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Jason A. Dixon v. State of Alaska (7/26/2024) ap-2786

Jason A. Dixon v. State of Alaska (7/26/2024) ap-2786

                                               NOTICE  

        The text of this opinion can be corrected before the opinion is published in the  

        Pacific Reporter. Readers are encouraged to bring typographical or other formal  

        errors to the attention of the Clerk of the Appellate Courts:  

                               303 K Street, Anchorage, Alaska 99501  

                                        Fax: (907) 264-0878  

                                 E-mail: corrections@akcourts.gov  



              IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF ALASKA  



JASON A. DIXON,  

                                                              Court of Appeals No. A-13944  

                                Appellant,                 Trial Court No. 3KN-16-01428 CR  



                        v.  

                                                                       O P I N I O N  

STATE OF ALASKA,  



                                Appellee.                       No. 2786 - July 26, 2024  



                Appeal from the Superior Court, Third Judicial District, Kenai,  

                Lance Joanis, Judge.  



                Appearances: Isabella Blizard, Assistant Public Advocate, and  

                James Stinson, Public Advocate, Anchorage, for the Appellant.  

                Nancy   R.   Simel,   Assistant   Attorney   General,   Office   of  

                Criminal Appeals, Anchorage, and Treg R. Taylor, Attorney  

                General, Juneau, for the Appellee.  



                Before:  Allard,  Chief  Judge,  and  Wollenberg  and  Harbison,  

                Judges.  



                Judge HARBISON.  



                Jason A. Dixon broke into a motorhome and stole personal property, and  



then stole a car and fled from the police. He later pleaded guilty, as part of a Criminal  



Rule 11 agreement, to one count of first-degree vehicle theft, one count of first-degree  



failure to stop, one count of second-degree theft, one count of fourth-degree criminal  


----------------------- Page 2-----------------------

                                                                  1 

mischief, and one count of driving without a license.  As part of the agreement, Dixon  



agreed to pay restitution to the victims in an amount that would be determined later in  



the proceedings. The superior court accepted the agreement, sentenced Dixon, entered  



a judgment of conviction, and scheduled a restitution hearing.   



                 Ahead of the restitution hearing, Dixon (who was in  custody) requested  



that the superior court order the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to transport him to  



               2 

the hearing.  DPS refused to transport Dixon to the hearing, and the court never issued  



an order for it to do so. The court also declined Dixon's alternative request to continue  



the hearing until he was released from custody. Consequently, Dixon participated in the  



hearing by telephone. At the close of the hearing, the superior court entered a restitution  



order that included $39,485 in restitution that Dixon had disputed.   



                 On  appeal,  Dixon  and  the  State  agree  that  the  superior  court  erred  in  



denying  his  request  to  be  personally  present  at  the  restitution  hearing,  and  that  the  



court's error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. The parties also agree that  



the superior court incorrectly awarded restitution for a corded DeWalt jig saw , and that  



it overlooked certain legal provisions related to accessing legal and medical records  



when it determined the value of a box containing this type of records.   



                 We  have  independently reviewed the record, and  we conclude that the  



                                               3 

State's concessions are well-founded.  We accordingly vacate the restitution judgment  



and remand this matter to the superior court for further proceedings. On remand, the  



    1   AS 11.46.360(a)(1), AS 28.35.182(a)(1), AS 11.46.130(a)(1), AS 11.46.484(a)(1),  



and AS 28.15.011, respectively.   



    2   The superior court and the parties referred to "judicial services" when discussing  



the transfer order. "Judicial services" is an informal way of referencing a specific branch  

of the Alaska State Troopers that works with the Alaska Court System. The Alaska State  

Troopers, in turn, is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety.   



    3   See Marks v. State , 496 P.2d 66, 67-68 (Alaska 1972) (requiring an appellate court  



to independently assess any concession of error by the State in a criminal case).  



                                                   - 2 -                                                2786  


----------------------- Page 3-----------------------

superior court must conduct a de novo restitution hearing, ensuring that Dixon is given  



                                                             4 

an opportunity to attend the hearing in person.   



         Background facts  



                  Dixon pleaded guilty, pursuant to a Criminal Rule 11  agreement, to  one  



count of first-degree vehicle theft, one count of first-degree failure to stop, one count of  



second-degree theft, one count of fourth-degree criminal mischief, and one  count of  



                                  5 

driving without a license.  In exchange, the State agreed to dismiss other charges. The  



following week, the court accepted the agreement,  sentenced Dixon to the negotiated  



composite term of 2 years and 30 days to serve, and ordered Dixon to pay restitution in  



an amount to be later determined.   



    4    Dixon also argues that the court applied the wrong legal standard when determining  



the amount of restitution. Because we are vacating the restitution judgment and remanding  

this case to the superior court for a new restitution hearing, we need not decide this issue.  

However,  we  wish  to  clarify  several  of  the  legal  concepts  that  are  applicable  to  the  

restitution determination. As Dixon points out, the State is required to prove the restitution  

                                                                          

amount, if contested, by a preponderance of the evidence. See Noffsinger v. State , 850 P.2d  

647, 650 (Alaska App. 1993) (citing Brakes v. State, 796 P.2d 1368, 1372 n.5 (Alaska  

App.  1990)); Skupa v. State, 520 P.3d 1184, 1191 (Alaska App. 2022). In determining the  

amount of actual restitution damages, a trial court "shall value property as the market value  

of the property at the time and place of the crime or, if the market value cannot reasonably  

be ascertained, the cost of replacement of the property within a reasonable time after the  

crime." AS 12.55.045(n). A court may rely on victim testimony to determine property value  

if there is "no conflicting evidence of value." Fee v. State, 656 P.2d 1202, 1205-06 (Alaska  

App.  1982).  However,  the  victim's  testimony  must  still  be  sufficient  to  prove  by  a  

preponderance of the evidence the amount of restitution owed - i.e., the testimony must  

be sufficiently reliable that the trier of fact believes  "that the existence of a fact is more  

probable than its nonexistence."  Concrete Pipe & Prods. of Cal., Inc. v. Constr. Laborers  

Pension Tr. for S. Cal. , 508 U.S. 602, 622 (1993)  (quoting In re Winship , 397 U.S. 358,  

371-72 (1970) (Harlan, J., concurring)). 



     5   AS 11.46.360(a)(1), AS 28.35.182(a)(1), AS 11.46.130(a)(1), AS 11.46.484(a)(1),  



and AS 28.15.011, respectively.   



                                                      - 3 -                                                   2786  


----------------------- Page 4-----------------------

                A restitution hearing was scheduled, and the  evidentiary portion of the  



hearing was conducted over three days. Prior to the restitution hearing, Dixon's attorney  



requested that Dixon be allowed to attend the hearing in person and asked the superior  



court to facilitate his transport by DPS from prison. The attorney pointed out that under  



Alaska Criminal Rule 38(a)(1), Dixon had the right to appear in person at any hearing  



                                                    6 

during which evidence would be presented.  The court noted that it had already asked  



DPS to transport Dixon, but that DPS had said "no" because DPS considered Dixon to  



be already sentenced. The court stated that Dixon would need to provide legal authority  



that would justify the court ordering DPS to transport him.   



                On the first day of the restitution hearing, the defense attorney noted that  



Dixon "wants to be here in person," but  could not attend because he was  in custody.  



The defense attorney also noted that she had been unable to meet with Dixon in person  



to prepare for the hearing. She then requested a continuance, asking that the hearing be  



postponed until either she could meet with Dixon in person, or until Dixon was released  



from custody and could attend himself. The State opposed postponing the hearing, and  



the  superior court denied Dixon's request for a continuance. The hearing commenced  



with Dixon participating telephonically, and the State called its first witness.   



                On the second day of the hearing, the State called its second witness. After  



this  witness  testified,  the  defense  attorney  reiterated  that  Dixon  had  a  right  to  be  



physically present  at the restitution hearing,  and  stated that  Dixon's  presence would  



have been helpful in determining what questions to ask the State's witness. In response,  



the  superior court  first stated, "I honestly don't know if Criminal Rule 38 applies to  



restitution." But then, after taking a break and consulting with another judge, the court  



ruled that attending the restitution hearing by video call or telephone, as Dixon had been  



    6   Alaska R. Crim. P.  38(a)(1) ("The defendant shall be physically present for every  



hearing  at  which  evidence  will  be  presented  and  all  stages  of  the  trial  including  the  

impaneling of the jury and return of the verdict[.]").  



                                                 - 4 -                                             2786  


----------------------- Page 5-----------------------

doing, satisfied Rule 38. Dixon and his attorney therefore attended the final day of the  



hearing telephonically from prison.    



                 After the restitution hearing was completed, the court entered a judgment  



for $39,485 of the $57,875 of contested restitution.   



         Why we vacate the restitution order  



                 On appeal, the parties agree that Dixon had a right to be present for the  



restitution hearing and that the restitution judgment must be vacated because Dixon was  



not physically present at the hearing .   



                 A defendant has the constitutional right, under both the United States and  



the Alaska Constitutions, to be physically present  at every critical stage of a criminal  



                                            7 

proceeding,  including  sentencing.   The  superior  court  characterized  restitution  as  



"essentially  part  of  sentencing,"  but  nevertheless  ruled  that  Dixon's  right  to  be  



personally present at sentencing was not implicated. This was incorrect.  



                 Under Alaska law, "restitution is a 'hybrid remedy ' with both punitive and  



                        8 

remedial  aspects."   For  this  reason,  restitution  is  considered  part  of  the  defendant's  



                                                                                                  9 

sentence and also may be a condition of any probation or suspended sentence.  Thus, a  



restitution hearing is part of, rather than distinct from, a  sentencing proceeding, and a  



defendant has the right to be personally present during such a hearing.  



    7    U.S. Const. amends. V, VI, XIV; Alaska Const. art. I, §§ 1, 7; see Illinois v. Allen ,  



397 U.S. 337, 338 (1970); Henry v. State, 861 P.2d 582, 592 (Alaska App. 1993).  



    8    Groom v. State, __ P.3d __, 2024 WL 2790722, at *5 (Alaska App. May 31, 2024)  



(quoting Ortiz v. State, 173 P.3d 430, 432-33 (Alaska App. 2007)).   



    9   Id. ;  AS  12.55.045(i);  see  also  Skupa  v.  State,  520  P.3d  1184,  1186  (Alaska  



App. 2022).    



                                                    - 5 -                                                2786  


----------------------- Page 6-----------------------

                This right is reflected in Alaska Criminal Rule 38(a), which states that a  

"defendant charged with a felony offense shall be present . . . at a sentencing hearing."10  



Indeed,  Rule  38  provides  an  even  broader  protection  than  what  is  constitutionally  

required,11 reflecting the fact that "the defendant's presence at all stages of the trial -  



whether or not a particular proceeding has a direct bearing on the defendant's guilt or  

innocence - promotes the perception and reality of fairness in the trial process." 12   



                We agree with the parties that the superior court erred in conducting the  



hearing without Dixon being present in the courtroom.  Dixon had a  right under the  



United States Constitution, the Alaska Constitution, and Alaska Criminal Rule 38(a) to  

be personally present at the restitution hearing.13    



                When a trial court denies a defendant the constitutional right to be present,  

this Court will reverse unless the error is harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. 14  The  



parties agree  that the court's error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt . We  



also agree.  



                The record reflects the difficulties posed by Dixon's physical absence at  



his  restitution  hearing.  Dixon  described  the  prison  telephone  that  he  was  using  as  



"terrible," and the superior court noted on one occasion that it could "barely" hear him.  



    10  Alaska  R.  Crim.  P.  38(a);  see  also  Alaska  R.  Crim.  P.  38(a)(1)  (stating  that  the  



defendant  "shall  be  physically  present  for  every  hearing  at  which  evidence  will  be  

presented").  



    11  Raphael v. State, 994 P.2d 1004, 1011 (Alaska 2000)  (citing Henry , 861 P.2d  at  



593).  



    12  Id. at  1012 (citing Lee v. Illinois , 476 U.S. 530, 540 (1986)).  



    13   When  a  defendant  has  a  constitutional  right  to  be  present  at  a  proceeding,  the  



defendant must personally waive his right to be present or expressly consent to allow the  

proceeding  to  occur  outside  his  presence.  Pease  v.  State,  54  P.3d  316,  324-25  (Alaska  

App. 2002).  



    14  Id. at 1013.  



                                                - 6 -                                             2786  


----------------------- Page 7-----------------------

At one point, when the defense attorney was cross-examining a State's witness  about  



stolen property, Dixon interjected, telling the court that he never received copies of the  



photos being discussed  and therefore could not effectively understand the  discussion  



about them. And as Dixon's attorney explained to the court, without Dixon present, she  



was unable to receive information from him  to  assist  in her cross-examination of the  



witnesses.   



               Later on in the hearing, when Dixon and his attorney attempted to attend  



the hearing together by videocall from the prison, the videocall system was not working.  



Dixon and the  attorney then tried to use the regular phone system, but the phone was  



cutting out intermittently. At one point, only one person, either Dixon or his attorney,  



could hold the phone to their ear to listen to the proceedings while the other was unable  



to hear what was happening. And  during Dixon's telephonic testimony, his attorney  



struggled  at  times  to  hear  what  was  being  said  by  participants  who  were  in  the  



courtroom.  



               This    record    demonstrates      that   Dixon's     absence     fundamentally  



undermined his ability to challenge the State's evidence. Because the superior court's  



error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, we reverse the restitution order and  



remand for a new hearing that must be conducted in Dixon's presence.  



        Why we conclude that the superior court incorrectly awarded restitution  

       for two specific items    



               In addition to his general arguments against the court's restitution award,  



Dixon also argues that the superior court incorrectly awarded restitution for two specific  



items:  (1)  item  14,  a  "[c]orded  DeWalt  jig  saw,"  and  (2)  item  45,  a  "large  box  of  



personal  paperwork"  and  other  items.  The  State  concedes  that  the  evidence  was  



insufficient to support a restitution award for the corded jig saw and also concedes that  



the  superior  court may have erred in awarding restitution for the victims'  legal and  



medical paperwork.   



                                               - 7 -                                          2786  


----------------------- Page 8-----------------------

               We   have   reviewed   the   record,   and   we   conclude   that   the   State's  

concessions are well-taken.15 Although there was no evidence presented about the jig  



saw, the court awarded $100 for this item. The court also awarded $800 for the box of  



paperwork and other items, based in part on a belief that the victims would have to pay  



to replace the legal and medical files in the box. But Alaskans have the right to access  



their own legal and medical records,  and thus the  cost to replace the paperwork may  

have been minimal.16 When the superior court conducts the de novo restitution hearing,  



it should be mindful of these concessions .  



        Conclusion  



               We VACATE the superior court's restitution award and remand for a new  



restitution hearing with instructions that Dixon must be given the opportunity to attend  



the hearing in person.   



    15  See Marks v. State , 496 P.2d 66, 67-68 (Alaska 1972).  



    16   See Ethics Opinion No. 2011-1 (Alaska Bar Ass'n 2011) (opining that a lawyer must  

provide the original file to a former client upon request and may not charge the client if the  

lawyer opts to make copies for their own purposes); AS 18.23.005 (providing that a patient  

has the right to inspect and copy their health care records); 45 C.F.R. §  164.524(a) (2023)  

(same). But see 45 C.F.R.  § 164.524(c)(4) (2023) (providing that a medical provider may  

impose reasonable fees for the copying of records).  



                                             - 8 -                                         2786  

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