No. 14963
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF MONTANA
1979
STATE OF MONTANA,
Plaintiff and Appellant,
RUDY WHITESHIELD and
PAUL SCOTT SORENSEN,
Defendants and Respondents.
Appeal from: District Court of the Third Judicial District,
Honorable John B. McClernan, Judge presiding.
Counsel of Record:
For Appellant:
Hon. Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana
Ted Mizner, County Attorney, Deer Lodge, Montana
For Respondents:
Byron W. Boggs, Anaconda, Montana
- - --
Submitted on briefs: Dec. 28, 1979
Decided :
Mr. J u s t i c e J o h n Conway H a r r i s o n d e l i v e r e d t h e O p i n i o n o f
t h e Court.
T h i s i s a n a p p e a l by t h e S t a t e o f Montana from a n o r d e r
o f t h e P o w e l l County D i s t r i c t C o u r t , t h e Honorable John B.
McClernan p r e s i d i n g , d i s m i s s i n g c h a r g e s o f a f e l o n y e s c a p e
which had been f i l e d a g a i n s t t h e d e f e n d a n t s .
D e f e n d a n t s were i n m a t e s i n t h e Montana S t a t e P r i s o n and
b o t h w e r e p a r t i c i p a n t s i n a p r i s o n e r f u r l o u g h program.
D e f e n d a n t W h i t e s h i e l d walked away from h i s f u r l o u g h i n
B u t t e , Montana, was a r r e s t e d i n L i n c o l n , Nebraska and was
r e t u r n e d t o t h e S t a t e o f Montana. The d e f e n d a n t S o r e n s o n
walked away from h i s f u r l o u g h i n M i s s o u l a , Montana, was
a r r e s t e d i n San Diego, C a l i f o r n i a and r e t u r n e d t o t h e S t a t e
o f Montana. Both had t h e i r f u r l o u g h s r e v o k e d and were
c h a r g e d w i t h a f e l o n y e s c a p e u n d e r s e c t i o n 45-7-306, MCA.
The D i s t r i c t C o u r t d i s m i s s e d t h e c h a r g e s on t h e b a s i s t h a t
w a l k i n g away from a f u r l o u g h i s n o t a f e l o n y e s c a p e u n d e r
the statute.
The s o l e i s s u e i s w h e t h e r l e a v i n g a f u r l o u g h i s a
felony escape.
S e c t i o n 45-7-306, MCA r e a d s i n whole a s f o l l o w s :
"ESCAPE. (1) " O f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n " means
i m p r i s o n m e n t which r e s u l t e d from a c o n v i c -
t i o n f o r a n o f f e n s e , confinement f o r an
o f f e n s e , confinement of a person charged
w i t h a n o f f e n s e , d e t e n t i o n by a p e a c e o f -
f i c e r pursuant t o a r r e s t , detention f o r
e x t r a d i t i o n o r d e p o r t a t i o n , o r any l a w f u l
d e t e n t i o n f o r t h e purpose of t h e p r o t e c t i o n
of t h e welfare of t h e person detained o r
f o r the protection of society. 'Official
d e t e n t i o n ' does n o t include supervision
of probation o r p a r o l e , c o n s t r a i n t i n c i -
d e n t a l t o r e l e a s e on b a i l , o r a n u n l a w f u l
a r r e s t u n l e s s t h e p e r s o n a r r e s t e d employed
p h y s i c a l f o r c e , ,a t h r e a t o f p h y s i c a l f o r c e ,
o r a weapon t o e s c a p e .
" ( 2 ) A person s u b j e c t t o o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n
commits t h e o f f e n s e of e s c a p e i f he knowingly
o r p u r p o s e l y removes h i m s e l f from o f f i c i a l
d e t e n t i o n o r f a i l s t o r e t u r n t o o f f i c i a l de-
t e n t i o n f o l l o w i n g temporary l e a v e g r a n t e d f o r
a s p e c i f i c purpose o f l i m i t e d t i m e .
" ( 3 ) A p e r s o n c o n v i c t e d of t h e o f f e s e o f
e s c a p e s h a l l be:
" ( a ) imprisoned iii t h e s t a t e p r i s o n f o r a
t e r m n o t t o exceed twenty ( 2 0 ) y e a r s i f he
e s c a p e s from a s t a t e p r i s o n , c o u n t y j a i l ,
o r c i t y j a i l by t h e u s e o r t h r e a t of f o r c e ,
p h y s i c a l v i o l e n c e , weapon, o r s i m u l a t e d wea-
pon;
" ( b ) imprisoned i n t h e s t a t e p r i s o n f o r
a term n o t t o exceed t e n ( 1 0 ) y e a r s i f he:
" ( i ) e s c a p e s from a s t a t e p r i s o n , c o u n t y
jail, or city jail; or
" ( i i ) e s c a p e s from a n o t h e r o f f i c i a l d e t e n -
t i o n by t h e u s e o r t h r e a t of f o r c e , p h y s i c a l
v i o l e n c e , weapon, o r s i m u l a t e d weapon; o r
" ( c ) f i n e d n o t t o exceed f i v e hundred d o l -
l a r s ($500) o r i m p r i s o n e d i n t h e c o u n t y
j a i l f o r a term n o t t o exceed 6 months,
o r b o t h , i f he commits e s c a p e under c i r -
cumstances o t h e r t h a n ( a ) and ( b ) of
t h i s subsection."
The f i r s t two p a r a g r a p h s of t h i s s t a t u t e d e f i n e t h e
crime of escape. The t h i r d p a r a g r a p h , which i s c o n t r o l l i n g ,
d e f i n e s t h e punishment f o r t h e c r i m e of e s c a p e and d e l i n -
e a t e s f e l o n y e s c a p e from misdemeanor e s c a p e .
The r e s p o n d e n t s h e r e i n do n o t a r g u e t h a t s e c t i o n 45-7-
306, MCA d o e s n o t a p p l y t o them. Both of them admit walking
away from a f u r l o u g h s i t u a t i o n , however t h e y a r g u e t h a t t h e
s t a t u t e c a n o n l y be a p p l i e d t o them on t h e b a s i s of a m i s -
demeanor c h a r g e . The r e s p o n d e n t s do n o t c o n t e s t t h e S t a t e ' s
argument t h a t t h e y were s u b j e c t t o t h e o f f i c i a l d e t e n t i o n
under p a r a g r a p h 1 o r t h a t t h e y committed t h e o f f e n s e of
e s c a p e under p a r a g r a p h 2 o f t h e s t a t u t e .
Respondents' argument i s t h a t t h e y d i d n o t commit a n
o f f e n s e by t h e u s e o f f o r c e and t h e r e f o r e t h e y a r e n o t
punishable under paragraph 3 ( a ) o r 3 ( b ) ( i i ) of t h e s t a t u t e
and t h e y d i d n o t e s c a p e from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n , a c o u n t y
jail, a c i t y j a i l , and a r e t h e r e f o r e n o t p u n i s h a b l e u n d e r
3 ( b ) ( i )o f t h e s t a t u t e .
The S t a t e d o e s n o t c o n t e s t r e s p o n d e n t s ' argument t h a t
t h e e s c a p e w a s n o t by means o f f o r c e . The a p p e l l a n t S t a t e
d o e s c o n t e s t t h a t t h e e s c a p e was n o t from t h e s t a t e p r i s o n .
The S t a t e a r g u e s r e s p o n d e n t s a c t u a l l y e s c a p e d from t h e s t a t e
p r i s o n , r e l y i n g on s e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA. I n analyzing
t h i s argument, w e f i r s t f i n d t h a t it f l i e s i n t h e f a c e of
common s e n s e . The f a c t i s , S o r e n s o n e s c a p e d w h i l e he w a s on
f u r l o u g h i n t h e C i t y o f M i s s o u l a w i t h freedom t o walk t h e
streets of t h a t c i t y . Likewise, Whiteshield escaped while
on f u r l o u g h i n t h e C i t y o f B u t t e w i t h freedom t o move a b o u t
that city. To s a y t h a t t h e y w e r e i n a s t a t e p r i s o n j u s t i s
n o t t r u e , and i n o u r o p i n i o n i t would amount t o f i c t i o n
i n a d e q u a t e t o form t h e b a s i s f o r a f e l o n y c o n v i c t i o n .
Second, s e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA r e l i e d on by t h e a p p e l -
l a n t S t a t e d o e s n o t h i n g t o answer t h e q u e s t i o n o f t h i s c a s e .
That s e c t i o n does say t h a t a furlough " s h a l l s e r v e t o extend
t h e l i m i t s of confinement f o r treatment a s w e l l a s f o r
j u r i s d i c t i o n a l purposes." But, t h a t language does n o t
answer w h e t h e r l e a v i n g f u r l o u g h i s a f e l o n y o r a misdemeanor
escape. Only t h e l a n g u a g e o f t h e e s c a p e s t a t u t e i t s e l f c a n
answer t h i s q u e s t i o n . S e c t i o n 46-23-402, MCA o n l y p r o v i d e s
t h e b a s i s f o r making l e a v i n g f u r l o u g h a c r i m e . I f a fur-
l o u g h e e was n o t u n d e r t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f a p r i s o n , l e a v i n g
f u r l o u g h would n o t b e a n e s c a p e a t a l l .
Third, we agree with respondents' contention t h a t t h e
S t a t e ' s argument i g n o r e s t h e purposes expressed i n paragraph
3 of t h e escape s t a t u t e . That paragraph c l a s s i f i e s t h e
escape according t o t h e r i s k t h a t i s created. E s c a p i n g from
t h e s t a t e p r i s o n c r e a t e s a s e r i o u s r i s k d e s e r v i n g of a
f e l o n y punishment b e c a u s e t h e p r i s o n i s m a i n t a i n e d by g u a r d s
who have a d u t y t o p r e v e n t e s c a p e s and t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s a r e
such t h a t attempts t o escape c r e a t e t h e r i s k of violence.
The r i s k o f v i o l e n c e i s i n c r e a s e d where t h e e s c a p e e u s e s
force. Thus u n d e r p a r a g r a p h 3 ( a ) , a f o r c e f u l e s c a p e from
t h e p r i s o n may b e p u n i s h e d by up t o t w e n t y ( 2 0 ) y e a r s i n
p r i s o n ; and u n d e r 3 ( b ) a n e s c a p e from a p r i s o n i s p u n i s h a b l e
w i t h up t o t e n ( 1 0 ) y e a r s . Leaving t h e l o c a t i o n o f o n e ' s
f u r l o u g h d o e s n o t create a r i s k . And t h e f a c t t h a t t h e i r
escape does n o t c r e a t e a r i s k i s t h e b a s i s f o r t r e a t i n g
t h e s e c i r c u m s t a n c e s a s a misdemeanor u n d e r p a r a g r a p h 2 .
W e n o t e t h a t t h e o f f i c i a l commission comment on s e c t i o n
45-7-306, MCA i n t h e f i r s t p a r a g r a p h r e a d s a s f o l l o w s :
"The s e c t i o n c l a s s i f i e s e s c a p e s a c c o r d i n g t o
t h e r i s k they c r e a t e . Punishment i s more se-
v e r e f o r t h e o f f e n s e when committed by u s e o f
o r t h r e a t o f f o r c e , p h y s i c a l v i o l e n c e , weapon
o r s i m u l a t e d weapon. The g r a d i n g o f t h e o f f e n s e
by r e l y i n g on t h e p r i s o n e r ' s u s e o f f o r c e i s
a c t u a l l y a r e t u r n t o t h e common law, s i n c e e a r l y
common law c l e a r l y d i s t i n q u i s h e d between e s c a p e s
w i t h and w i t h o u t t h e u s e o f f o r c e . The g r a d i n g
scheme i m p l i c i t i n t h e o l d c o d e by which p u n i s h -
ment i s p r o v i d e d i n r e f e r e n c e t o t h e t y p e o f
c o n f i n e m e n t , i s n o t e n t i r e l y abandoned i n s e c t i o n
94-7-306. (Now S 45-7-306, MCA.) F o r example,
u s e o f f o r c e i n e s c a p i n g from a n o n i n s t i t u t i o n a l
d e t e n t i o n c a l l s f o r a lesser punishment t h a n
e s c a p e from t h e p r i s o n , c o u n t y o r c i t y j a i l .
F u r t h e r , a n e s c a p e w i t h o u t u s e o f f o r c e from a
noncustodial d e t e n t i o n a s provided i n subsection
3 ( c ) removes t h e o f f e n s e from t h e f e l o n y c a t e -
gory a l t o g e t h e r . "
T h i s commission comment makes c l e a r t h a t u n d e r t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s
i n t h i s c a s e t h e r e s p o n d e n t s w e r e p u n i s h a b l e o n l y under t h e
misdemeanor s e c t i o n o f t h e e s c a p e s t a t u t e . Therefore, we
a f f i r m t h e D i s t r i c t C o u r t ' s d i s m i s s a l of t h e felony charge.
W e concur:
Chief J u s t i c e