No. 80-25
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
1980
THE STATE OF MONTANA,
Plaintiff and Respondent,
-vs-
MERRILL 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 - 7 1981
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Filed:
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 Boze-
man, 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. 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
returned t o Butte. 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
with forgery. Meanwhile, t h e G a l l a t i n County a u t h o r i t i e s
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 informa-
t 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, 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 misdemeanor (section
45-5-622, MCA). 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 Mon-
tana 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), MCA, which p r o v i d e s : "An
. . . i n f o r m a t i o n . . . may 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 ex-
c 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 ex-
ceeding 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 soli-
citing 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 conten-
tions 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 infer-
ence 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. Therefore, we decline to address
defendant's final issue.
Accordingly, the felony conviction is affirmed, and
the misdemeanor conviction is reversed and dismissed.
L Justice
/d
We concur:
~ c Justice~ & &
Chief
R
Mr. Justice Daniel J. Shea concurs and will file a specially
concurring opinion later.