{ "id": 4179743, "name": "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. BILLY GENE WILLIAMS", "name_abbreviation": "State v. Williams", "decision_date": "2010-10-19", "docket_number": "No. COA10-347", "first_page": "499", "last_page": "506", "citations": [ { "type": "official", "cite": "207 N.C. App. 499" } ], "court": { "name_abbreviation": "N.C. Ct. App.", "id": 14983, "name": "North Carolina Court of Appeals" }, "jurisdiction": { "id": 5, "name_long": "North Carolina", "name": "N.C." }, "cites_to": [ { "cite": "400 U.S. 25", "category": "reporters:federal", "reporter": "U.S.", "case_ids": [ 12045986 ], "weight": 2, "year": 1970, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "37" }, { "page": "171" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/us/400/0025-01" ] }, { "cite": "691 S.E.2d 40", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2010, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "44", "parenthetical": "quoting North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 37, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162, 171 (1970)" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "685 S.E.2d 23", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 3, "year": 2009, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "26" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "683 S.E.2d 754", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2009, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "379 S.E.2d 30", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 1989, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "37", "parenthetical": "\"Where a panel of the Court of Appeals has decided the same issue, albeit in a different case, a subsequent panel of the same court is bound by that precedent, unless it has been overturned by a higher court.\"" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "324 N.C. 373", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 2483734 ], "year": 1989, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "384", "parenthetical": "\"Where a panel of the Court of Appeals has decided the same issue, albeit in a different case, a subsequent panel of the same court is bound by that precedent, unless it has been overturned by a higher court.\"" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/324/0373-01" ] }, { "cite": "683 S.E.2d 391", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2009, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "400", "parenthetical": "citation omitted" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "598 S.E.2d 615", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2004, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "618" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "165 N.C. App. 447", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C. App.", "case_ids": [ 8998116 ], "year": 2004, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "452" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc-app/165/0447-01" ] }, { "cite": "687 S.E.2d 525", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2010, "pin_cites": [ { "parenthetical": "holding that the trial court erred in ordering lifetime SBM for defendant because it did not follow the procedures in N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "161 L. Ed. 2d 122", "category": "reporters:federal", "reporter": "L. Ed. 2d", "year": 2005, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "543 U.S. 1156", "category": "reporters:federal", "reporter": "U.S.", "case_ids": [ 5954496, 3438538, 5882348, 5904846, 3432719, 5947982, 5866896, 5941907, 5884692, 5964821, 5953528, 3439161, 5932858, 5911709 ], "year": 2005, "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/us/543/1156-09", "/us/543/1156-11", "/us/543/1156-01", "/us/543/1156-14", "/us/543/1156-03", "/us/543/1156-13", "/us/543/1156-08", "/us/543/1156-02", "/us/543/1156-10", "/us/543/1156-04", "/us/543/1156-06", "/us/543/1156-07", "/us/543/1156-05", "/us/543/1156-12" ] }, { "cite": "597 S.E.2d 724", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2004, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "733" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "358 N.C. 382", "category": "reporters:state", "reporter": "N.C.", "case_ids": [ 2986879 ], "year": 2004, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "391" } ], "opinion_index": 0, "case_paths": [ "/nc/358/0382-01" ] }, { "cite": "679 S.E.2d 430", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "year": 2009, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "432", "parenthetical": "quoting State v. Garcia, 358 N.C. 382, 391, 597 S.E.2d 724, 733 (2004), cert. denied, 543 U.S. 1156, 161 L. Ed. 2d 122 (2005)" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "677 S.E.2d 518", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 4, "year": 2009, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "527" }, { "page": "527" }, { "page": "527" }, { "page": "531" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "693 S.E.2d 204", "category": "reporters:state_regional", "reporter": "S.E.2d", "weight": 2, "year": 2010, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "206", "parenthetical": "quoting State v. Bare, - N.C. App. -, -, 677 S.E.2d 518, 527 (2009)" }, { "page": "206" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "weight": 10, "pin_cites": [ { "page": "(2b)" }, { "page": "(li)" }, { "page": "(5)" }, { "page": "(2b)" } ], "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "weight": 7, "opinion_index": 0 }, { "cite": "N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-202.1", "category": "laws:leg_statute", "reporter": "N.C. Gen. Stat.", "opinion_index": 0 } ], "analysis": { "cardinality": 636, "char_count": 16866, "ocr_confidence": 0.725, "pagerank": { "raw": 5.527646540942415e-08, "percentile": 0.34707525419435653 }, "sha256": "154b637b0b398b4d705c2cf353118f7c3981127c3d32cd45aeba9dd17a8fa05a", "simhash": "1:49aaa06c72bb8ce0", "word_count": 2726 }, "last_updated": "2023-07-14T16:56:31.092499+00:00", "provenance": { "date_added": "2019-08-29", "source": "Harvard", "batch": "2018" }, "casebody": { "judges": [ "Judge JACKSON concurs.", "Judge ELMORE concurs in the result only." ], "parties": [ "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. BILLY GENE WILLIAMS" ], "opinions": [ { "text": "STEPHENS, Judge.\nFacts\nOn 27 October 2008, Defendant was indicted on two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-202.1. Defendant entered into a plea agreement with the State, in which Defendant entered an Alford guilty plea to the two counts of indecent liberties in exchange for the State\u2019s agreement to drop several other charges pending against Defendant.\nOn 1 December 2009, pursuant to Defendant\u2019s plea agreement, the trial court sentenced Defendant to 39 to 47 months in the custody of the Department of Correction for each charge.\nAt the conclusion of sentencing, the trial court conducted a hearing pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A to determine Defendant\u2019s eligibility for enrollment in a satellite-based monitoring (\u201cSBM\u201d) program. Following the hearing, the court entered its Judicial Findings and Order for Sex Offenders \u2014 Active Punishment (\u201cOrder\u201d), in which the court found Defendant to be a recidivist as defined by N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6(2b) and ordered Defendant to be enrolled in SBM for his natural life pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A(c). From the SBM Order, Defendant appeals.\nGrounds for Appellate Review\nAt Defendant\u2019s 1 December 2009 SBM hearing,- Defendant gave oral notice of appeal from the trial court\u2019s Order enrolling Defendant in SBM. This Court has held that \u201cSBM hearings and proceedings are not criminal actions, but are instead a \u2018civil regulatory scheme[.]\u2019 \u201d State v. Brooks, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, \u2014, 693 S.E.2d 204, 206 (2010) (quoting State v. Bare, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, \u2014, 677 S.E.2d 518, 527 (2009)). Accordingly, Defendant\u2019s oral notice of appeal is insufficient to confer jurisdiction on this Court. See Brooks, \u2014 N.C. App. at \u2014, 693 S.E.2d at 206 (holding that oral notice of appeal from an SBM hearing or proceeding is insufficient to confer jurisdiction on this Court, and instructing that a defendant must, instead, give written notice of appeal with the clerk of superior court and serve copies of such notice upon all parties pursuant to N.C. R. App. P. 3(a)).\nHowever, on 7 June 2010, Defendant filed with this Court a petition for writ of certiorari. In his petition, Defendant asserts that Brooks was not decided until 18 May 2010, nearly six months after Defendant\u2019s oral notice of appeal. According to Defendant, \u201c[t]he state of the law at the time [notice of appeal was given] was such that trial counsel reasonably believed that oral notice of appeal was appropriate and sufficient.\u201d\nAlthough SBM proceedings were considered part of a \u201ccivil regulatory scheme\u201d at the time of Defendant\u2019s appeal, Bare, \u2014 N.C App. at \u2014, 677 S.E.2d at 527, such that written notice of appeal was required at the time, in the interest of justice we elect to grant Defendant\u2019s petition for -writ of certiorari and address the merits of his appeal pursuant to N.C. R. App. P. 21 (2010).\nDiscussion\nDefendant first argues that the trial court erred in requiring Defendant to enroll in lifetime SBM on the ground that the evidence did not support its findings of fact and the Order.\nRegarding a trial court\u2019s entry of an SBM order, \u201c \u2018we review the trial court\u2019s findings of fact to determine whether they are supported by competent record evidence, and we review the trial court\u2019s conclusions of law for legal accuracy and to ensure that those conclusions reflect a correct application of law to the facts found.\u2019 \u201d State v. Kilby, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014 , \u2014, 679 S.E.2d 430, 432 (2009) (quoting State v. Garcia, 358 N.C. 382, 391, 597 S.E.2d 724, 733 (2004), cert. denied, 543 U.S. 1156, 161 L. Ed. 2d 122 (2005)).\nIn this case, the trial court entered its Order on the Administrative Office of the Courts (\u201cAOC\u201d) form AOC-CR-615. In the Order, the trial court found that (1) Defendant has been convicted of a reportable conviction under N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6, specifically an offense against a minor under N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6(li); (2) Defendant has not been classified as a sexually violent predator; (3) Defendant is a recidivist; (4) the offense of conviction is not an aggravated offense; (5) the offense of conviction did involve the physical, mental, or sexual abuse of a minor, and based on the risk assessment of the Department of Correction, Defendant requires the highest possible level of supervision and monitoring.\nBased on these findings, the trial court ordered that Defendant be enrolled in SBM as follows:\nIt is further ordered that [Defendant shall[,] upon release from imprisonment, be enrolled in a satellite-based monitoring program for his[] natural life, unless the monitoring program is terminated pursuant to G.S. 14-208.43.\nOn appeal, Defendant argues that findings 1 and 5 in the Order are not supported by competent evidence and that, as a result, the Order \u201cdoes not contain the findings necessary to require [Defendant to submit to lifetime satellite based monitoring[,]\u201d such that the entry of the Order was error. Defendant asks that this Court remand this case \u201cto the trial court for it to make appropriate findings and enter an appropriate order.\u201d\nWe agree with Defendant\u2019s assertions that findings 1 and 5 are erroneous. With respect to finding 1, the trial court should have found that Defendant had been convicted of \u201ca sexually violent offense under G.S. 14-208.6(5)\u201d instead of \u201can offense against a minor under G.S. 14-208.6(li) [.]\u201d Defendant was not convicted of \u201can offense against a minor,\u201d as that phrase is defined in N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6 (2009). Rather, Defendant\u2019s indecent Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6(5). In its brief, the State concedes that this finding was error.\nWith respect to finding 5, Defendant\u2019s conviction did not involve abuse of a minor, as that phrase is defined in Article 27A of Chapter 14, such that the trial court should not have found that Defendant\u2019s conviction \u201cdid involve the physical, mental, or sexual abuse of a minor.\u201d The State also concedes that finding 5 was error.\nAlthough we have determined that findings 1 and 5 were not supported by competent evidence, we nevertheless conclude that the trial court\u2019s order enrolling Defendant in lifetime SBM is supported by necessary findings such that the Order itself is not erroneous.\nEnrollment in an SBM program is governed by N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14A-208.40A. Accordingly, before enrolling a defendant in lifetime SBM, the trial court must meet the requirements set forth in, and follow the procedures outlined in, N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A. See State v. Smith, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, 687 S.E.2d 525 (2010) (holding that the trial court erred in ordering lifetime SBM for defendant because it did not follow the procedures in N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A).\nN.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A provides in relevant part:\n(a) When an offender is convicted of a reportable conviction as defined by G.S. 14-208.6(4), during the sentencing phase, the district attorney shall present to the court any evidence that (i) the offender has been classified as a sexually violent predator pursuant to G.S. 14-208.20, (ii) the offender is a recidivist, (iii) the conviction offense was an aggravated offense, (iv) the conviction offense was a violation of G.S. 14-27.2A or G.S. 14-27.4A, or (v) the offense involved the physical, mental, or sexual abuse of a minor. The district attorney shall have no discretion to withhold any evidence required to be submitted to the court pursuant to this subsection.\nThe offender shall be allowed to present to the court any evidence that the district attorney\u2019s evidence is not correct.\n(b) After receipt of the evidence from the parties, the court shall determine whether the offender\u2019s conviction places the offender in one of the categories described in G.S. 14-208.40 (a), and if so, shall make a finding of fact of that determination, specifying whether (i) the offender has been classified as a sexually violent predator pursuant to G.S. 14-208.20, (ii) the offender is a recidivist, (iii) the conviction offense was an aggravated offense, (iv) the conviction offense was a violation of G.S. 14-27.2A or G.S. 14-27.4A, or (v) the offense involved the physical, mental, or sexual abuse of a minor.\n(c) If the court finds that the offender has been classified as a sexually violent predator, is a recidivist, has committed an aggravated offense, or was convicted of G.S. 14-27.2A or G.S. 14-27.4A, the court shall order the offender to enroll in a satellite-based monitoring program for life.\nN.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A (2009) (emphasis added).\nIn this case, Defendant was convicted of a \u201creportable conviction as defined by G.S. 14-208.6(4)[.]\u201d A reportable conviction is defined as \u201c[a] final conviction for ... a sexually violent offense[.]\u201d N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6 (2009). A \u201c \u2018[s]exually violent offense\u2019 means a violation of. .. G.S. 14-202.1 (taking indecent liberties with children)[.]\u201d N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6(5). Defendant pled guilty to two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child. These offenses are sexually violent offenses, convictions for which are reportable.\nAt sentencing, pursuant to section 14-208.40A(a), the State presented to the court evidence that Defendant is a recidivist. Specifically, the State offered unopposed evidence that Defendant had been convicted of indecent liberties with a child in 1990. The statutory scheme defines a recidivist as a person \u201cwho has a prior conviction for an offense that is described in G.S. 14-208.6(4).\u201d N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6(2b). As discussed above, section 14-208.6(4) includes indecent liberties with a child.\nFollowing the State\u2019s presentation of the above evidence, and pursuant to section 14-208.40A(b), the trial court made a finding of fact in the Order specifying that Defendant is a recidivist.\nFinally, pursuant to section 14-208.40A(c), because the court found that Defendant is a recidivist, the trial court ordered Defendant to enroll in SBM for life.\nBased on the foregoing, we conclude that the trial court\u2019s Order fully complied with the requirements set forth in N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.40A, which outlines the procedure for enrolling a defendant in an SBM program. Accordingly, the Order is sufficient to require Defendant\u2019s enrollment in lifetime SBM. The findings entered in error are not necessary to support the Order and are mere surplusage. Defendant\u2019s argument is overruled.\nDefendant next argues that his enrollment in SBM violates the prohibitions against ex post facto laws and double jeopardy, as contained in the North Carolina and United States Constitutions.\nIn accord with our prior cases regarding sex offender registration, \u201cwe again conclude that Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the North Carolina General Statutes . . . was intended as \u2018a civil and not a criminal remedy[.]\u2019 \u201d Bare, \u2014 N.C. App. at \u2014, 677 S.E.2d at 527 (quoting State v. Sakobie, 165 N.C. App. 447, 452, 598 S.E.2d 615, 618 (2004)). Because this Court has found that SBM is a 'civil remedy, \u201capplication of the SBM provisions do not violate the ex post facto clause.\u201d Id. at-, 677 S.E.2d at 531.\nAs for Defendant\u2019s double jeopardy argument, this Court has previously held that\nan argument that SBM violates double jeopardy would fail because SBM is a civil regulatory scheme. Defendant has not been prosecuted a second time for any previously committed offenses, but contends he has been subjected to additional punishments. As we have already held that SBM is a civil regulatory scheme, and not a punishment, double jeopardy does not apply. This argument is without merit.\nState v. Wagoner, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, \u2014, 683 S.E.2d 391, 400 (2009) (citation omitted).\nIn light of this Court\u2019s previous decisions, we are constrained to hold that Defendant\u2019s enrollment in SBM is not punishment. See In re Appeal from Civil Penalty, 324 N.C. 373, 384, 379 S.E.2d 30, 37 (1989) (\u201cWhere a panel of the Court of Appeals has decided the same issue, albeit in a different case, a subsequent panel of the same court is bound by that precedent, unless it has been overturned by a higher court.\u201d).\nAs a means of distinguishing this case from the Bare and Wagoner cases, Defendant invites this Court to take judicial notice of \u2014 and base its decision on \u2014 the North Carolina Department of Correction Policies \u2014 Procedures, No. VII.F Sex Offender Management Interim Policy 2007 (\u201cInterim Policy\u201d). Defendant asserts that \u201cthe impact of the Department of Correction^ regulations implementing satellite based monitoring was argued in the trial court.\u201d However, neither party specifically mentioned the Interim Policy before the trial court, and there are no findings by the trial court as to the Interim Policy or its effect on Defendant. Rather, at trial, Defendant only mentioned the dissent in State v. Morrow, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, 683 S.E.2d 754 (2009), which itself discusses the Interim Policy, and a 21 December 2006 Department of Correction administrative memorandum defining \u201crecidivist.\u201d We further note that the Interim Policy is not included in the record for this appeal, but rather is appended to Defendant\u2019s brief.\nAs this Court held in State v. Vogt, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014, 685 S.E.2d 23 (2009),\n[a] decision to judicially notice the [Interim Policy] in this case does not simply have the effect of filling a gap in the record or supplying a missing, essentially undisputed fact; instead, judicially noticing the [Interim Policy] in this case introduces a large volume of additional information which has not been subjected to adversarial testing in the trial courts.\nId. at \u2014 , 685 S.E.2d at 26. For these reasons, we decline to take judicial notice of the Interim Policy. The SBM Order of the trial court is\nAFFIRMED.\nJudge JACKSON concurs.\nJudge ELMORE concurs in the result only.\n. \u201cA defendant enters into an Alford plea when he proclaims he is innocent, but \u2018intelligently concludes that his interests require entry of a guilty plea and the record before the judge contains strong evidence of actual guilt.\u2019 \u201d State v. Chery, \u2014 N.C. App. \u2014 , \u2014, 691 S.E.2d 40, 44 (2010) (quoting North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 37, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162, 171 (1970)).\n. For each charge against Defendant, the trial court entered identical, but separate, Orders enrolling Defendant in SBM. Although Defendant appeals from each Order, for ease of discussion, we refer to the two Orders as the \u201cOrder.\u201d Any findings made by this Court respecting the Order should be read to refer to both Orders.\n. N.C. Gen. Stat. \u00a7 14-208.6 was amended in 2008 such that section 14-208.6(li), which prior to the amendment defined \u201c[o]ffense against a minor,\u201d now defines \u201c[i]nternet.\u201d 2008 N.C. Sess. Laws ch. 220, \u00a7 1. \u201cOffense against a minor\u201d is now defined in section 14-208.6(lm). Id. This amendment became effective \u201cMay 1, 2009, and applies to persons who are required to be registered ... on or after that date.\u201d Id. Although Defendant was required to be registered after the date the amendment became effective, Defendant was neither convicted of an offense against a minor nor convicted of an internet offense. It is clear from the record that the trial court completed its Order on an outdated AOC form.", "type": "majority", "author": "STEPHENS, Judge." } ], "attorneys": [ "Attorney General Roy Cooper, by Assistant Attorney General Peter A. Regulski, for the State.", "W. Michael Spivey for Defendant." ], "corrections": "", "head_matter": "STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA v. BILLY GENE WILLIAMS\nNo. COA10-347\n(Filed 19 October 2010)\n1. Appeal and Error\u2014 writ of certiorari \u2014 jurisdiction\u2014insufficient oral notice of appeal from satellite-based monitoring order\nAlthough defendant\u2019s oral notice of appeal from the trial court\u2019s order enrolling defendant in satellite-based monitoring was insufficient to confer jurisdiction on the Court of Appeals, the Court granted defendant\u2019s petition for writ of certiorari to address the merits of his appeal under N.C. R. App. P. 21.\n2. Satellite-Based Monitoring\u2014 enrollment in lifetime satellite-based monitoring \u2014 sexually violent offense \u2014 taking indecent liberties with child \u2014 recidivist\nThe trial court did not err by requiring defendant to enroll in lifetime satellite-based monitoring. Although findings 1 and 5 were not supported by competent evidence, the order was supported by necessary findings and was not itself erroneous.\n3. Constitutional Law\u2014 ex post facto laws \u2014 double jeopardy\u2014 no violation for enrollment in satellite-based monitoring\nA defendant\u2019s enrollment in satellite-based monitoring (SBM) did not violate the prohibitions against ex post facto laws and double jeopardy. SBM is a civil remedy, and thus, application of SBM provisions do not violate the ex post facto clause. Further, double jeopardy does not apply since SBM is a civil regulatory scheme and not a punishment. The Court of Appeals declined to take judicial notice of the North Carolina Department of Correction Interim Policy.\nAppeal by Defendant from orders entered by Judge William R. Pittman in Wake County Superior Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 16 September 2010.\nAttorney General Roy Cooper, by Assistant Attorney General Peter A. Regulski, for the State.\nW. Michael Spivey for Defendant." }, "file_name": "0499-01", "first_page_order": 523, "last_page_order": 530 }