California v. McCune

Defendant-appellant Scotlane McCune appealed an order awarding victim restitution. McCune crashed his cousin’s car into a tree, totaling the car’s front end and injuring his passenger. He pled no contest to felony hit and run involving injury, and the court dismissed a charge of misdemeanor driving without a license. As part of his plea, McCune agreed to pay restitution to the victim (the passenger). In June 2018, the court suspended imposition of sentence and placed McCune on five years’ probation. Two and one-half years later, the probation department filed and served notice that the victim sought $30,166.23 to recoup medical expenses related to his injuries. Effective the following day, January 1, 2021, the California Legislature enacted Assembly Bill No. 1950 (AB 1950) ((2019- 2020 Reg. Sess.), Stats. 2020, ch. 328, § 2). With exceptions not pertinent here, the new law amended Penal Code section 1203.1 (a) to reduce the maximum felony probation term to two years. Accordingly, two weeks later the probation department (with the district attorney’s concurrence) petitioned to terminate McCune’s probation. The petition stated McCune would remain liable for victim restitution. The court granted it the same day. McCune contended the trial lost jurisdiction to order restitution when it terminated his probation early following a change to the Penal Code that shortened his probationary term from five years to two. To this, the Court of Appeal disagreed: the court retained jurisdiction to determine and award victim restitution under Penal Code sections 1202.4 and 1202.461 irrespective of McCune’s probation status.