No. 80-58
I N THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF M N A A
O T N
1980
STATE O MONTANA,
F
P l a i n t i f f and R e s p o n d e n t ,
BUDDY LEON A A S and
DM
JOHN CHARLES NORTHWIND,
D e f e n d a n t s and A p p e l l a n t s .
Appeal from: D i s t r i c t Court of t h e Twelfth J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
I n a n d f o r t h e County o f B l a i n e .
H o n o r a b l e B. W. Thomas, J u d g e p r e s i d i n g .
C o u n s e l o f Record:
For A p p e l l a n t s :
Altman and L i l l e t v e d t , Havre, Montana
B r i a n L i l l e t v e d t a r g u e d , Havre, Montana
Weber, Bosch, Kuhr, D u g d a l e , Warner a n d M a r t i n , H a v r e , Montana
K e i t h A. M a r i s t u e n a r g u e d , Havre, Montana
F o r Respondent :
Hon. Mike G r e e l y , A t t o r n e y G e n e r a l , H e l e n a , Montana
Allen Chronister argued, A s s i s t a n t Attorney General,
H e l e n a , OlMontana
Donald A. Ranstrom, County A t t o r n e y , a r g u e d , C h i n o o k ,
Montana
Submitted: November 1 4 , 1980
Decided: DEC 2 9 4980
Filed: T
EC k
Mr. J u s t i c e John Conway 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.
Defendants Adams and Northwind a p p e a l t h e i r c o n v i c t i o n s
o f f e l o n y t h e f t from B l a i n e County D i s t r i c t C o u r t .
Adams and Northwind w e r e charged by c o m p l a i n t on August
28, 1979, w i t h t h e o f f e n s e of misdemeanor t h e f t i n B l a i n e
County. On September 5, 1979, b o t h d e f e n d a n t s were c h a r g e d
with felony t h e f t . Defendants f i l e d a motion t o d i s m i s s on
t h e grounds t h a t t h e S t a t e c o u l d n o t p r o v e t h a t t h e amount
t a k e n exceeded $150. The p r o s e c u t i o n f i l e d a n amended i n -
f o r m a t i o n on t h e 2 7 t h of September. On November 1, 1979,
d e f e n d a n t s moved t o d i s m i s s t h e amended i n f o r m a t i o n , a s i t
r e l a t e d t o t h e a l l e g a t i o n s of a n o f f e n s e i n P o p l a r , Roose-
v e l t County, Montana, on t h e grounds of improper venue. The
S t a t e was g r a n t e d l e a v e t o f i l e a second amended i n f o r m a t i o n ,
and d e f e n d a n t s renewed t h e i r o b j e c t i o n s based on improper
venue. T r i a l began on November 2 . The j u r y r e t u r n e d a
v e r d i c t of g u i l t y on t h e c h a r g e of f e l o n y t h e f t . Adams,
found t o be a p e r s i s t e n t f e l o n y o f f e n d e r , w a s s e n t e n c e d t o
e i g h t years i n the state prison. Northwind was s e n t e n c e d t o
s i x y e a r s w i t h t h r e e y e a r s suspended. This appeal follows.
On F r i d a y , August 2 4 , 1979, d e f e n d a n t Adams was s e e n i n
Don's B a r i n t h e town of P o p l a r , R o o s e v e l t County, Montana,
by E l i z a b e t h S t e e l e (a c u s t o m e r ) and S t e l l a Moran, t h e
bartender. They o b s e r v e d Adams s i t t i n g n e x t t o t h e jukebox
when S t e e l e went t o p l a y i t . When S t e e l e a s k e d Adams what
he was d o i n g , he walked away w i t h o u t r e s p o n d i n g . Moran i n
t u r n r e p o r t e d t h i s t o h e r b o s s , R o b e r t a F r e d r i c k , who t h e n
examined t h e jukebox and d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h e machine was n o t
disturbed.
F r e d r i c k and Moran saw Adams i n t h e b a r on S a t u r d a y ,
August 2 5 , 1979. Fredrick d i d n o t r e c a l l seeing e i t h e r of
t h e d e f e n d a n t s i n t h e b a r a f t e r 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
A t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 8:00 p.m. t h a t day, she discovered t h a t her
jukebox had been broken i n t o and t h e money t a k e n . Fredrick
had been i n and o u t of t h e b a r a l l day r u n n i n g e r r a n d s ,
c h e c k i n g I D ' S and d o i n g whatever needed t o b e done. She
n e v e r p o s i t i v e l y i n d i c a t e d t h a t s h e s a w d e f e n d a n t Northwind
i n t h e b a r on S a t u r d a y ; however, s h e d i d i n d i c a t e t h a t s h e
d i d n o t pay much a t t e n t i o n o r watch t h a t c l o s e l y .
A t a p p r o x i m a t e l y 11:30 p.m. on August 25, 1979, d e f e n -
d a n t s Adams and Northwind e n t e r e d t h e Stockmans Bar i n
Chinook, Montana, i n i3laine County. They o r d e r e d frorn t h e
b a r and t h e n moved t o a t a b l e b e s i d e t h e jukebox. Adams
p l a c e d s e v e r a l c o i n s i n t o t h e jukebox, and Northwind began
t o s e l e c t t h e songs. C a r o l Upshaw, t h e owner and b a r t e n d e r ,
was behind t h e b a r .
The music began t o p l a y , and Upshaw h e a r d t h e sound of
c o i n s h i t t i n g something. Immediately t h e r e a f t e r , t h e t h r e e
men a t t h e t a b l e g o t up and l e f t t h e b a r . Upshaw f o l l o w e d
them o u t s i d e and saw them l e a v e i n a g o l d C h e v r o l e t . She
went back i n , c l o s e d t h e b a r and went home.
On Sunday, August 26, 1979, Upshaw t o l d h e r husband,
R o b e r t Upshaw, t h a t s h e b e l i e v e d someone had t a k e n t h e money
from t h e jukebox. R o b e r t Upshaw t h e n went t o t h e b a r , ex-
amined t h e jukebox, dropped two c o i n s i n t o i t , and d i s -
c o v e r e d t h a t t h e c o i n box w a s empty.
Adams and Northwind p r e s e n t t h e f o l l o w i n g q u e s t i o n f o r
o u r review: Was B l a i n e County t h e p r o p e r forum i n which t o
proceed when t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a l s o c h a r g e d d e f e n d a n t s w i t h a
t h e f t o c c u r r i n g i n R o o s e v e l t County? W e f i n d i t was n o t and
remand t h e c a u s e f o r p r o c e e d i n g s c o n s i s t e n t w i t h t h i s o p i n i o n .
I n view of t h e f a c t t h a t t h e venue i s s u e w a r r a n t s remand,
a l l o t h e r i s s u e s r a i s e d by d e f e n d a n t s w i l l n o t be a d d r e s s e d .
By s t a t u t e , t h e g e n e r a l r u l e i n Montana i s t h a t , i n
c r i m i n a l a c t i o n s , venue i s p r o p e r o n l y i n t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n
where t h e c r i m e o c c u r r e d . S e c t i o n 46-3-101, MCA. The code
d o e s p r o v i d e c e r t a i n e x c e p t i o n s t o t h a t g e n e r a l s t a t e m e n t of
law. One of t h e s e e x c e p t i o n s i s embodied i n s e c t i o n 46-3-
102, MCA, w h e r e i n i t p r o v i d e s t h a t " [ w l h e r e two o r more a c t s
a r e r e q u i s i t e t o t h e commission of any o f f e n s e , t h e t r i a l
may b e i n any c o u n t y i n which any o f s u c h a c t s o c c u r . "
The S t a t e a d o p t e d t h e p o s i t i o n t h a t t h e t h e f t s i n
B l a i n e County and R o o s e v e l t County w e r e two a c t s which, when
l i n k e d t o g e t h e r by a common scheme, c o n s t i t u t e d one crime--
felony t h e f t . Defendants a r g u e d t h a t , i f i n d e e d t h e y were
g u i l t y , t h e most t h e y w e r e g u i l t y of w a s two misdemeanor
t h e f t s , t h o s e t h e f t s b e i n g s e p a r a t e and d i s t i n c t o f f e n s e s ,
n o t t r i a b l e i n t h e same c o u n t y .
The c o n c e p t of "common scheme" a p p e a r s i n s e v e r a l sec-
t i o n s of Montana's C r i m i n a l Code. S e c t i o n 45-2-101(7), MCA,
d e f i n e s t h e term a s a series of a c t s o r o m i s s i o n s " m o t i v a t e d
by a p u r p o s e t o a c c o m p l i s h a s i n g l e c r i m i n a l o b j e c t i v e o r by
a common p u r p o s e o r p l a n which r e s u l t s i n t h e r e p e a t e d com-
m i s s i o n of t h e same o f f e n s e o r a f f e c t s t h e s a m e p e r s o n o r
same p e r s o n s o r t h e p r o p e r t y t h e r e o f . " T h i s d e f i n i t i o n , as
a p p l i e d i n t h e bad c h e c k , d e c e p t i v e p r a c t i c e s , and f o r g e r y
s t a t u t e s , imposes a h i g h e r p e n a l t y f o r o f f e n s e s committed
p u r s u a n t t o an e l a b o r a t e p l a n , i n c o n t r a s t t o t h e p e n a l t i e s
imposed f o r t h e s i n g l e f r a u d u l e n t a c t . See A n n o t a t o r ' s
Note, Montana C r i m i n a l Code 1973 Annot., (1980 Rev. E d . ) .
See a l s o s e c t i o n s 45-6-316, 45-6-317 and 45-6-325, MCA.
The S t a t e a r g u e s t h a t t h e r e i s no i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e
common scheme c o n c e p t i s l i m i t e d t o bad check and f o r g e r y
s i t u a t i o n s , and, t h e r e f o r e , t h e p r o s e c u t i o n p r o p e r l y imposed
a ' h i g l i e r p e n a l t y f o r t h e two o f f e n s e s o r a c t s , t h u s e s t a b -
l i s h i n g venue i n e i t h e r B l a i n e o r R o o s e v e l t County. A t the
h e a r t of t h e S t a t e ' s a n a l y s i s i s t h e a s s u m p t i o n t h a t t h e two
c r i m i n a l a c t s were c o n t i n u i n g ; one t h e f t foreshadowing o r
p r e p a r i n g t h e way f o r t h e second. I f w e a c c e p t t h i s assump-
t i o n , w e come w i t h i n t h e a m b i t of s e c t i o n 46-3-102, MCA,
where a c t s r e q u i s i t e t o t h e commission of a c r i m e , o c c u r r i n g
i n more t h a n one j u r i s d i c t i o n , e s t a b l i s h p r o p e r venue i n any
one of t h e a f f e c t e d c o u n t i e s .
T h i s C o u r t i s c o n v i n c e d , however, t h a t t h e S t a t e ' s
a s s u m p t i o n i s a flawed and i n a d e q u a t e b a s i s f o r t h e t r i a l of
t h e R o o s e v e l t County o f f e n s e i n B l a i n e County. W e find that
t h e o f f e n s e s were l i n k e d t o g e t h e r by s i m i l a r i t y and n o t h i n g
more. I n no a p p a r e n t way w a s t h e Chinook t h e f t a c o n t i n u -
a t i o n of t h e t h e f t i n P o p l a r ; nor w a s t h e P o p l a r o f f e n s e
i n c o m p l e t e s o t h a t when t h e o f f e n s e took p l a c e i n Chinook a
s i n g l e c r i m e of f e l o n y t h e f t was consummated. I n o u r view,
two s e p a r a t e and d i s t i n c t o f f e n s e s o c c u r r e d i n two d i f f e r e n t
jurisdictions. Under t h e law of t h i s S t a t e , t h e c r i m e s must
be c h a r g e d and t r i e d i n t h e c o u n t i e s i n which t h e y o c c u r r e d .
S e c t i o n 46-3-101, MCA.
W r e v e r s e t h e c o n v i c t i o n s on t h e P o p l a r t h e f t , r e d u c e
e
t h e f e l o n y t h e f t c o n v i c t i o n s from B l a i n e County t o misde-
meanors, and remand f o r r e s e n t e n c i n g i n B l a i n e County.
W e concur:
4 C h i4 gsA.;l.epp_
ef J u t i c e
Mr. J u s t i c e D a n i e l J . Shea w i l l f i l e a s e p a r a t e o p i n i o n l a t e r .