STATE v CAMPBELL

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No. 80-25 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA 1980 THE STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff and Respondent, -vsMERRILL CAMPBELL, Defendant and Appellant. Appeal from: District Court of the Eighteenth Judicial District, In and for the County of Gallatin, The Honorable Joesph Gary, Judge presiding. Counsel of Record: For Appellant: Christopher G. Miller, Butte, Montana For Respondent: Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana Donald White, County Attorney, Bozeman, Montana Submitted on Briefs: September 17, 1980 Decided : JAN JA[q Filed: - S 4CQ4 f ~,,i, i - 7 1981 Mr. J u s t i c e Gene B. Daly d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of t h e C o u r t . On J u l y 26, 1979, a n i n f o r m a t i o n was f i l e d i n t h e ~ i g h t e e n t h u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t of t h e S t a t e of Montana, County J o f G a l l a t i n , c h a r g i n g d e f e n d a n t , Merrill Campbell, w i t h t h e f t , a f e l o n y , i n v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n s 45-6-301 and 53-2- 1 0 7 , MCA, and e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of c h i l d r e n , a m i s - demeanor, i n v i o l a t i o n of s e c t i o n 45-5-622, MCA. A f t e r s e v e r a l c o n t i n u a n c e s , d e f e n d a n t f i l e d motions t o d i s m i s s t h e i n f o r m a t i o n f o r n o t s t a t i n g a p u b l i c o f f e n s e and f o r l a c k of j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r t h e misdemeanor. Defendant a l s o r e q u e s t e d a n e l e c t i o n between t h e two c h a r g e s of f e l o n y . The motions were d e n i e d . S u b s e q u e n t l y , on August 6, 1979, d e f e n d a n t e n t e r e d p l e a s of n o t g u i l t y t o Counts I and I1 o f t h e information. On September 7 , 1979, a f t e r s u b s t i t u t i o n of c o u n s e l , d e f e n d a n t made a motion t o r e c o n s i d e r t h e p r e v i o u s l y p r e s e n t e d c o n s o l i d a t e d motions. The D i s t r i c t C o u r t d e n i e d t h e motion on September 20, 1979. On October 11, 1979, t h i s C o u r t d e n i e d w i t h o u t p r e j u d i c e d e f e n d a n t ' s r e q u e s t f o r w r i t of s u p e r v i s o r y c o n t r o l t o d i s m i s s t h e misdemeanor c o u n t f o r l a c k of j u r i s d i c t i o n i n t h e D i s t r i c t Court. Once a g a i n , d e f e n d a n t ' s motion f o r s e v e r a n c e of t h e two c o u n t s was made and d e n i e d . T h i s was f o l l o w e d by a motion i n l i m i n e which, among o t h e r t h i n g s , r e q u e s t e d a r u l i n g on t h e a d m i s s i b i l i t y of p r i o r a p p l i c a t i o n s of w e l f a r e a s s i s t a n c e made by d e f e n d a n t i n t h e S t a t e of ~ y o m i n gand a n o r d e r d i r e c t i n g t h e S t a t e t o r e f r a i n from c a l l i n g L i l l y Campbell, one of d e f e n d a n t ' s w i v e s , a s a w i t n e s s a t t r i a l . On November 7, 1979, t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t d e n i e d t h e motion i n l i m i n e b u t o r d e r e d t h a t t h e t e s t i m o n y of illy Campbell b e l i m i t e d t o t h e misdemeanor c h a r g e , e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of c h i l d r e n , and n o t i n c l u d e t e s t i m o n y on t h e felony charge of t h e f t . T r i a l began on November 2 0 , 1979, and concluded November 21, 1979. Defendant w a s found g u i l t y by t h e j u r y on Counts I and I1 of t h e i n f o r m a t i o n . On December 1 0 , 1979, d e f e n d a n t was s e n t e n c e d t o t e n y e a r s i n t h e Montana S t a t e P r i s o n on Count I , t h e f e l o n y , and t o s i x months on Count 11, t h e misdemeanor. The sen- t e n c e s w e r e t o r u n c o n c u r r e n t l y . Defendant f i l e d a n o t i c e o f a p p e a l on December 1 0 , 1979. I n mid-May of 1979, d e f e n d a n t , a l o n g w i t h h i s two w i v e s , L i l l y and C h e r y l , and h i s f i v e c h i l d r e n , a r r i v e d i n t h e Bozeman, Montana, a r e a a f t e r a l o n g p e r i o d of i t i n e r a n t traveling. Defendant and h i s f a m i l y , t r a v e l i n g i n t h e i r c o n v e r t e d 1968 C a d i l l a c camper, s t o p p e d a t t h e KOA campground a t Four C o r n e r s , G a l l a t i n County, Montana. N e i t h e r d e f e n d a n t nor h i s wives w e r e employed. I n an a t t e m p t t o o b t a i n food and money, d e f e n d a n t d e v i s e d a p l a n . Defendant would go t o B u t t e t o t r y t o s e l l t h e C a d i l l a c camper, and L i l l y would go t o t h e w e l f a r e o f f i c e i n Bozeman, g i v e f a l s e i n f o r m a t i o n and o b t a i n w e l f a r e money. Defendant took h i s wives and c h i l d r e n t o t h e T h r i f t y S c o t Motel i n Bozeman. A f t e r p a y i n g f o r two n i g h t s of l o d g i n g and moving t h e f a m i l y and b e l o n g i n g s i n t o a room, d e f e n d a n t went t o B u t t e , l e a v i n g t h e f a m i l y w i t h a p p r o x i m a t e l y s i x d o l l a r s , no h o u s i n g p r o v i s i o n s beyond t h e two nights' l o d g i n g , l i t t l e o r no f o o d , and no t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . Two of t h e younger c h i l d r e n were r u n n i n g h i g h t e m p e r a t u r e s and had s e r i o u s e a r i n f e c t i o n s . Defendant knew of t h e i r i l l n e s s e s b u t d i d n o t c o n s i d e r them s e r i o u s enough t o w a r r a n t medical a t t e n t i o n . he n e x t day L i l l y Campbell went t o t h e Bozeman w e l - f a r e o f f i c e and made a n a p p l i c a t i o n f o r emergency b e n e f i t s under t h e name of J a n e t Brown. She w a s g i v e n $227 worth of food stamps and was a i d e d i n g e t t i n g a n a p a r t m e n t i n Bozeman, t o which s h e moved t h e f a m i l y . On May 23, 1979, d e f e n d a n t r e t u r n e d t o t h e f a m i l y ' s a p a r t m e n t i n Bozeman. returned t o Butte. H e s p e n t o n l y a few m i n u t e s t h e r e and One week l a t e r , on May 30, 1979, d e f e n - d a n t r e t u r n e d t o t h e Bozeman a p a r t m e n t . A t this time, d e f e n d a n t ' s w i f e C h e r y l had gone t o t h e unemployment o f f i c e t o a p p l y f o r work. While t h e r e s h e was a r r e s t e d and c h a r g e d Meanwhile, t h e G a l l a t i n County a u t h o r i t i e s with forgery. had d e t e r m i n e d t h a t L i l l y Campbell had g i v e n f a l s e informat i o n t o t h e w e l f a r e o f f i c e and a r r i v e d a t t h e a p a r t m e n t t o a r r e s t her. She was s u b s e q u e n t l y c h a r g e d w i t h w e l f a r e f r a u d and f o r g e r y . A s e a r c h of t h e a p a r t m e n t r e v e a l e d d e f e n d a n t h i d i n g i n t h e c l o s e t , and h e t o o w a s a r r e s t e d . The f i v e c h i l d r e n were p l a c e d i n f o s t e r c a r e . After lengthy investigation, defendant's p a r t i n the w e l f a r e f r a u d came t o t h e a t t e n t i o n of t h e Bozeman a u t h o - r i t i e s and c h a r g e s were f i l e d . Defendant was c h a r g e d w i t h t h e f t , a f e l o n y ( s e c t i o n s 45-6-301 and 53-2-107, e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of c h i l d r e n a misdemeanor 45-5-622, MCA). MCA), and (section A f t e r a t r i a l by j u r y , d e f e n d a n t was found g u i l t y as c h a r g e d and s e n t e n c e d t o c o n f i n e m e n t i n t h e Montana S t a t e Prison. The two c h a r g e s i n t h e i n f o r m a t i o n i n d i c a t e t h a t on May 23, 1979, d e f e n d a n t s o l i c i t e d L i l l y Campbell t o knowingly o b t a i n , by making f a l s e s t a t e m e n t s , w e l f a r e a s s i s t a n c e i n t h e amount o f $227 from t h e G a l l a t i n County Department of S o c i a l and R e h a b i l i t a t i o n S e r v i c e s . A l s o , on May 23, 1979, d e f e n d a n t l e f t h i s c h i l d r e n and t h e i r mothers i n Bozeman, Montana, w i t h o u t p r o p e r f o o d , s h e l t e r o r m e d i c a l c a r e . Defendant c o n t e n d s t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t h a s no j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y him f o r a misdemeanor, e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of c h i l d r e n . The S t a t e c o n t e n d s t h a t t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t h a s j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y a f e l o n y and a misdemeanor t o g e t h e r where t h e two a r e c o n n e c t e d t o g e t h e r i n t h e i r commission, p u r s u a n t t o s e c t i o n 46-11-404(1), . . . i n f o r m a t i o n . . . may MCA, which p r o v i d e s : "An c h a r g e two o r more d i f f e r e n t o f f e n s e s c o n n e c t e d t o g e t h e r i n t h e i r commission . . ." The f i r s t o f t h r e e i s s u e s r a i s e d on a p p e a l , t h e r e f o r e , i s whether t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t had j u r i s d i c t i o n t o t r y d e f e n d a n t f o r t h e misdemeanor o f f e n s e of e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of children. W e r e c e n t l y h e l d i n S t a t e e x r e l . Rasmussen v . D i s t r i c t Court (1980), Mont. , 615 P.2d 231, 37 S t - R e p . 1498, t h a t s e c t i o n 46-11-404(1), MCA, i s n o t a g r a n t of j u r i s d i c t i o n b u t simply a permissive joinder s t a t u t e f o r o f f e n s e s w i t h i n t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n of a g i v e n c o u r t . Rasmussen , s t a t e d t h a t s e c t i o n 45-1-201 (1) MCA, p r o v i d e s t h a t a c o u r t 1s j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r c r i m i n a l matters depends upon t h e maximum s e n t e n c e which may be imposed f o r committing t h e crime. Under s e c t i o n 3-5-302(1), MCA, t h e District Court i s given o r i g i n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n i n a l l f e l o n y c r i m i n a l c a s e s and " c a s e s of misdemeanor n o t o t h e r w i s e p r o v i d e d f o r . " The J u s t i c e C o u r t , on t h e o t h e r hand, i s g i v e n c r i m i n a l j u r i s d i c t i o n of a l l misdemeanors p u n i s h a b l e by a f i n e n o t exc e e d i n g $500 o r imprisonment n o t e x c e e d i n g s i x months o r both. The maximum s e n t e n c e which may b e imposed upon a p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d of f i r s t o f f e n s e e n d a n g e r i n g t h e w e l f a r e of c h i l - dren is a fine not exceeding $500 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both. Section 45-5-622(3), MCA. Jurisdiction in this matter, therefore, lies with the JUS- tice Court. The second issue is whether the jury was properly instructed on the issues peculiar to the charge of soliciting or aiding and abetting in the commission of a crime. After reviewing the instructions given, we find that the jury was properly instructed and that appellant's contentions are without merit. The final issue raised by appellant is whether he was entitled to a jury instruction that no inference be drawn from the county attorney's reference to the husband/wife privilege. During the State's cross-examination of defen- dant, the county attorney asked him if he was aware of the husband/wife privilege in Montana. Defendant's attorney objected to the question, and the objection was sustained by the court. Cross-examination of defendant then continued. The record here contains no evidence that defendant requested the court to give an instruction that no inference be drawn from the county attorney's reference to the husband/wife privilege. In fact, this issue is raised for the first time on appeal. It is a well-settled rule that on appeal this Court will consider for review only those questions raised in the trial court. Spencer v. Robertson (1968), 151 Mont. 507, 445 P.2d 48; Clark v. Worrall (1965)r 146 Mont. 374, 406 P.2d 822; State Highway Cornm'n v. Milanovich (1963), 142 Mont. 410, 384 P.2d 752. defendant's final issue. Therefore, we decline to address Accordingly, the felony conviction is affirmed, and the misdemeanor conviction is reversed and dismissed. L Justice /d We concur: ~ c Justice~ & & R Chief Mr. Justice Daniel J. Shea concurs and will file a specially concurring opinion later.

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