Yo. 13479
'-N LkfL ~UPKI:IVIE 30URf OF THE STATE 3P' "ION'I'ANA
1976
Zounsel o f Record:
For P e t i t i o n e r :
,
David J . P a t t e r s o n =ind Gregory ToJd, L~lissoula
Montana
Hon. R o b e r t Id. Woodahl, A t c o r n e y G e n e r a l , H e l e n a ,
Montana
! i e a r i n g Waived
--
Submitted: September 1 3 , 1976
Decided: Sk?zi1976
Mr. Chief J u s t i c e James T . H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e Opinion of
t h e Court.
This i s an o r i g i n a l proceeding wherein p e t i t i o n e r seeks
p o s t - c o n v i c t i o n r e l i e f by r e a s o n of t h e f o l l o w i n g f a c t s :
He i s c u r r e n t l y s e r v i n g a 5 y e a r p r i s o n s e n t e n c e a t
Montana S t a t e P r i s o n . O October 1 6 , 1972, he was found g u i l t y
n
of t h e c r i m e of b u r g l a r y i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t of Yellowstone
County. He was s e n t e n c e d t o f i v e y e a r s i n Montana S t a t e P r i s o n ,
b u t t h i s was suspended on c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s , one o f them b e i n g
t h a t he s e r v e n i n e months i n Yellowstone County j a i l . As a
r e s u l t t h e p e t i t i o n e r was i n c a r c e r a t e d i n Yellowstone County
j a i l from August 2 4 , 1972 t h r o u g h May 23, 1973. O A p r i l 7 , 1975,
n
t h e suspended s e n t e n c e was revoked and p e t i t i o n e r was o r d e r e d t o
s e r v e t h e f u l l f i v e y e a r s e n t e n c e i n Montana S t a t e P r i s o n . He
was g i v e n c r e d i t f o r 54 d a y s of j a i l t i m e which was computed from
t h e day o f h i s a r r e s t t o t h e day of s e n t e n c i n g . P e t i t i o n e r seeks
c r e d i t f o r t h e t i m e he s p e n t i n Yellowstone County j a i l a s a con-
d i t i o n of t h e suspended s e n t e n c e .
The q u e s t i o n f o r t h e Court i s whether t h e l e g i s l a t u r e ,
p r i o r t o t h e i r amendment t o s e c t i o n 95-2206, R.C.M. 1947, i n 1973,
i n t e n d e d t h a t i n t h e e v e n t of a r e v o c a t i o n of a suspended s e n t e n c e ,
" e l a p s e d t i m e " a s s t a t e d t h e r e i n excluded " j a i l t i m e " . O r , does
s e c t i o n 95-2215, R.C.M. 1947, govern t h e c r e d i t of t i m e s p e n t i n
j a i l p r i o r t o t h e revocation? O r d i d it i n t e n d t h a t s e c t i o n 95-
2215 o n l y be a p p l i c a b l e i n s i t u a t i o n s o t h e r t h a n a suspended
sentence.
W e q u o t e t h e a p p l i c a b l e p o r t i o n s of t h e two s t a t u t e s
involved.
S e c t i o n 95-2215, R.C.M. 1947, i n p a r t p r o v i d e s :
"95-2215. C r e d i t f o r i n c a r c e r a t i o n p r i o r t o con-
viction. ( a ) Any p e r s o n i n c a r c e r a t e d on a b a i l -
a b l e o f f e n s e and a q a i n s t whom a iudqment of
imprisonment i s r e n d e r e d s h a l l be ailowed c r e d i t
f o r e a c h day of i n c a r c e r a t i o n p r i o r t o o r a f t e r
c o n v i c t i o n e x c e p t t h a t i n no c a s e s h a l l t h e t i m e
allowed a s a c r e d i t exceed t h e term of t h e
prison sentence rendered."
S e c t i o n 95-2206, R.C.M. 1947, i n r e l e v a n t p a r t p r o v i d e s :
"95-2206. S e n t e n c e . Whenever any p e r s o n h a s been
found g u i l t y of a c r i m e o r o f f e n s e upon a v e r d i c t
o r p l e a t h e - c o u r t may impose any of t h e f o l l o w i n g
sentences:
" (3) Suspend t h e e x e c u t i o n of t h e s e n t e n c e up
t o t h e maximum s e n t e n c e allowed f o r t h e p a r t i c u l a r
offense. However, i f any r e s t r i c t i o n s o r c o n d i t i o n s
a r e v i o l a t e d , any e l a p s e d t i m e s h a l l n o t be a c r e d i t
a g a i n s t t h e sentence, unless t h e c o u r t s h a l l other-
wise order."
T h i s s e c t i o n s p e a k s s p e c i f i c a l l y t o r e n d e r i n g a suspended
s e n t e n c e and g i v e s t h e s e n t e n c i n g judge t h e d i s c r e t i o n t o award
o r deny c r e d i t f o r " e l a p s e d t i m e " . S e c t i o n 95-2215, R.C.M. 1947,
makes it mandatory t h a t c r e d i t be g i v e n f o r a l l d a y s of i n c a r c e r -
a t i o n p r i o r t o o r a f t e r c o n v i c t i o n , when a p e r s o n i s i n c a r c e r a t e d
on a b a i l a b l e o f f e n s e and h a s a judgment of imprisonment r e n d e r e d
a g a i n s t him.
To d e t e r m i n e t h e l e g i s l a t i v e i n t e n t o n e must c o n s i d e r t h a t
b o t h of t h e s e s t a t u t e s were e n a c t e d a t t h e same t i m e . Sec. 1,
Ch. 196, L. 1967. I n a l a t e r 1973 amendment t o s e c t i o n 95-2206,
t h e l e g i s l a t u r e e x c e p t e d " j a i l t i m e " from t h e term " e l a p s e d t i m e "
and l e f t s e c t i o n 95-2215 unchanged. A reasonable i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
of t h i s a c t i o n i s t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e i n t e n d e d t o c l a r i f y t h e
e a r l i e r l a n g u a g e of s e c t i o n 95-2206 t o p l a c e t h e c r e d i t of j a i l
t i m e w i t h i n t h e mandate of s e c t i o n 95-2215. The C o u r t h a s h e l d
t h a t a f t e r t h i s amendment a p e r s o n i s e n t i t l e d t o c r e d i t f o r t h e
t i m e s p e n t i n j a i l p r i o r t o a r e v o c a t i o n of a suspended s e n t e n c e .
I n t h e M a t t e r of Hanson, Mont. , 544 P.2d 8 1 6 , 3 3 St.Rep.
70.
T h i s Court h a s n e v e r a d d r e s s e d t h e q u e s t i o n whether s e c -
t i o n 95-2215 h a s any e f f e c t i n t h e c a s e of a r e v o c a t i o n of a
suspended s e n t e n c e , when t h e p e t i t i o n e r s e e k s c r e d i t o n l y f o r
t h e t i m e spent i n j a i l p r i o r t o t h e revocation. However, t h e
Court h a s answered t h e i s s u e i n r e g a r d t o a r e v o c a t i o n of a
d e f e r r e d i m p o s i t i o n of s e n t e n c e . Bovee v . D i s t r i c t C o u r t , 162
Mont. 98, 508 P.2d 1056; Maldonado v . C r i s t , 162 Mont. 240, 510
P.2d 887. I n e a c h i n s t a n c e t h e C o u r t s a i d t h a t s e c t i o n 95-2215
was c o n t r o l l i n g and t h a t t h e o n l y i s s u e i n v o l v e d s h o u l d be whether
d e f e n d a n t was i n c a r c e r a t e d on a b a i l a b l e o f f e n s e w i t h i n t h e mean-
ing of t h a t s t a t u t e . I f s o , he w a s e n t i t l e d t o c r e d i t f o r t h e
t i m e s p e n t i n j a i l a s a c o n d i t i o n o f t h e d e f e r m e n t when t h e
d e f e r m e n t was revoked.
From a p r a c t i c a l p o i n t of view a suspended s e n t e n c e and
a d e f e r r e d i m p o s i t i o n of s e n t e n c e a r e v e r y s i m i l a r . I n each in-
s t a n c e t h e d e f e n d a n t must a d h e r e t o c e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s t o avoid
a more s e v e r e s e n t e n c e . I t seems u n l i k e l y t h a t t h e l e g i s l a t u r e
i n t e n d e d t h a t a p e r s o n r e c e i v i n g a d e f e r r e d i m p o s i t i o n of sen-
t e n c e be e n t i t l e d t o c r e d i t f o r t h e t i m e s p e n t i n j a i l a s a
c o n d i t i o n of t h e d e f e r m e n t i f such d e f e r m e n t i s r e v o k e d , b u t
t h e p e r s o n r e c e i v i n g a suspended s e n t e n c e i s n o t s o e n t i t l e d .
For t h e s e r e a s o n s t h e c a u s e i s remanded t o t h e s e n t e n c -
i n g c o u r t w i t h d i r e c t i o n s t o make and e n t e r a r e v i s e d judgment
granting defendant c r e d i t f o r h i s jail t i m e .
It i s so ordered.
- 4 -
We c o n c u r :