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State v. McSherry

COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sep 2, 2014
Docket No. 41502 (Idaho Ct. App. Sep. 2, 2014)

Opinion

Docket No. 41502 2014 Unpublished Opinion No. 706

09-02-2014

STATE OF IDAHO, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JOHN ANTHONY McSHERRY, Defendant-Appellant.

Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Shawn F. Wilkerson, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant. Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Kenneth K. Jorgensen, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent.


Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk

THIS IS AN UNPUBLISHED OPINION AND SHALL NOT BE CITED AS AUTHORITY

Appeal from the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District, State of Idaho, Ada County. Hon. Michael E. Wetherell, District Judge. Order revoking probation and requiring execution of unified six-year sentence with three-year determinate term for felony driving under the influence of alcohol, affirmed. Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Shawn F. Wilkerson, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant. Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Kenneth K. Jorgensen, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent. Before LANSING, Judge; GRATTON, Judge; and MELANSON, Judge PER CURIAM

John Anthony McSherry was convicted of felony driving under the influence of alcohol, Idaho Code §§ 18-8004, 18-8005(6). The district court imposed a unified ten-year sentence with a four-year determinate term, but after a period of retained jurisdiction, suspended the sentence and placed McSherry on probation. Subsequently, McSherry admitted to violating several terms of the probation, and the district court consequently revoked probation and ordered execution of a reduced sentence of six years with three years determinate. McSherry appeals, contending that the district court abused its discretion in revoking probation and in failing to further reduce his sentence sua sponte.

It is within the trial court's discretion to revoke probation if any of the terms and conditions of the probation have been violated. I.C. §§ 19-2603, 20-222; State v. Beckett, 122 Idaho 324, 325, 834 P.2d 326, 327 (Ct. App. 1992); State v. Adams, 115 Idaho 1053, 1054, 772 P.2d 260, 261 (Ct. App. 1989); State v. Hass, 114 Idaho 554, 558, 758 P.2d 713, 717 (Ct. App. 1988). In determining whether to revoke probation, a court must examine whether the probation is achieving the goal of rehabilitation and is consistent with the protection of society. State v. Upton, 127 Idaho 274, 275, 899 P.2d 984, 985 (Ct. App. 1995); Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327; Hass, 114 Idaho at 558, 758 P.2d at 717. The court may, after a probation violation has been established, order that the suspended sentence be executed or, in the alternative, the court is authorized under Idaho Criminal Rule 35 to reduce the sentence. Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327; State v. Marks, 116 Idaho 976, 977, 783 P.2d 315, 316 (Ct. App. 1989). The court may also order a period of retained jurisdiction. State v. Urrabazo, 150 Idaho 158, 162, 244 P.3d 1244, 1248 (2010). A decision to revoke probation will be disturbed on appeal only upon a showing that the trial court abused its discretion. Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327. In reviewing the propriety of a probation revocation, the focus of the inquiry is the conduct underlying the trial court's decision to revoke probation. State v. Morgan, 153 Idaho 618, 621, 288 P.3d 835, 838 (Ct. App. 2012). Thus, this Court will consider the elements of the record before the trial court relevant to the revocation of probation issues which are properly made part of the record on appeal. Id.

Sentencing is also a matter for the trial court's discretion. Both our standard of review and the factors to be considered in evaluating the reasonableness of a sentence are well established and need not be repeated here. See State v. Hernandez, 121 Idaho 114, 117-18, 822 P.2d 1011, 1014-15 (Ct. App. 1991); State v. Lopez, 106 Idaho 447, 449-51, 680 P.2d 869, 871-73 (Ct. App. 1984); State v. Toohill, 103 Idaho 565, 568, 650 P.2d 707, 710 (Ct. App. 1982). When reviewing the length of a sentence, we consider the defendant's entire sentence. State v. Oliver, 144 Idaho 722, 726, 170 P.3d 387, 391 (2007).

When we review a sentence that is ordered into execution following a period of probation, we will examine the entire record encompassing events before and after the original judgment. State v. Hanington, 148 Idaho 26, 29, 218 P.3d 5, 8 (Ct. App. 2009). We base our review upon the facts existing when the sentence was imposed as well as events occurring between the original sentencing and the revocation of the probation. Id. Thus, this Court will consider the elements of the record before the trial court that are properly made part of the record on appeal and are relevant to the defendant's contention that the trial court should have reduced the sentence sua sponte upon revocation of probation. Morgan, 153 Idaho at 621, 288 P.3d at 838.

Applying the foregoing standards, and having reviewed the record in this case, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion by revoking probation. Assuming that the issue is properly before this Court, we also conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion by ordering execution of McSherry's sentence without further modification. Therefore, the order revoking probation and directing execution of a reduced sentence is affirmed.


Summaries of

State v. McSherry

COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sep 2, 2014
Docket No. 41502 (Idaho Ct. App. Sep. 2, 2014)
Case details for

State v. McSherry

Case Details

Full title:STATE OF IDAHO, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. JOHN ANTHONY McSHERRY…

Court:COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO

Date published: Sep 2, 2014

Citations

Docket No. 41502 (Idaho Ct. App. Sep. 2, 2014)