PEOPLE OF MI V PHILLIP DEMETRIUS REYNOLDS
Annotate this Case
Download PDF
STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,
UNPUBLISHED
March 18, 1997
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v
No. 187912
Saginaw Circuit Court
LC No. 94-009787-FH
PHILLIP DEMETRIUS REYNOLDS,
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: Jansen, P.J., and Young and R.I. Cooper,* JJ.
PER CURIAM.
Defendant pleaded nolo contendere to breaking and entering an occupied dwelling, MCL
750.110; MSA 28.305. He was subsequently sentenced to ten to fifteen years’ imprisonment.
Defendant appeals as of right and we remand.
Defendant raises four issues on appeal, all of which relate to his sentence. We first address his
claim regarding offense variable 8 (OV 8). OV 8 concerns a continuing pattern of criminal behavior and
is scored ten points where the “offense is part of a pattern of criminal activities over a period of time
form which the offender derives a substantial portion of his or her income and/or the offense is directly
related to membership in an organized criminal group.” Defendant objected to the score of ten points
for OV 8 at sentencing, but the trial court specifically overruled the objection. The trial court’s scoring
of the sentencing guidelines will be upheld if there is evidence to support the score. People v
Hernandez, 443 Mich 1, 16; 503 NW2d 629 (1993).
The offense was committed on July 21, 1994, and defendant was twenty-three years old at the
time of the offense. According to the presentence report, defendant had been a college student,
attending Eastern Kentucky University, Elon College, and University of Michigan-Flint. At the time he
committed the offense, he was employed at a Bill Knapps restaurant. There is no other employment
history. However, defendant has an extensive criminal history. His prior convictions, mainly arising in
Florida, include multiple counts of robbery, burglary, larceny, breaking and entering, and other property
* Circuit judge, sitting on the Court of Appeals by assignment.
-1
offenses. His criminal history dates back to 1990, when defendant was only twenty years old and
attending college. His criminal history indicates that he would steal property and then pawn the stolen
items. Under these circumstances, the trial court had adequate evidence to conclude that the offense
was part of a continuing pattern of criminal activities over a period of time from which defendant derived
a substantial portion of his income. Accordingly, there is record evidence to support the trial court’s
score of ten points for OV 8.
Next, defendant contends that he is entitled to resentencing because the trial court failed to state
reasons for departing from the sentencing guidelines on the record and on the SIR departure form. A
sentencing court is required to articulate its reasons for departing from the sentencing guidelines on the
record and on the SIR departure form. People v Fleming, 428 Mich 408, 428; 410 NW2d 266
(1987). We agree that the trial court did not complete an SIR departure form, as required, and we
remand for the limited purpose of allowing the trial court to state its reasons for departing from the
guidelines range on the SIR departure form. However, a review of the sentencing transcript reveals that
the trial court adequately stated reasons for departing from the sentencing guidelines on the record.
A full resentencing in this regard, however, is not required. See People v Triplett, 432 Mich
568, 573; 442 NW2d 622 (1992). We remand for the limited purpose of allowing the trial court to
complete an SIR departure form only.
Defendant next argues that he is entitled to correction of his presentence report because the trial
court indicated its agreement with his challenges to certain information in the report. We agree. At
sentencing, defendant objected to the listing of convictions in North Carolina as being felonies, when
they were misdemeanor convictions. The North Carolina convictions must be changed to misdemeanor
convictions in the presentence report. Further, the trial court agreed to strike the information that
defendant kicked in the front door of the house, and this information must also be stricken from the
presentence report. The trial court also agreed that, with respect to the offenses committed in Florida,
the adjudications were withheld in Orange County, Polk County, and Osceola County. Accordingly,
those felony adjudications must also be stricken from the presentence report. MCR 6.425(D)(3);
People v Britt, 202 Mich App 714, 718; 509 NW2d 914 (1993).
Last, we consider defendant’s argument that his sentence of ten to fifteen years for breaking and
entering violates the principle of proportionality. It does not. Although the sentencing guidelines were
twelve to forty-eight months, there was adequate support for the trial court’s decision to depart from the
guidelines range. First, defendant received a plea reduction in which offenses of receiving and
concealing stolen property in excess of $100 and fourth habitual offender were dismissed in exchange
for the plea. People v Duprey, 186 Mich App 313, 318; 463 NW2d 240 (1990). Further, defendant
was on probation when he committed the instant offense, and committed two felonies in Oakland
County just eight days after committing the instant crime. Defendant has a very significant criminal
history, and acknowledged that he did commit the offenses in Florida (over twenty felony charges were
lodged against defendant in just over two years). See People v Chesebro, 206 Mich App 468, 474;
522 NW2d 677 (1994) (prior conduct may be considered in deciding whether to depart from the
guidelines range even if that prior conduct cannot be scored under the offense variable). We cannot
-2
conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in exceeding the guidelines range and sentencing
defendant to ten to fifteen years’ imprisonment. People v Milbourn, 435 Mich 630; 461 NW2d 1
(1990).
Defendant’s conviction and sentence are affirmed. We remand for the limited purposes of
allowing the trial court to complete an SIR departure form and to strike the challenged information in the
presentence investigation report. No further jurisdiction is retained.
/s/ Kathleen Jansen
/s/ Robert P. Young, Jr.
/s/ Richard I. Cooper
-3
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.