
To punish the defendant for the serious crime he has committed, to inflict sufficient punishment upon the defendant so that both he and others so inclined, will be deterred from committing like crimes in the future, to attempt to reform and rehabilitate the defendant, so that he will not waste any more of his life on crime, and to demonstrate to the defendant, by the imposition of a custodial sentence, what is in store for him should he continue to resort to such criminal conduct.
On appeal defendant argued that his sentence was manifestly excessive and should be reduced to a noncustodial term or, in the alternative, since the sentencing judge imposed a sentence based upon the count of possession with intent to distribute notwithstanding its dismissal, the plea bargain was violated and his conviction and sentence for possession should be set aside to allow him to proceed to trial on both counts. The Appellate Division vacated the sentence and remanded the matter to allow the trial judge, at his option, either to resentence defendant disregarding the amount possessed and any commercial intent that may have characterized that possession, or to vacate the plea bargain and schedule both counts of the indictment for trial.
The Appellate Division stated that the question presented on the appeal was as follows: "May a judge sentencing for simple possession consider the amount possessed and the intent with which it was possessed in determining the sentence to be imposed?" 152 N.J.Super. at 49, 377 A.2d at 764. The State's petition for certification restated the same question: "Must a judge sentencing for possession of controlled dangerous substances ignore the amount possessed and the intent with which it was possessed in determining the quantum of sentence?" The Appellate Division also ruled that if the amount of the controlled dangerous substance suggests an intent to distribute, as distinguished from possession for the defendant's own use, a...
To continue reading
Request your trial
-
State v. Des Marets
...N.J. 347, 446 A.2d 104 (1982). These sentencing goals are clearly relevant in the sentencing of young adult offenders. State v. Marzolf, 79 N.J. 167, 398 A.2d 849 (1979); State v. Jones, 76 N.J. 208, 212, 386 A.2d 844 (1978) (quoting State v. Jones, 66 N.J. 563, 568, 334 A.2d 20 (1975)); se......
-
State v. Di Frisco
...area in which courts are normally free to entertain evidence beyond that adduced at the guilt phase of the trial. See State v. Marzolf, 79 N.J. 167, 398 A.2d 849 (1979) (when imposing sentence, court is free to consider factors established, although defendant found not guilty of the charge ......
-
State v. Gibbons
... ... Talbot, 135 N.J.Super. 500, 511, 343 A.2d 777 (App.Div.1975), aff'd, 71 N.J. 160, 364 A.2d 9 (1976) (evidence of previous guilty plea to charge of illegal possession of narcotics admissible to show predisposition to sell narcotics when entrapment defense raised); cf. State v. Marzolf, 79 N.J. 167, 178, 398 A.2d 849 (1979) (in sentencing for simple possession of marijuana the quantity possessed may suggest possession for other than personal use) ... By contrast, cases in which the pending charge has been drug distribution and the prior offenses have not been ... ...
-
State v. Morales
...will be conserved through a speedy resolution of the controversy. See Brady v. United States, supra; cf. State v. Marzolf, supra, 79 N.J. at 182-183 [398 A.2d 849 (1979) ]. [ State v. Taylor, 80 N.J. 353, 361, 403 A.2d 889 (1979) ] Consequently, if a valid plea bargain is struck we are not ......