State v. Stypulkowski

Decision Date02 December 1980
Citation424 A.2d 229,176 N.J.Super. 524
PartiesSTATE of New Jersey, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Henry STYPULKOWSKI, Defendant-Appellant.
CourtNew Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division

Stanley C. Van Ness, Public Defender, for defendant-appellant (M. Virginia Barta, Asst. Deputy Public Defender, of counsel and on the brief).

John J. Degnan, Atty. Gen., for plaintiff-respondent (Donald S. Coburn, Essex County Prosecutor, of counsel; Mark H. Genser, Asst. Essex County Prosecutor, on the brief.)

Before Judges FRITZ, POLOW and JOELSON.

The opinion of the court was delivered by

JOELSON, J. A. D.

Defendant appeals the denial by the Resentencing Panel 1 of his motion for resentencing. We affirm.

Defendant raises two points:

1. Defendant's motion should be granted because the record shows good cause.

2. The panel clearly erred and considered improper factors in finding lack of good cause.

Defendant was indicted on ten charges of entering with intent to steal, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2A:94-1, and seven charges of larceny, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2A:119-2. As the result of plea negotiations he pled guilty to two counts of entering with intent to steal. It was agreed that the remaining indictments or counts of indictments were to be dismissed. He was sentenced to two concurrent terms of five to seven years in State Prison.

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:1-1 d(2) a defendant who has been sentenced to a maximum term of imprisonment for an offense prior to the effective date of the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice which exceeds the maximum established by the Code for such an offense may move to have his sentence reviewed. Under that statute "the court may impose a new sentence for good cause shown as though the person had been convicted under the code...."

It is undisputed that N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2 of the Code deals with the same offense as N.J.S.A. 2A:94-1, on which defendant was sentenced. It is also undisputed that under N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6 a(3) the penalty fixed for the offense is "between 3 years and 5 years," whereas prior to the effective date of the new Code the maximum penalty allowable for the offense under N.J.S.A. 2A:85-6 was seven years imprisonment.

The State argues that defendant was not entitled to be heard on his application for resentence because under N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6 a(3) he was exposed to a maximum of ten years if his sentences were imposed consecutively. However, since the sentence actually imposed on defendant for one offense exceeded the maximum penalty allowable for that same one congruent offense under the Code, defendant was eligible to have his motion for resentence considered.

The remaining questions center around whether the Resentencing Panel erred in finding that defendant failed to show "good cause," as required by N.J.S.A. 2C:1-1 d(2). In making its determination the panel properly took into consideration defendant's bad prior record, and his maximum exposure under the Code of ten years imprisonment on both charges, as well as the fact that numerous other charges against him were dismissed pursuant to plea negotiations. Cf. State v. Marzolf, 79 N.J. 167, 398 A.2d 849 (1979). It supplemented its oral opinion by referring to State v. Epstein, 175 N.J.Super. 93, 417 A.2d 1055 (Resent. Panel 1980). In that case the panel concluded properly that it possesses the authority to determine whether good cause for resentencing has been shown, citing a statement of the Senate Judiciary Committee that the imposition of a new sentence is discretionary rather than mandatory. Id. at 101, 417 A.2d 1055.

The "good...

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4 cases
  • State v. Jones
    • United States
    • New Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division
    • 8 Febrero 1983
    ...2C:1-1 d(2), which does not specify criteria for review of sentences previously imposed. See, e.g., State v. Stypulkowski, 176 N.J.Super. 524, 528, 424 A.2d 229 (App.Div.1980). N.J.S.A. 2C:44-1 f(2) should also be applied as if it includes an implied standard of review, permitting sentence ......
  • State ex rel. A.G., A-2549-20
    • United States
    • New Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division
    • 22 Noviembre 2021
    ... ... judge did not rule on the merits of the waiver application ... However, we also review a trial court's determination ... regarding the existence or absence of good cause under an ... abuse of discretion standard. See State v ... Stypulkowski, 176 N.J.Super. 524, 528 (App. Div. 1980) ... (applying an abuse of discretion standard of review to a good ... cause determination for resentencing) ... III ... Before ... us, the State argues, as it did before both motion judges, ... that it ... ...
  • State v. Reed
    • United States
    • New Jersey Superior Court — Appellate Division
    • 23 Febrero 1982
    ...in the record to conclude the finding of good cause by the Resentencing Panel to be an abuse of discretion. State v. Stypulkowski, 176 N.J.Super. 524, 424 A.2d 229 (App.Div.1980), certif. den. 87 N.J. 312, 434 A.2d 67 Finally, we address defendant's contention that he received an illegal se......
  • State v. Stypulkowski
    • United States
    • New Jersey Supreme Court
    • 10 Febrero 1981
    ...STATE of New Jersey v. Henry STYPULKOWSKI. Supreme Court of New Jersey. Feb. 10, 1981. Petition for certification denied. (See 176 N.J.Super. 524, 424 A.2d 229). ...

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