BRYANT, Judge.
Because continuous monitoring as a result of defendant's participation in a satellite-based monitoring program does not violate defendant's substantive due process rights and because the monitoring is rationally related to a legitimate governmental purpose, we affirm the order of the trial court imposing upon defendant enrollment in a satellite-based monitoring program for his natural life.
On 27 April 2007 in Mecklenburg County Superior Court, defendant Robert Leroy Williams entered an Alford plea to two counts of second-degree rape. The State dismissed one count of first-degree sex offense, one count of first-degree kidnapping, one count of second-degree kidnapping, and two counts of first-degree rape. The trial court entered a consolidated judgment in accordance with defendant's plea and sentenced defendant to an active term of 58 to 79 months.
On 27 April 2012, the State filed a motion to determine whether defendant was required to enroll in the sex offender satellite monitoring program. A satellite monitoring bring-back hearing was held before the Honorable Robert C. Ervin on 19 August 2013 during the criminal session of Mecklenburg County Superior Court.
During the hearing, the State presented the following background for defendant's second-degree rape conviction. Defendant and his victim were neighbors. The victim had previously rejected defendant's advances and request for a date. Defendant invited the victim to his residence to watch a video. Once inside, defendant extended a further invitation to view hats in his bedroom. In his bedroom, defendant kissed the victim, and the victim attempted to pull away. Defendant then produced a knife and later a gun. Defendant forced the victim to perform fellatio and engage in sexual intercourse. When allowed to leave, the victim immediately reported the forced sexual assault.
In an order entered 19 August 2013, the trial court made judicial findings that defendant's conviction for second-degree rape was a reportable conviction as defined by G.S. 14-208.6(4) and that his was an aggravated offense. Defendant was ordered to enroll in satellite-based monitoring for the remainder of his natural life. Defendant appeals.
We first note that although defendant filed a written notice of appeal from the order directing his enrollment in a satellite-based monitoring program, defendant filed with this Court a petition for writ of certiorari to allow review of the trial court order, asserting that his written notice of appeal was defective. Specifically, defendant states that his notice of appeal fails to indicate to which court his appeal was to be taken and that he served his notice on the State via email. For the reasons stated herein, we determine defendant's notice of appeal is not fatally defective; therefore, we deny defendant's petition for writ of certiorari and proceed to the merits of his appeal.
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 1-279.1 (2013). As to the content of the notice of appeal, our Rules of Appellate Procedure state that the notice "shall specify the party or parties taking the appeal; shall designate the judgment or order from which appeal is taken and the court to which appeal is taken...." N.C. R.App. P. 3(d) (2013).
"The `fairly inferred' doctrine ensures that a violation of Rule 3(d) results in dismissal only where the appellee is prejudiced by the appellant's mistake." Phelps Staffing, LLC v. S.C. Phelps, Inc., 217 N.C. App. 403, 410, 720 S.E.2d 785, 791 (2011). In Phelps Staffing, the plaintiff failed to designate within the notice of appeal the court to which the appeal was to be taken.
Id. at 410, 720 S.E.2d at 791.
Here, the State's response to defendant's petition for writ of certiorari does not indicate that it was misled by defendant's failure to indicate the court to which the appeal was to be made. The State does not contest defendant's right to appeal and even suggests that despite the cited defects, this Court may grant a writ of certiorari to review the matter.
As to the service of his notice of appeal upon the opposing party, defendant acknowledges that he served his notice of appeal on the State by email.
"The requirement of timely filing and service of notice of appeal is jurisdictional...." Smith v. Smith, 43 N.C. App. 338, 339, 258 S.E.2d 833, 835 (1979) (citation omitted). However, a dissenting opinion adopted by our Supreme Court held that "the service of the Notice of Appeal is a matter that may be waived by the conduct of the parties." Hale v. Afro-Am. Arts Int'l, 110 N.C. App. 621, 625, 430 S.E.2d 457, 459 (Wynn, J., dissent), rev'd for the reasons stated in the dissenting opinion, 335 N.C. 231, 436 S.E.2d 588 (1993). The dissenting opinion proposed that the service of the notice of appeal was akin to the service of a complaint conferring personal jurisdiction upon a trial court. "When the defendant has been duly served with summons personally within the State, or has accepted service or has voluntarily appeared in court, jurisdiction over the person exists and the court may proceed to render a personal judgment...." Id. at 625, 430 S.E.2d at 460 (citation and quotations omitted). "[B]y analogy ... where the appellee failed, by motion or otherwise, to raise [an] issue as to service of notice in either the trial court or in this Court and has proceeded to file a brief arguing the merits of the case,... [the appellee] has waived service of notice [of appeal]...." Id. at 626, 430 S.E.2d at 460.
Here, in its response to defendant's petition, the State acknowledges that defendant's notice of appeal was served via email but does not further contest the service. Furthermore, the State filed a brief addressing the merits of defendant's arguments presented on appeal. Thus, the State has waived service of notice of appeal. See id.
Accordingly, as defendant's intent to appeal can be fairly inferred and the State provides no indication it was misled by the defendant's mistake, we do not dismiss defendant's appeal on the basis of a defect in the notice of appeal. See Phelps Staffing, LLC, 217 N.C.App. at 410-11, 720 S.E.2d at 791. And, as the State has waived service of the notice of appeal, see Afro-Am. Arts Int'l, Inc., 110 N.C.App. at 625, 430 S.E.2d at 460 (Wynn, J., dissent), we deny defendant's petition for writ of certiorari and proceed to the merits of his appeal. See Dogwood Dev. & Mgmt. Co., LLC v. White Oak Transp. Co., 362 N.C. 191, 197-98, 657 S.E.2d 361, 365 (2008) ("A jurisdictional default ... precludes the appellate court from acting in any
On appeal, defendant argues that the imposition of lifetime satellite-based monitoring violates his substantive due process rights by continuous government monitoring or in the alternative, by failing to be rationally related to the purpose of protecting the public from recidivism.
Defendant first argues that, as applied to him, North Carolina General Statutes, section 14-208.40B(c), violates substantive due process by impermissibly infringing upon his right to be free from government monitoring of his location when monitoring is not narrowly tailored to the purpose of protecting the public from recidivism, and lifetime monitoring was imposed without consideration of defendant's low risk for reoffending. We disagree.
"An appellate court reviews conclusions of law pertaining to a constitutional matter de novo." State v. Bowditch, 364 N.C. 335, 340, 700 S.E.2d 1, 5 (2010) (citation omitted).
Pursuant to the United States Constitution, "[n]o State shall make or enforce any law which shall ... deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law...." U.S. CONST., amend. XIV, '1. The North Carolina Constitution provides that "[n]o person shall be ... in any manner deprived of his life, liberty, or property, but by the law of the land." N.C. CONST. art. I, § 19. Our Supreme Court has held that "[t]he term `law of the land' as used in Article I, Section 19, of the Constitution of North Carolina, is synonymous with `due process of law' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution." Rhyne v. K-Mart Corp., 358 N.C. 160, 180, 594 S.E.2d 1, 15 (2004) (citation and quotations omitted).
The Due Process Clause provides two types of protection — substantive and procedural due process. See State v. Thompson, 349 N.C. 483, 491, 508 S.E.2d 277, 282 (1998).
Id.
Washington v. Glucksberg, 521 U.S. 702, 720-21, 117 S.Ct. 2258, 2267-68, 138 L.Ed.2d 772, 787-88 (1997) (citations and quotations omitted). "By extending constitutional protection to an asserted right or liberty interest, we, to a great extent, place the matter outside the arena of public debate and legislative action. We must therefore exercise the utmost care whenever we are asked to break new ground in this field." Id. at 720, 117 S.Ct. at 2267-68, 138 L.Ed.2d at 787 (citation and quotations omitted).
Defendant argues that General Statutes, section 14-208.40B(c), the statute authorizing the court to compel defendant's enrollment in a lifetime satellite-based monitoring ("SBM") program, impermissibly infringes upon his fundamental right to be free from continuous surveillance.
In support of his contention, defendant cites Justice Alito's concurrence in United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. ___, 132 S.Ct. 945, 181 L.Ed.2d 911 (2012). The Jones Court considered whether a law enforcement agency's monitoring of a vehicle while on public streets by benefit of an attached GPS locator amounted to a search within the meaning of
We also note that in United States v. Jones, the Court was analyzing an event that took place in the context of a law enforcement agency's investigation of narcotics trafficking. The concerns articulated in Justice Alito's concurrence are distinguishable from the circumstance for which defendant seeks our review: the continuous monitoring of a person who has been convicted and sentenced for an aggravated offense, as defined by section 14-208.6. See N.C. Gen.Stat. '14-208.6(1a) (2013) ("`Aggravated offense' means any criminal offense that includes either of the following: (i) engaging in a sexual act involving vaginal, anal, or oral penetration with a victim of any age through the use of force or the threat of serious violence; or (ii) engaging in a sexual act involving vaginal, anal, or oral penetration with a victim who is less than 12 years old.").
Defendant's participation in an SBM program following his conviction for an aggravated offense — forcible rape — does not infringe upon any fundamental right. See Jones, ___ N.C.App. ___, 750 S.E.2d 883; Martin, ___ N.C.App. ___, 735 S.E.2d 238. Defendant's asserted "fundamental right to be free from continuous government surveillance" is not one we have ever recognized in the context of SBM. On the contrary, "an imposition of restrictive measures on sex offenders adjudged to be dangerous is a legitimate nonpunitive governmental objective and has been historically so regarded." State v. Bare, 197 N.C. App. 461, 467, 677 S.E.2d 518, 524 (2009) (citation and quotations omitted). Therefore, defendant cannot establish that his participation in an SBM program infringes upon a fundamental right. We overrule this portion of defendant's substantive due process argument.
However, defendant argues in the alternative that General Statutes section 14-208.40B(c) as applied to him violates substantive due process because it is not rationally related to its purpose of protecting the public from recidivism. Defendant contends that because section 14-208.40B(c) authorizes mandatory lifetime participation without consideration of defendant's risk of reoffending, the statute is constitutionally unsound. We disagree.
"[U]nless legislation involves a suspect classification or impinges upon fundamental personal rights, it is presumed constitutional and need only be rationally related to a legitimate state interest." Huntington Prop., LLC v. Currituck Cnty., 153 N.C. App. 218, 229, 569 S.E.2d 695, 703 (2002) (citation and quotations omitted). "[T]he rational basis standard ... `merely' requires that a regulation bear some rational relationship to a conceivable legitimate interest of government." Bald Head Island, Ltd. v. Vill. of Bald Head Island, 175 N.C. App. 543, 550, 624 S.E.2d 406, 410-11 (2006) (citation and quotations omitted).
Defendant cites State v. Dykes, 403 S.C. 499, 744 S.E.2d 505 (2013), for the proposition that South Carolina's SMB statute was deemed unconstitutional to the extent that it imposed upon the defendant lifetime SBM without (1) a determination of her dangerousness prior to being enrolled or (2) an opportunity for judicial review at a later date to address the necessity of her remaining enrolled in the program. The South Carolina Court held that "[i]n light of the [South Carolina] General Assembly's stated purpose of protecting the public from sex offenders and aiding law enforcement, we find that the initial mandatory imposition of satellite monitoring
Because our North Carolina statutory scheme provides for both a determination of dangerousness prior to imposing enrollment in a satellite-based monitoring program and the possibility for review for later termination from satellite-based monitoring, any analysis of Dykes, 744 S.E.2d 505, is inapposite. We now look to relevant North Carolina General Statutes regarding satellite-based monitoring.
Pursuant to section 14-208.40B(c), when an offender is convicted of a reportable conviction as defined by G.S. 14-208.6(4), the district attorney, representing the Division of Adult Correction, shall schedule a hearing in superior court.
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 14-208.40B(c).
Defendant does not contest that his was a "reportable conviction" as defined by section 14-208.6(4). See id. § 14-208.6(4)(a.) ("`Reportable conviction' means: `A final conviction for an offense against a minor, a sexually violent offense, or an attempt to commit any of those offenses unless the conviction is for aiding and abetting.'"). Defendant also does not challenge the trial court's finding that his was an aggravated offense. See id. '14-208.6(1a) ("`Aggravated offense' means any criminal offense that includes either of the following: (i) engaging in a sexual act involving vaginal, anal, or oral penetration with a victim of any age through the use of force or the threat of serious violence...."). Defendant's argument is limited to a purported failure of the North Carolina SBM scheme, as applied here, to assess defendant's risk of reoffending before imposing lifetime SBM and an inadequate process for petitioning to be removed from SBM.
In State v. Bowditch, our Supreme Court stated that "[t]he legislature's intent in establishing SBM may be inferred from the declaration in the authorizing legislation that it `shall be known as "An Act To Protect North Carolina's Children/Sex Offender Law Changes."' Ch. 247, sec. 1(a), 2006 N.C. Sess. Laws at 1066." 364 N.C. 335, 342, 700 S.E.2d 1, 6 (2010). The Court reasoned that it was the intent of our legislature "to protect our State's children from the recidivist tendencies of convicted sex offenders...." Id.
Pursuant to section 14-208.40(a),
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 14-208.40(a)(1) (2013).
It would appear that our General Assembly has determined that an offender convicted of a particular classification of crimes is to be subject to lifetime satellite-based monitoring. Implicit in this statutory scheme is a recognition of an offender's risk of re-offending if he has committed a certain type of offense. This defendant, by statute, is subject to SBM for life. Further, the statutory scheme provides that if the court finds the offense committed is not an aggravated offense (along with other exceptions) and the offender is not a recidivist, the court shall conduct a risk assessment to determine whether and for what period of time a defendant
In further response to defendant's argument that there is an inadequate process for petitioning to be removed from SBM, we note that our General Assembly has provided an avenue for petitioners seeking removal from SBM. Per General Statutes, section 14-208.43, "Request for termination of satellite-based monitoring requirement,"
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 14-208.43(a) (2013). Again, we hold the imposition of SBM as applied to defendant is rationally related to the purpose of protecting children and the general public and does not impermissibly infringe upon defendant's due process rights. Accordingly, defendant's arguments are overruled.
Affirmed.
Judges HUNTER, ROBERT C., and STEELMAN concur.