PEOPLE OF MI V RONALD JAMES HARRIS
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,
UNPUBLISHED
February 7, 1997
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v
No. 188493
Saginaw Circuit Court
LC No. 94-009571
RONALD J. HARRIS,
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: Michael J. Kelly, P.J., and Saad and H. A. Beach,* JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Defendant pleaded guilty to the crime of uttering and publishing, MCL 750.249; MSA 28.446,
pursuant to a plea bargain. At the plea-taking, defendant acknowledged his habitual offender status, but
there was no discussion of the effect that his habitual offender status would have upon the minimum
sentence. Defendant was sentenced to eighteen months to fourteen years. He now appeals, asserting
that the sentencing court erred by failing to expressly advise him at the plea-taking that, as an habitual
offender, defendant must actually serve his entire minimum sentence (i.e. with no good time credit). We
find no error.
This very argument was rejected in People v Owens, 108 Mich App 600, 606-607; 310
NW2d 819 (1981), under GCR 1963, 785.7. The Court there acknowledged that, in an habitual
offender proceeding, the lower court must comply with the court rule requirements (i.e. to establish that
the plea was intelligently, understandingly and voluntarily given). The Court went on to state, however,
that at a plea-taking, “nothing in the language of GCR 1963, 785.7 requires an explanation of good time
to a defendant.” Owens, 108 Mich App at 607.
Here, we find nothing in the language of the current court rule that requires the lower court to
explain to an habitual offender that he will actually have to serve his entire minimum sentence.
* Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.
-1
Affirmed.
/s/ Michael J. Kelly
/s/ Henry William Saad
/s/ Harry A. Beach
-2
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