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People v. Greymountain

Colorado Court of Appeals. Division III Sternberg, C.J., and Hume, J., concur
Feb 23, 1998
952 P.2d 829 (Colo. App. 1998)

Summary

In People v. Greymountain, 952 P.2d 829 (Colo.App. 1997), a division of this court held that the presumptive sentencing ranges set forth in 18-1-105(1)(a), C.R.S. 1997, were implicitly modified by the enumeration of "extraordinary risk of harm" offenses subject to enhanced presumptive ranges pursuant to the provisions contained in 18-1-105(9.

Summary of this case from People v. Hoefer

Opinion

No. 96CA0371

August 21, 1997 Petition for Rehearing DENIED October 2, 1997 Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED February 23, 1998

Appeal from the District Court of the City and County of Denver, Honorable Lynne M. Hufnagel, Judge, No. 94CR1039

ORDER AFFIRMED

Gale A. Norton, Attorney General, Martha Phillips Allbright, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Richard A. Westfall, Solicitor General, Elizabeth Rohrbough, Assistant Attorney General, Denver, Colorado, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

David F. Vela, Colorado State Public Defender, Anne Stockham, Deputy State Public Defender, Denver, Colorado, for Defendant-Appellant.


Defendant, Ernest Greymountain, appeals from the trial court's order denying his motion for post-conviction relief pursuant to Crim. P. 35(a) and 35(c). Defendant argues that his 16-year sentence is unlawful because it exceeds the maximum sentence permitted under 16-11-309, C.R.S. (1996 Cum. Supp.). We affirm.

Defendant pled guilty to second degree assault, a class four felony. This offense implicates the "crime of violence" statute, as provided by 16-11-309, as well as the "extraordinary risk of harm" provisions of 18-1-105(9.7), C.R.S. (1996 Cum. Supp.).

Defendant concedes that a class four felony subjects him to a presumptive sentencing range of 2 to 6 years and, because a crime of violence was involved, 16-11-309 provides for double the permissible maximum presumptive sentence. He asserts that the maximum sentence is, therefore, 12 years.

Defendant contends that the court erred in applying the extraordinary risk statute to increase the maximum presumptive sentence provided for a class four felony from 6 to 8 years and then doubling the sentence in applying the "crime of violence" provisions, thereby increasing the maximum presumptive sentence from 8 years to 16 years.

After sentencing, defendant challenged this joint application of the crime of violence statute and the extraordinary risk statute as ultimately resulting in a sentence exceeding the maximum established by the crime of violence statute. We conclude that the court properly applied the statutory scheme.

In construing statutes, this court must determine and give effect to the intent of the General Assembly. Charnes v. Boom, 766 P.2d 665 (Colo. 1988); Subsequent Injury Fund v. Trevethan, 809 P.2d 1098 (Colo.App. 1991). In giving effect to the statute's underlying purpose, this court must seek an interpretation that achieves a just and reasonable result consistent with that purpose. Section 2-4-201(1)(c), C.R.S. (1980 Repl. Vol. 1B); Rocky Mountain General v. Simon, 827 P.2d 629 (Colo.App. 1992). And, the meaning of any one statutory section must be gathered from a consideration of the entire legislative scheme. State Highway Commission v. Haase, 189 Colo. 69, 537 P.2d 300 (1975).

In enacting the extraordinary risk statute, the General Assembly "increased by two years" the "presumptive range" that applies to class four felonies. Section 18-1-105(9.7)(a),(1996 Cum. Supp.) does not, however, specify the range that is to be increased. Thus, 18-1-105(9.7)(a) can only be read as modifying 18-1-105(1)(a), C.R.S. (1986 Repl. Vol 8B), which defines the presumptive range of all sentences, by supplying a new category of sentences for the extraordinary risk crimes.

Defendant argues that the court's manner of calculating the maximum sentence, by first applying 18-1-105(9.7)(a) to increase the permissible range maximum, and then doubling the increased maximum under subsection 16-11-309, violated the cap set out for crimes of violence under 16-11-309. Specifically, 16-11-309 limits the maximum sentence for crimes of violence to:

not more than twice the maximum term, provided for such offense in section 18-1-105(1)(a), C.R.S. . . .

Defendant argues that since 18-1-105(1)(a) establishes a 6-year maximum for class four felonies, 16-11-309 caps the maximum sentence for a class four felony offender at 12 years.

However, this argument does not recognize the implicit modification of 18-1-105(1)(a) contained in 18-1-105(9.7)(a). In effect, 18-1-105(9.7)(a) added a category of class four felonies that presents an extraordinary risk of harm, and established a maximum presumptive sentence of 8 years for that category of crimes. Thus, 16-11-309 applies to permit a doubling of the new maximum and authorizes the 16-year sentence imposed by the court.

Order affirmed.

CHIEF JUDGE STERNBERG and JUDGE HUME concur.


Summaries of

People v. Greymountain

Colorado Court of Appeals. Division III Sternberg, C.J., and Hume, J., concur
Feb 23, 1998
952 P.2d 829 (Colo. App. 1998)

In People v. Greymountain, 952 P.2d 829 (Colo.App. 1997), a division of this court held that the presumptive sentencing ranges set forth in 18-1-105(1)(a), C.R.S. 1997, were implicitly modified by the enumeration of "extraordinary risk of harm" offenses subject to enhanced presumptive ranges pursuant to the provisions contained in 18-1-105(9.

Summary of this case from People v. Hoefer
Case details for

People v. Greymountain

Case Details

Full title:The People of the State of Colorado, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Ernest…

Court:Colorado Court of Appeals. Division III Sternberg, C.J., and Hume, J., concur

Date published: Feb 23, 1998

Citations

952 P.2d 829 (Colo. App. 1998)

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