Adams v. State

521 P.2d 516, 1974 Alas. LEXIS 284
CourtAlaska Supreme Court
DecidedApril 22, 1974
Docket2105
StatusPublished
Cited by30 cases

This text of 521 P.2d 516 (Adams v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alaska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Adams v. State, 521 P.2d 516, 1974 Alas. LEXIS 284 (Ala. 1974).

Opinion

OPINION

Before RABINOWITZ, C. J., and CONNOR, ERWIN, and BOOCHEVER, JJ-

RABINOWITZ, Chief Justice.

In this sentence appeal Bruce Adams challenges the superior court’s imposition of consecutive sentences providing for imprisonment for a total period of 11 years.

Approximately three years ago in December of 1971, Adams entered guilty pleas to two separate indictments which charged commission of burglaries in a dwelling. On the basis of these guilty pleas, the superior court suspended imposition of sentence on both convictions and placed Adams on probation for three years. One of the special conditions of Adams’ probation required that he

apply for treatment under the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Program and, if accepted, remain in said program as a cooperative patient and complete the program in the manner prescribed by the Surgeon General or his designated agent.

Subsequently, the Division of Corrections petitioned to revoke Adams’ probation on the ground that because of his uncooperative attitude and failure to complete the drug rehabilitation program, he had not complied with this special condition of probation.

The revocation petition came before then Superior Court Judge James Fitzgerald who entered an order deferring imposition of sentence on condition that Adams be incarcerated for a period not to exceed 30 days and upon the further condition

[t]hat a comprehensive rehabilitation plan be prepared by the Public Defender’s office for submission to the Division of Corrections and to this court for approval. The plan shall include specific conditions of probation and shall be submitted to the defendant for approval and review prior to its submission to the court.

Thereafter, on August 3, 1972, Judge Fitzgerald entered a second order deferring sentencing in regard to the two burglary convictions. This order provided that imposition of sentence would be deferred until December of 1974, and, as a special condition of probation, adopted a rehabilitation plan which comprehended weekly group and individual therapy sessions and periodic urinalysis as part of the aftercare program of the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Program.

On June 13, 1973, a second petition to revoke Adams’ probation was filed in superior court. In this petition, it was asserted that Adams

was informed by Dr. Aron S. Wolf of the Langdon Clinic that the defendant was terminated from the program as of May 3, 1973. The reasons given for termination were, unsatisfactory urinalysis, failing to attend group and individual counseling appointments and being poorly motivated for rehabilitation.

This second petition for probation revocation came before Superior Court Judge Kalamarides in August of 1973. In response to the petition, Adams admitted he had violated his probation and requested that he be given 30 days within which to gain reinstatement in the drug rehabilitation program. Adams was granted the 30 days but failed to return to the Langdon Clinic, committed two additional felonies while at liberty during this 30-day period, and failed to appear in superior court after expiration of the 30-day period as required. In October of 1973, Adams pled guilty to the two felonies he had committed during *518 the 30-day period. The superior court then sentenced Adams to concurrent four-year sentences for the recently cpmmitted offenses of burglary in a dwelling and larceny in a building. At the same time Adams received concurrent seven-year sentences on the two burglary in a dwelling charges to which he had entered guilty pleas in 1971. These concurrent seven-year terms of imprisonment were made to run consecutively to the four-year concurrent sentences. This appeal followed.

Adams argues that the judgments and commitments which were entered by the superior court should be vacated and the matter remanded for further proceedings because the cumulative sentences imposed are excessive, and for the further reason that the sentencing information upon which the superior court relied was both insufficient and inaccurate. 1 As to the sufficiency and accuracy of the sentencing data issue, Adams argues that he was sentenced without the benefit of pre-sentence or psychiatric reports, without knowledge of current parole board regulations regarding parole board policies as to consecutive sentences, and upon consideration of uncharged and unproven offenses.

In Robinson v. State, 484 P.2d 686, 690 (Alaska 1971), a 19-year old defendant received consecutive sentences totalling 22 years. On appeal, this court vacated the sentences and remanded for further sentencing proceedings because of the “absence of appropriate psychological and psychiatric evaluations, as well as knowledge of the parole board’s policies and practices regarding a prisoner’s eligibility for parole in the circumstances of consecutive sentences.” Subsequent to our decision in Robinson, the appellant in Newsom v. State, 512 P.2d 557 (Alaska 1973), argued that his 15-year sentence should be vacated because he was sentenced without an adequate psychiatric evaluation. In rejecting this contention, we stated:

An adequate psychiatric evaluation at the time of sentencing is extremely helpful to the sentencing judge. That is not to say, however, that a psychiatric evaluation is indispensible or necessary. More important than any single form of information about the convicted defendant is the general sufficiency and accuracy of that information in terms of the objectives of sentencing review. 2 (footnote omitted)

The state, in the case at bar, concedes that neither a formal psychiatric evaluation of Adams nor the usual form of pre-sen-tence report was available to the superior court at the time it imposed the consecutive sentences calling for 11-years’ imprisonment. 3 The state argues, however, that the superior court was made fully aware of Adams’ prior record, of the relationship between Adams’ anti-social behavior and his addiction to drugs, of the several unsuccessful attempts to rehabilitate Adams without incarceration, and of the reasons why these drug rehabilitative efforts were not successful. 4

*519 On this record we are persuaded by the state’s argument and believe that this case is controlled by Newsom rather than Robinson. Review of the record supports the state’s assertion that the sentencing judge was sufficiently and accurately informed of- Adams’ prior record, his psychological background, his drug addiction, and his previous rehabilitative failures. Thus, we do not find the absence of a pre-sen-tence report and a psychiatric evaluation to be a legitimate ground for vacating the sentences imposed in the case at bar.

We turn next to Adams’ contention that the sentences should be vacated because “[n]o current authority reflects whether or not . . .

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521 P.2d 516, 1974 Alas. LEXIS 284, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/adams-v-state-alaska-1974.