Opinion
A161924.
11-01-2017
STATE of Oregon, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. Aaron Dwayne HAYES, Defendant-Appellant.
Ernest G. Lannet, Chief Defender, and Erica Herb, Deputy Public Defender, Criminal Appellate Section, Office of Public Defense Services, filed the brief for appellant. Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General, Benjamin Gutman, Solicitor General, and Joanna L. Jenkins, Assistant Attorney General, filed the brief for respondent.
Ernest G. Lannet, Chief Defender, and Erica Herb, Deputy Public Defender, Criminal Appellate Section, Office of Public Defense Services, filed the brief for appellant.
Ellen F. Rosenblum, Attorney General, Benjamin Gutman, Solicitor General, and Joanna L. Jenkins, Assistant Attorney General, filed the brief for respondent.
Before Ortega, Presiding Judge, and Garrett, Judge, and Powers, Judge.
PER CURIAMOn appeal, defendant challenges the trial court's imposition of $922 in court-appointed attorney fees. He asserts that the court committed plain error because the record was silent as to whether he "is or may be able to pay" the costs of his defense. See ORS 151.505(3) ("The court may not require a person to pay costs under this section unless the person is or may be able to pay the costs."); ORS 161.665(4) ("The court may not sentence a defendant to pay costs under this section unless the defendant is or may be able to pay them."); see also ORAP 5.45(1) (authorizing review of "plain error"). The state concedes that the trial court committed plain error by imposing attorney fees when the record was silent as to defendant's ability to pay them.
We accept the state's concession that the trial court plainly erred in imposing court-appointed attorney fees on this record. See State v. Coverstone , 260 Or.App. 714, 716, 320 P.3d 670 (2014) (holding that a trial court commits plain error by imposing court-appointed attorney fees where the record is silent as to the defendant's ability to pay the fees ordered). Further, we conclude that, for reasons similar to those expressed in State v. Ramirez-Hernandez , 264 Or.App. 346, 349, 332 P.3d 338 (2014) (exercising discretion to correct erroneous imposition of $400 in court-appointed attorney fees because the amount was "substantial" in light of defendant's circumstances), it is appropriate to exercise our discretion to correct the error.
Portion of judgment requiring defendant to pay attorney fees reversed; otherwise affirmed.