241 Mich. App.
583; 617 N.W.2d 339; 2000 Mich. App. LEXIS 155 PEOPLE OF THE
STATE OF MICHIGAN, Plaintiff-Appellee, v PATRICK J. MACKLE,
Defendant-Appellant. No. 204299 COURT OF APPEALS
OF MICHIGAN June 14, 2000,
Submitted June 30, 2000,
Decided PRIOR HISTORY: [*1]
Oakland Circuit Court. LC No. 96-147467-FC. DISPOSITION: Affirmed, but remanded for amendment of judgment of
sentence. COUNSEL: Jennifer M. Granholm, Attorney General, Thomas L.
Casey, Solicitor General, David G. Gorcyca, Prosecuting Attorney, Daniel L.
Lemisch, Chief, Appellate Division, and John S. Pallas, Assistant Prosecuting
Attorney, for the people. Neil J. Leithauser, for the defendant. Troy. JUDGES: Before: OConnell, P.J., and Kelly and
Whitbeck, JJ. Kelly, J., concurred in the result only. OPINIONBY: Peter D. OConnell OPINION: OCONNELL, P.J. In this case, a jury convicted defendant of twelve
counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct (CSC I), MCL 750.520b(1); MSA
28.788(2)(1), and one count of kidnapping, MCL 750.349; MSA 28.581. The trial
court sentenced defendant to fifteen to thirty years imprisonment, with credit
for 2,799 days served, for kidnapping and to the same sentence for each CSC I
count. On appeal as of right, defendant contends that the evidence adduced at
trial was insufficient to support his conviction under MCL 750.1520b(1)(f); MSA
28.788(2)(1)(f) (the personal injury variety of CSC [*2] I), and that his CSC I and kidnapping
convictions cannot withstand double jeopardy analysis. Defendant further argues
that his extradition to Michigan from Canada violated a treaty between the
United States and Canada, as well as his right to a speedy trial. We affirm,
but remand to the trial court with instructions to amend the judgment of
sentence. I Complainant testified at trial that she met
defendant in April 1989 and that a relationship thereafter ensued. She
understood that defendant developed property, promoted a rock band, and
produced movies. According to complainant, she ended the relationship in
September 1989, but defendant persistently attempted to remain in touch with
her. Complainant agreed to meet him in a restaurant on October 5, 1989. At that
meeting, complainant told defendant that she did not want to pursue the
relationship further. Complainant testified that defendant was initially
calm and polite that night, but that after dinner, in the restaurant parking
lot, defendant pulled her out of her car and shoved her into his own. Defendant
insisted on continuing the conversation and began driving, over her objections.
When complainant struggled, defendant pulled [*3]
over, tied her hands, then continued to drive. According to complainant, she
continued to struggle, and defendant continued to subdue and constrain her
until they reached a motel in Port Huron. Defendant told her that he was taking
her to see some of his Mafia friends. Complainant testified that at the motel, over her
further objections and resistance, defendant had sexual intercourse with her while
her hands were tied. According to complainant, she tried to leave the room, but
defendant restrained her, bound her ankles with neckties, and tied her wrist to
his own. The following morning defendant announced that he was going to have
sex with her again. When she resisted, he repeatedly struck her with an open
hand and then forced her to have intercourse. Afterward, the two argued
furiously, and defendant responded by strangling her with a necktie for a
minute or two. Defendant again forced her to endure sexual intercourse.
Complainant observed that defendant seemed to derive heightened pleasure from
her resistance. Early in the afternoon, defendant tied
complainants hands and placed her back in his vehicle. Defendant
later untied her and allowed her to eat some pizza, at which time [*4] he informed her that he would take her to
see some Mafia members, with whom she would remain until she agreed to marry
him. Complainant testified that she then tried to leave the vehicle, but that
defendant tied her up again and put her in the back seat. Defendant also
punched her leg and slapped her face. He continued to drive around town until
approximately 5:00 p.m., when he pulled behind a building, penetrated her
digitally, and then pushed her legs apart and performed cunnilingus. Afterward, defendant drove to another motel in Port
Huron and obtained a room. Once inside, defendant told complainant that if she
behaved, he would take her home in the morning. Complainant
reported that defendant then asked her to perform oral sex on him, which she
did, believing her freedom depended on it. Afterward, defendant informed
complainant that if she became pregnant with his child, he would terminate the
pregnancy by punching her in the abdomen. In the course of this discussion,
defendant became angry and forced complainant into a sauna that was in the room
and turned it to its highest setting. He knew that she was claustrophobic.
Defendant became frustrated when the sauna failed to function [*5] properly, so he pulled her out, threw her
onto the bed, and then forced her to have intercourse. Complainant testified that defendant informed her
that he was going to arrange for the Mafia to pick up and kill a member of her
family. He later took her to a restaurant, but admonished her not to cause
trouble. According to complainant, the two brought the food back to the room,
whereupon complainant discovered a steak knife in the package and tried to
attack defendant with it, but defendant overpowered her. The morning of the next day, October 7, defendant
again tied complainant up and forced her to have intercourse. Defendant learned
later in the day that complainants father had asked the police to
search for her. Defendant then insisted that complainant make a call to quell
the investigation. Defendant threatened to direct a Mafia member to kill her
son, so complainant called defendants mother and encouraged her to
telephone complainants father and pass on an innocent explanation
concerning her whereabouts. Afterward, defendant put complainant in his
vehicle, spent some time driving around, and then informed her that because of
the possibility of a missing person investigation [*6] in the United States, he had made arrangements to have
Mafia members pick her up in Canada. He ordered her to drive across the border
because he lacked a valid drivers license. Under the pressure of
threats to her sons life, complainant drove across the border without
incident. Complainant testified that she remained with
defendant in Canada from that afternoon until she escaped on October 12. During
this time, they remained in Canada and stayed in a different motel every night.
Defendant continuously forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with him. She
recounted finally leaving the motel by herself early in the morning of October
12. Complainant explained that defendant told her that Mafia members were going
to kill her within a few days, and that he removed her jewelry to make her body
difficult to identify. She was able to free herself while defendant slept. She
left the motel in defendants vehicle and called the police, and also
her family, from a nearby truck stop. A Canadian court tried and convicted defendant in
connection with the events occurring in Canada, and defendant served a sentence
of at least five years in a Canadian prison. On the expiration of
defendants [*7] Canadian
sentence, the Oakland County prosecutor secured defendants
extradition for trial in Michigan. II Defendant first argues that, given his conviction
and sentence in Canada, his subsequent prosecution in Oakland County violated
the Treaty of Extradition between the United States of America and Canada, 27
UST 983; TIAS 8237, as well as the double jeopardy prohibition of Const 1963,
art 1, § 15. We first address defendants contention
that his subsequent prosecution in Michigan violated the extradition treaty. An
interpretation of language contained in a treaty involves a question of law. Piamba
Cortes v American Airlines, In.\c.,
177 F.3d 1272, 1280 (CA 11, 1999); Cook v United States, 86 F.3d 1095, 1097 (Fed Cir, 1996); Wickman v
Vinco Corp., 288 F.2d 310, 312 (CA
6, 1961). We review questions of law de novo. People v Melotik, 221 Mich. App.
190, 198; 561 N.W.2d 453 (1997). The fourth article of the treaty, in relevant part,
provides: (1) Extradition shall not be granted in
any of the following circumstances: (i) When the person whose surrender is
sought is being proceeded against, [*8]
or has been tried and discharged or punished in the territory of the requested
state for the offense for which his extradition is requested.Defendant contends
that the Oakland County prosecutor violated this provision when he sought
defendants extradition from Canada for trial on the CSC I and
kidnapping charges. Under US Const, art VI, cl 2, a treaty entered into
under the authority of the United States is the the supreme Law of
the Land to which the Judges in every State shall be bound
. As the United States Supreme Court has noted, the
treaties of the United States are as much a part of the law of every
State as its own local laws and Constitution. Hauenstein v Lynham, 100 U.S. 483, 490; 25 L.
Ed. 628 (1879). Therefore, the courts of this state must take judicial notice
of any treaties of the United States and enforce the rights granted therein in
an appropriate proceeding. United States v Rauscher, 119 U.S. 407, 419; 7 S.
Ct. 234; 30 L. Ed. 425 (1886). However, a Michigan court was not the proper forum
for defendant to vindicate any rights granted to him in the treaty. Article 4
provides [*9] that extradition
shall not be granted where, as here, the requesting state seeks the surrender of a person
who was previously tried and punished in the requested state for the
offense for which his extradition is requested. 27 UST 983, art
4(1)(i) (emphasis added). This language implies that a defendant should seek to
preserve the defendants rights under Article 4 in an appropriate
tribunal of the requested country (the country that would do thegranting), rather than the requesting country (as would be
the case if the treaty stated that extradition shall not be sought).As such, the treaty imposed a limitation on the
requested state, rather than the requesting state. Article 8 of the treaty further supports our conclusion
where it states that the determination that extradition should or
should not be granted shall be made in accordance with the law of therequested State and the person whose extradition is sought
shall have the right to use all remedies and recourses provided by such
law (emphasis added). According to this language, a determination
whether the Oakland County prosecutor sought to extradite defendant for the
same offenses for which [*10] the
Ontario court tried and convicted him was a matter of Canadian law. Further, a
Canadian court would have been in a far better position to rule on issues
arising under Canadian law than would a court of our state. Therefore, we
conclude that defendants right to resist extradition was a matter for
a Canadian tribunal, rather than one of our state, to resolve. III We next turn to defendants contention
that his prosecution in Michigan, after his trial and conviction in Canada,
violated the double jeopardy prohibition of the Michigan Constitution. We review double jeopardy questions de novo. People v Walker, 234 Mich. App. 299, 302; 593 N.W.2d 673
(1999).The Double Jeopardy Clauses of the federal and state constitutions
prohibit a criminal defendant from being placed twice in jeopardy for a single
offense. United States v Jorn, 400 U.S. 470, 479; 91 S.
Ct. 547; 27 L. Ed. 2d 543 (1971); People v Burks, 220 Mich. App. 253, 256; 559 N.W.2d 357 (1996). Our review of the record indicates that the Oakland
County prosecutors charges of kidnapping and CSC I corresponded to
the events [*11] that occurred in
Michigan exclusively. Similarly, defendants Ontario trial and
conviction involved only the acts that defendant committed in the town of
Milton, Ontario. Crown counsel charged defendant with counts of unlawful
confinement, sexual assault, choking complainant to enable him to commit sexual
assault, uttering a death threat, and unlawful possession of
complainants jewelry. Consequently, the Oakland County prosecutor did
not seek to extradite defendant for the same offenses for which the Ontario
court convicted and sentenced him, with one possible exception. Only the Ontario conviction of unlawful confinement
and the Michigan conviction of kidnapping raise double jeopardy concerns. In a
multiple-prosecution case where one or more of the two offenses do not contain
a specific criminal intent as an element, to determine whether the two
convictions were for the same offense, we look to whether
they arose out of the same criminal episode or transaction and violated laws
that sought to prevent a similar type of harm. Crampton v 54-A Dist Judge, 397 Mich. 489, 502; 245 N.W.2d 28 (1976); People
v Hunt (After Remand), 214 Mich.
App. 313, 315-316; [*12] 542 N.W.2d
609 (1995). In this case, defendants act of confining complainant
against her will was continuous throughout the relevant period, and both
statutes sought to prevent a similar harm (unlawful confinement). In lieu of
engaging in a detailed review of Canadian law, we assume, but do not decide,
that they were the same offense for purposes of our Michigan double jeopardy
analysis. Our state constitution affords broader protection
against double jeopardy than does the federal constitution. n1 People v
Harrington, 194 Mich. App. 424,
428; 487 N.W.2d 479 (1992). In the context of prosecutions involving separate
sovereigns, Michigan courts interpret Const 1963, art 1, §&nsbp;15
to prohibit a second prosecution for an offense arising out of the
same criminal act unless it appears from the record that the interests of the
State of Michigan and the jurisdiction which initially prosecuted are
substantially different. People v Cooper, 398 Mich. 450, 461; 247 N.W.2d 866 (1976). See
also People v Childers, 459
Mich. 216, 219; 587 N.W.2d 17 (1998). The factors bearing on the question
[*13] include an analysis of
whether the respective maximum penalties are greatly disparate, and whether
some reason exists why one jurisdiction cannot be entrusted to
vindicate fully another jurisdictions interests in securing a
conviction, and whether the differences in the statutes are merely
jurisdictional or are more substantive. Cooper, supra at 461. n1 Defendant does not rely on the
federal constitution, apparently because the United States Supreme Court
opinions embrace the dual sovereignty doctrine. Under this
doctrine, successive state and federal prosecutions for the same offense do not
violate the Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the federal
constitution. Heath v Alabama, 474 U.S. 82, 88; 106 S. Ct.
433; 88 L. Ed. 2d 387 (1985); Abbate v United States, 359 U.S. 187, 195-196; 79
S. Ct. 666; 3 L. Ed. 2d 729 (1959); Bartkus v Illinois, 359 U.S. 121, 136-38; 79
S. Ct. 676; 3 L. Ed. 2d 684 (1959). A number of federal courts have extended
this doctrine to federal prosecutions following foreign. convictions. See,
e.g., United States v McRary,
616 F.2d 181, 185 (CA 5, 1980); United States v Richardson, 580 F.2d 946, 947 (CA 9, 1978); United States
v Galanis, 429 F. Supp. 1215, 1226
(D Conn, 1977). [*14] The Michigan kidnapping statute provides as
follows: Any person who wilfully, maliciously
and without lawful authority shall forcibly or secretly confine or imprison any
other person within this state against his will, or shall forcibly carry or
send such person out of this state, or shall forcibly seize or confine, or
shall inveigle or kidnap any other person with intent to extort money or other
valuable thing thereby or with intent either to cause such person to be
secretly confined or imprisoned in this state against his will, or in any way
held to service against his will, shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by
imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years. Every offense mentioned in this section
may be tried either in the county in which the same may have been committed or
in any county in or through which the person so seized, taken, inveigled,
kidnaped or whose services shall be sold or transferred, shall have been taken,
confined, held, carried or brought; and upon the trial of any such offense, the
consent thereto of the person, so taken, inveigled, kidnaped or confined, shall
not be a defense, unless it shall be made satisfactorily to appear [*15] to the jury that such consent was not
obtained by fraud nor extorted by duress or by threats. [MCL 750.349; MSA
28.581.]The relevant Canadian legislation reads, in pertinent part, as follows: Every one who, without lawful
authority, confines, imprisons or forcibly seizes another person is guilty of (a) an indictable offence and liable to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years; or (b) an offence punishable on summary
conviction and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding eighteen months.
[RSC 279(2)(1)(a)-(b).] The Michigan kidnapping statute sets forth several
theories to support a conviction of kidnapping. People v Wesley, 421 Mich. 375, 383-384; 365 N.W.2d 692 (1984).
The Oakland County prosecutor alleged forcible confinement, malicious intent,
and asportation within the state. Thus, defendants Michigan
conviction required both malicious intent and asportation. See Wesley, 421 Mich. at 385-386. Neither of these elements
appear in the Canadian statute. The statutes also differ in that they provide
widely disparate maximum penalties. The Michigan kidnapping statute authorizes
[*16] life imprisonment, whereas
the Canadian unlawful-confinement statute provides for a maximum often years. Further, the additional elements involved with the
Michigan kidnapping statute address a substantive, not merely jurisdictional,
difference from the Canadian unlawful-confinement statute. We also note that
the Canadian authorities prosecuted defendant under the Canadian
unlawful-confinement statute, not the kidnapping statute that precedes it, RSC
279(1). That the Canadian authorities eschewed the latter, which much more
closely resembled the Michigan kidnapping statute, reflects a determination to
vindicate Canadian interests exclusively, and to defer the prosecution for
kidnapping to the jurisdiction in which the kidnapping began.
Defendants subsequent prosecution for kidnapping, therefore, did not
violate the double jeopardy prohibition of the Michigan Constitution. IV We next address defendants assertion that
the prosecutor failed to produce sufficient evidence to satisfy the
personal injury element of MCL 750.520b(1)(f); MSA
28.788(2)(1)(f), which establishes that an actor is guilty of CSC I if
the actor causes personal injury to the victim [*17] and force or coercion is used to
accomplish sexual penetration. Personal injury for purposes of this
legislation includes bodily injury or mental anguish, and physical injuries for
this purpose need not be permanent or substantial. People v Himmelein, 177 Mich. App. 365, 376-377; 442 N.W.2d 667
(1989). To prove mental anguish, the prosecution is required to
produce evidence from which a rational trier of fact could conclude, beyond a
reasonable doubt, that the victim experienced extreme or excruciating pain,
distress, or suffering of the mind. People v Petrella, 424 Mich. 221, 259; 380 N.W.2d 11 (1985). In
reviewing this issue, we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to
the prosecution to determine whether a rational trier of fact could find
defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. People v Johnson, 460 Mich. 720, 722-723; 597 N.W.2d 73 (1999). Defendant cites People v Payne, 90 Mich. App. 713; 282 N.W.2d 456 (1979), for the
proposition that an injury that supports one instance of CSC I cannot support
additional counts stemming from subsequent [*18]
penetrations. InPayne, this
Court ruled that where a beating supported an initial act of CSC I, that
beating could not satisfy the personal injury element, for purposes of CSC I,
of subsequent forcible penetrations. Id. at 718. Payne is not
binding on this panel. See MCR 7.215(H)(1). n2 n2 MCR 7.215(H)(1) only requires us to
follow the rule of law established in a published opinion issued on or after
November 1, 1990. In People v Martinez, 190 Mich. App. 442, 445; 476 N.W.2d 641 (1991),
however, this Court held that an initial assault may by itself satisfy the
personal injury element of several penetrations occurring within ten minutes of
the assault, where there was no indication of the
defendants intention to discontinue the attack during the entire
episode. See also People v Hunt, 170 Mich. App. 1, 8; 427 N.W.2d 907 (1988) (The beating
visited upon the complainant immediately prior to the series of sexual penetrations is sufficient [*19] to supply the element of personal injury
with respect to each of the subsequent penetrations so as to support multiple
convictions under MCL 750.520b(1)(f); MSA 28.788(2)(1)(f). [emphasis
added].) This case presents us with the question whether any
of the alleged penetrations were not simultaneously accompanied by personal
injury, and, if so, whether those penetrations occurred under circumstances
that nonetheless connected them with personal injury that occurred earlier in
the course of the victims ordeal. The prosecution introduced
photographs indicating that complainant suffered cuts and bruises, but we
cannot determine from the trial record which injuries were attributable to the
events in Michigan, and which occurred in Canada. We must therefore examine
complainants testimony regarding each incident. Complainant testified that before the first alleged
penetration, defendant stated that he was going to deliver her to his Mafia
connections in New York, and that complainant believed him. Complainant also
reported that defendant tied her hands so tightly that her fingers went numb.
Defendant then forced her legs apart to achieve vaginal penetration. [*20] This evidence was sufficient to support a
finding that complainant was subjected to both personal injury and mental
anguish in connection with the first penetration. With respect to the second penetration, complainant
testified that defendant overcame her resistance by repeatedly striking her with
an open hand, and again forcing her legs apart and penetrating her vaginally.
The open-hand slaps supported a finding of physical injury. See People v
Kraai, 92 Mich. App. 398, 402-403;
285 N.W.2d 309 (1979). Before the third penetration, defendant wrapped a
necktie around complainants throat that prevented her from breathing.
When defendant stopped strangling her, he again forced her to endure sexual
intercourse. The degree of strangulation that complainant reported supports a
finding that she suffered bodily injury. See Kraai, 92 Mich. App. at 402-403. Further, complainant
felt that defendant derived amusement from overpowering her, which also
supported a finding that she suffered humiliation, or suffering of the mind. We also conclude that the evidence was sufficient
to support a finding that complainant was subjected to personal injury in
connection [*21] with the fourth
penetration. Complainant testified that after the third penetration, defendant
continued his threat to turn her over to the Mafia and that he hurt her when he
struck her on the leg with his fist and slapped her in the face at least twice.
Defendant then drove her in his car and parked it behind a building, where he
penetrated her digitally and performed cunnilingus on her. The events leading
up to this sex act supported a finding of both bodily harm and mental anguish. Complainant testified that before the fifth
penetration, defendant left her tied up and strapped to his vehicle while he
registered for a motel room. Once in the room, defendant told her that if she
behaved, he would take her home the next morning.
Complainant reported that, after about twenty minutes in the room, defendant
then asked her to perform oral sex on him, which she did. Complainant emphasized
that she did so because she thought she was bargaining for her freedom.
Defendant thus reduced complainant to the role of a beggar. In our view, a
rational trier of fact could conclude that defendants conditioning
complainants freedom, if not her life, on her performing a sexual act
caused her distress [*22] and
suffering of the mind sufficient to satisfy the personal injury element.
Further, our reading of Hunt
and Martinez, supra,indicates that we need not consider an act of penetration
in isolation. With respect to this fifth penetration, we cannot ignore that
this act occurred against a backdrop of ongoing physical violence and
psychological torment. According to complainant, the events preceding the
sixth penetration included arguing and defendants repeated threat to
leave complainant a captive of the Mafia, threatening her with a raised fist,
and trapping her in a small sauna bath for fifteen to twenty minutes despite
knowing that she was claustrophobic. Afterward, defendant pulled her out of the
sauna, threw her onto the bed, and forced her to have intercourse. At the very
least, complainants suffering of the Mafia threat, and being forced
to confront her claustrophobia for a quarter hour, was evidence of mental anguish,
and hence personal injury. V The prosecutor alleged that defendant committed six
acts of sexual penetration, charged him with six counts of CSC I, and set forth
alternative theories to support each: MCL 750.520b(1)(c) [*23] ; MSA 28.788(2)(1)(c) (sexual penetration
occurring during the commission of a felony) and MCL 750.520b(1)(f); MSA
28.788(2)(1)(f) (actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual
penetration and the victim suffers physical injury). Notwithstanding the fact
that the prosecutor alleged only six acts of sexual penetration, the jury
convicted defendant of twelve counts of CSC I. Defendant asserts that the
twelve convictions constituted multiple punishments for the same offense in
violation of double jeopardy, US Const, Am V; Const 1963, art
1,§&nsbp;15. We agree. The double jeopardy prohibition includes subjecting
a defendant to multiple punishments for a single offense. Witte v United
States, 515 U.S. 389, 395-396; 115
S. Ct. 2199; 132 L. Ed. 2d 351 (1995); People v Wilson, 454 Mich. 421, 427; 563
N.W.2d 44 (1997). In this case, the jury convicted defendant twice for each
instance of sexual penetration. In People v Bigelow, 229 Mich. App. 218; 581 N.W.2d 744 (1998), this
Court concluded that separate convictions and sentences for both premeditated
murder and [*24] felony murder,
both of which arose from a single instance of criminal conduct, violated the
rule against double jeopardy. Id.
at 220. The Court remedied the double jeopardy problem by directing the lower
court to amend the judgment of sentence to reflect a single conviction and a
single sentence for a crime that was supported by two separate theories. Bigelow, 229 Mich. App. at 221-222. We likewise remand this
case to the trial court so that it may amend the judgment of sentence
specifically to reflect that two alternate theories supported each of the six
counts of CSC I. Accordingly, we further direct the trial court to vacate six
of defendants twelve sentences for CSC I. VI Defendants final argument is that the
prosecution deprived him of his right to a speedy trial in not securing
defendants extradition until after he served his sentence in Canada.
From what we are able to ascertain from the record, the United States initiated
extradition procedures in 1989, but the Oakland County prosecutor did not
finally arrange for defendants extradition until April 1996, after
defendant served his Canadian sentence. A criminal defendant has a constitutional and
statutory right to a speedy trial. [*25]
US Const, Ams VI and XIV; Const 1963, art 1, §&nsbp;20; MCL 768.1;
MSA 28.1024. See also MCR 6.004(A). In determining whether a
defendant has been denied a speedy trial, four factors must be balanced: (1)
the length of the delay, (2) the reasons for the delay, (3) whether the
defendant asserted his right to a speedy trial, and (4) prejudice to the
defendant from the delay. People v Levandoski, 237 Mich. App. 612, 620, n 4; 603 N.W.2d 831
(1999), citing Barker v Wingo, 407 U.S. 514, 530; 92 S.
Ct. 2182; 33 L. Ed. 2d 101 (1972). Speedy trial claims raise constitutional
issues that we review de novo. People v Cain, 238 Mich. App. 95, 108; 605 N.W.2d 28 (1999). In this case, the delay between the events
underlying defendants conviction and his extradition was
approximately seven years. We consider the length of this delay substantial.
The reasons for the delay, however, mitigate our concerns about its length. The
court below noted that the Ontario court ordered that defendants
surrender occur only after defendants full parole or release from
imprisonment. [*26] Article 7 of the extradition treaty provides as
follows: When the person whose extradition is requested is
being proceeded against or is serving a sentence in the territory of the
requested State for an offense other than that for which extradition has been
requested, his surrender may be deferred until the conclusion of the
proceedings and the full execution of any punishment he may be or may have been
awarded. In dicta contained in People v Donaldson, 103 Mich. App. 42, 46; 302 N.W.2d 592 (1981),
this Court remarked that the treaty does not require Canada to consent to a
defendants extradition until after the completion of any validly
imposed Canadian sentence. The treaty involved in the present case, however,
did not apply in Donaldson
because the underlying facts in the case occurred before the effective date of
the treaty. This Court therefore engaged in an interpretation of both a
Canadian statute and the predecessor to the treaty at issue in this case, the
Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1984, 8 Stat 572; TS 119, as supplemented by the Convention
of 1889 between the United States and Great Britain, 26 Stat 1508; TS 139. The
Canadian statute, [*27] made
applicable under the terms of the Webster-Ashburton treaty, mandated that a
Canadian jurisdiction not surrender a person for extradition until after the
person was acquitted or his sentence expired. Id. at 47. This Court stated: Under these circumstances, we are not inclined to
hold that the prosecutor was obligated to seek extradition of defendant before
expiration of his Canadian sentence. There was no failure to afford a speedy
trial in this case, where the prosecutor moved for a trial promptly after the
return of defendant to Michigan. [Id.] In this case, the Ontario authorities availed
themselves of their discretion under Article 7 of the treaty not to surrender
defendant until after defendants full parole or release from
imprisonment in Canada. The Oakland County prosecutor secured
defendants extradition after his release in 1996. In our view, the
instant case is indistinguishable from Donaldson.We are mindful that Michigan prefers the speedy
administration of justice. However, the interests of justice do not militate in
favor of Michigans taking steps to truncate or otherwise interfere
with a Canadian courts execution of its own criminal sentence. [*28] Further, defendant does not contend that
the delay prejudiced his ability to put on a defense or deprived him of any
civil liberties. n3 We conclude that the prosecution did not deprive defendant
of his right to a speedy trial. n4 n3 Defendant asserts that he served his
full sentence, instead of being paroled, in part because he declined to take
advantage of rehabilitative services for fear that his participation would
create evidence that might be used against him in Michigan. However,
rehabilitative services in prison are a privilege, not the prisoners
right. See People v Malmquist, 155 Mich. App. 521, 525-526; 400 N.W.2d 317
(1986). As concerns defendants Canadian incarceration, he made a strategic
decision not to avail himself of the privilege of sex-offender services. That
defendant, by engaging in a course of criminal behavior that involved Canada as
well as Michigan, placed himself in a position where he felt it best not to
talk candidly about his crimes while incarcerated in Canada, simply does not
persuade us to find that he suffered prejudice attributable to this state.
[*29] n4 In the course of his argument,
defendant asserts that the Interstate Agreement on Detainers (IAD), MCL 780.601
et seq.; MSA 4.147(1) et
seq., provides that prisoners are
protected against unreasonable delays. Defendant does not assert, let alone
explain, that the agreement applies to Canada. A party may not merely state a
position and then leave it to this Court to discover and rationalize the basis
for the claim. In re Hamlet (After Remand), 225 Mich. App. 505, 521; 571 N.W.2d 750 (1997); In re Toler, 193 Mich. App. 474, 477; 484 N.W.2d 672 (1992).
Similarly, [a] party may not leave it to this Court to search for
authority to sustain or reject its position. In re Keifer, 159 Mich. App. 288, 294; 406 N.W.2d 217 (1987).
Further, defendant did not state a claim under the IAD as a question raised on
appeal, thus waiving it for appellate consideration. Meagher v McNeely &
Lincoln, Inc., 212 Mich. App. 154, 156; 536 N.W.2d 851 (1995). See also MCR
7.212(C)(5). We therefore decline to consider the issue. Defendant similarly points to Article
4(1)(ii) of the extradition treaty with Canada, which provides that extradition
will not be granted when the prosecution for the offense has become
barred by lapse of time according to the laws of the requesting
State. However, defendant does not allege that the statute of
limitations had run for the Michigan offenses. Defendant also did not include
the treaty question in his statement of the issue. We decline to address this
question as well. Moreover, as we stated earlier in this opinion, defendant
should have raised this issue in a Canadian tribunal.
[*30] Finally, defendant raises the 180-day rule of MCL
780.131; MSA 28.969(1), and MCR 6.004(A) and (D). The statutory version of the
rule concerns an untried warrant, indictment, information, or
complaint setting forth against any inmate of a correctional facility in
this state.
MCL 780.131(1); MSA 28.969(1)(1) (emphasis added). Clearly defendants
incarceration in Canada does not implicate this legislation. Turning to the
court rule, MCR 6.004(A) states only the general principle that both parties in
criminal actions are entitled to a speedy resolution of all matters
before the court, and subrule (D)(1) states that the prosecutor must
make a good faith effort to bring a criminal charge to trial within
180 days
. Subrules (D)(1)(a) and (b), however, establish that
the rule applies to persons incarcerated in a state prison
or detained in a local facility. The court rule thus also
has no application to a prisoner serving a sentence in a foreign country. Affirmed but remanded for amendment of the judgment
of sentence. We do not retain jurisdiction. /s/ Peter D. OConnell /s/ William C. Whitbeck Kelly, J., [*31]
concurred in the result only. /s/ Michael J. Kelly |