HOUSE BILL No. 6678

 

 

November 19, 2008, Introduced by Rep. Alma Smith and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     A bill to repeal 1927 PA 175, entitled

 

"The code of criminal procedure,"

 

by amending sections 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of chapter IX (MCL 769.8,

 

769.9, 769.10, 769.11, and 769.12), section 8 as amended by 1998 PA

 

317 and sections 10, 11, and 12 as amended by 2006 PA 655; and to

 

repeal acts and parts of acts.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

CHAPTER IX

 

     Sec. 8. (1) When a person is convicted for the first time for

 

committing a felony and the punishment prescribed by law for that

 

offense may be imprisonment in a state prison, the court imposing

 

sentence shall not fix a definite term of imprisonment. , but shall

 

fix a minimum term, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

 

The maximum penalty provided by law shall be the maximum sentence


 

in all cases except as provided in this chapter and shall be stated

 

by the judge in imposing the sentence.

 

     (2) Before or at the time of imposing sentence, the judge

 

shall ascertain by examining the defendant under oath, or

 

otherwise, and by other evidence as can be obtained tending to

 

indicate briefly the causes of the defendant's criminal character

 

or conduct, which facts and other facts that appear to be pertinent

 

in the case the judge shall cause to be entered upon the minutes of

 

the court.

 

     Sec. 9. (1) The provisions of this chapter relative to

 

indeterminate sentences shall not apply to a person convicted for

 

the commission of an offense for which the only punishment

 

prescribed by law is imprisonment for life.

 

     (1) (2) In all cases where the maximum sentence in the

 

discretion of the court may be imprisonment for life or any number

 

or term of years, the court may impose a sentence for life or may

 

impose a sentence for any term of years. If the sentence imposed by

 

the court is for any term of years, the court shall fix both the

 

minimum and the maximum of that sentence in terms of years or

 

fraction thereof. , and sentences so imposed shall be considered

 

indeterminate sentences. The court shall not impose a sentence in

 

which the maximum penalty is life imprisonment with a minimum for a

 

term of years included in the same sentence.

 

     (2) (3) In cases involving a major controlled substance

 

offense for which the court is directed by law to impose a sentence

 

which that cannot be less than a specified term of years nor more

 

than a specified term of years, the court in imposing the sentence


 

shall fix the length of both the minimum and maximum sentence

 

within those specified limits, in terms of years or fraction

 

thereof. , and the sentence so imposed shall be considered an

 

indeterminate sentence.

 

     Sec. 10. (1) If a person has been convicted of a felony or an

 

attempt to commit a felony, whether the conviction occurred in this

 

state or would have been for a felony or attempt to commit a felony

 

in this state if obtained in this state, and that person commits a

 

subsequent felony within this state, the person shall be punished

 

upon conviction of the subsequent felony and sentencing under

 

section 13 of this chapter as follows:

 

     (a) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for a term less than life, the court,

 

except as otherwise provided in this section or section 1 of

 

chapter XI, may place the person on probation or sentence the

 

person to imprisonment for a maximum term that is not more than 1-

 

1/2 times the longest term prescribed for a first conviction of

 

that offense or for a lesser term.

 

     (b) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for life, the court, except as otherwise

 

provided in this section or section 1 of chapter XI, may place the

 

person on probation or sentence the person to imprisonment for life

 

or for a lesser term.

 

     (c) If the subsequent felony is a major controlled substance

 

offense, the person shall be punished as provided by part 74 of the

 

public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401 to 333.7461.

 

     (2) If the court pursuant to this section imposes a sentence


 

of imprisonment for any term of years, the court shall fix the

 

length of both the minimum and maximum that sentence within any

 

specified limits in terms of years or a fraction of a year. and the

 

sentence so imposed shall be considered an indeterminate sentence.

 

The court shall not fix a maximum sentence that is less than the

 

maximum term for a first conviction.

 

     (3) A conviction shall not be used to enhance a sentence under

 

this section if that conviction is used to enhance a sentence under

 

a statute that prohibits use of the conviction for further

 

enhancement under this section.

 

     Sec. 11. (1) If a person has been convicted of any combination

 

of 2 or more felonies or attempts to commit felonies, whether the

 

convictions occurred in this state or would have been for felonies

 

or attempts to commit felonies in this state if obtained in this

 

state, and that person commits a subsequent felony within this

 

state, the person shall be punished upon conviction of the

 

subsequent felony and sentencing under section 13 of this chapter

 

as follows:

 

     (a) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for a term less than life, the court,

 

except as otherwise provided in this section or section 1 of

 

chapter XI, may sentence the person to imprisonment for a maximum

 

term that is not more than twice the longest term prescribed by law

 

for a first conviction of that offense or for a lesser term.

 

     (b) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for life, the court, except as otherwise

 

provided in this section or section 1 of chapter XI, may sentence


 

the person to imprisonment for life or for a lesser term.

 

     (c) If the subsequent felony is a major controlled substance

 

offense, the person shall be punished as provided by part 74 of the

 

public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401 to 333.7461.

 

     (2) If the court pursuant to this section imposes a sentence

 

of imprisonment for any term of years, the court shall fix the

 

length of both the minimum and maximum that sentence within any

 

specified limits in terms of years or a fraction of a year. , and

 

the sentence so imposed shall be considered an indeterminate

 

sentence. The court shall not fix a maximum sentence that is less

 

than the maximum term for a first conviction.

 

     (3) A conviction shall not be used to enhance a sentence under

 

this section if that conviction is used to enhance a sentence under

 

a statute that prohibits use of the conviction for further

 

enhancement under this section.

 

     Sec. 12. (1) If a person has been convicted of any combination

 

of 3 or more felonies or attempts to commit felonies, whether the

 

convictions occurred in this state or would have been for felonies

 

or attempts to commit felonies in this state if obtained in this

 

state, and that person commits a subsequent felony within this

 

state, the person shall be punished upon conviction of the

 

subsequent felony and sentencing under section 13 of this chapter

 

as follows:

 

     (a) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for a maximum term of 5 years or more or

 

for life, the court, except as otherwise provided in this section

 

or section 1 of chapter XI, may sentence the person to imprisonment


 

for life or for a lesser term.

 

     (b) If the subsequent felony is punishable upon a first

 

conviction by imprisonment for a maximum term that is less than 5

 

years, the court, except as otherwise provided in this section or

 

section 1 of chapter XI, may sentence the person to imprisonment

 

for a maximum term of not more than 15 years.

 

     (c) If the subsequent felony is a major controlled substance

 

offense, the person shall be punished as provided by part 74 of the

 

public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.7401 to 333.7461.

 

     (2) If the court pursuant to this section imposes a sentence

 

of imprisonment for any term of years, the court shall fix the

 

length of both the minimum and maximum that sentence within any

 

specified limits in terms of years or a fraction of a year. , and

 

the sentence so imposed shall be considered an indeterminate

 

sentence. The court shall not fix a maximum sentence that is less

 

than the maximum term for a first conviction.

 

     (3) A conviction shall not be used to enhance a sentence under

 

this section if that conviction is used to enhance a sentence under

 

a statute that prohibits use of the conviction for further

 

enhancement under this section.

 

     (4) An offender sentenced under this section or section 10 or

 

11 of this chapter for an offense other than a major controlled

 

substance offense is not eligible for parole until expiration of

 

the following:

 

     (a) For a prisoner other than a prisoner subject to

 

disciplinary time, the minimum term fixed by the sentencing judge

 

at the time of sentence unless the sentencing judge or a successor


 

gives written approval for parole at an earlier date authorized by

 

law.

 

     (b) For a prisoner subject to disciplinary time, the minimum

 

term fixed by the sentencing judge.

 

     (4) (5) This section and sections 10 and 11 of this chapter

 

are not in derogation of other provisions of law that permit or

 

direct the imposition of a consecutive sentence for a subsequent

 

felony.

 

     (5) (6) As used in this section, "prisoner subject to

 

disciplinary time" means that term as defined in section 34 of 1893

 

PA 118, MCL 800.34.

 

     Enacting section 1. Sections 1 to 69 of chapter XVII of the

 

code of criminal procedure, 1927 PA 175, MCL 777.1 to 777.69, are

 

repealed.

 

     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act takes effect January

 

1, 2010.

 

     Enacting section 3. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 6676(request no.

 

07944'08) of the 94th Legislature is enacted into law.