Bitz v. State

2003 WY 140, 78 P.3d 257, 2003 Wyo. LEXIS 170, 2003 WL 22461812
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 31, 2003
Docket02-169
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 2003 WY 140 (Bitz v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bitz v. State, 2003 WY 140, 78 P.3d 257, 2003 Wyo. LEXIS 170, 2003 WL 22461812 (Wyo. 2003).

Opinion

VOIGT, Justice.

[T1] This is an appeal from a conviction for taking indecent liberties with a minor, in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 14-8-105(a) (Michie 1994). We reverse and remand for re-sentencing because the district court improperly considered at sentencing uncharged crimes and victim impact testimony from those crimes.

ISSUE

[¶2] Did the district court abuse its discretion and violate the appellant's right to due process of law when imposing sentence by considering, over the appellant's objection, unproven and denied charges, and by considering the victim impact statement of a person who was not the victim of the charged crime, without making specific findings as required by W.R.COr.P. 82(a)(8)(C) and in conformity with Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-21-108 (LexisNexis 2008)?

FACTS

[¶3] On March 23, 2001, an Information was filed in the cireuit court in Vinta County, Wyoming, charging Delvin Lee Bitz (the appellant) with seven counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault. An Amended Information filed on April 6, 2001, charged the same offenses, with slight changes in the dates of some of the alleged offenses. After a preliminary examination in the cireuit court, five of the first-degree sexual assault counts and the third-degree sexual assault count were bound over for trial in the district court. A "District Court Information" was filed on April 9, 2001, containing the six counts that had been bound over and noting the two counts that had been dismissed. Subsequently, the two dismissed counts were re-filed, bound over to district court, and joined with the others. Four of the first-degree sexual assault counts named the appellant's step-daughter, CS, as the victim. The three remaining first-degree sexual assault counts and the third-degree sexual assault count named the appellant's daughter, CB, as the victim.

[¶4] After considerable pre-trial wrangling, the case went to jury trial on February 19, 2002. Prior to any witness testimony, counsel informed the district court that a plea agreement had been reached. The terms of the agreement were: (1) the appellant would plead guilty to a single amended *259 count of taking indecent liberties with his step-daughter; (2) the State would move to dismiss and would not re-file the other charges; and (3) the parties would argue sentencing. A change-of-plea hearing immediately was held. The appellant pled guilty as agreed, and for a factual basis admitted that, sometime in August 1995 he had touched his thirteen- or fourteen-year-old step-daughter's breasts "by going up under her nightgown." The district court accepted the plea agreement and the plea and entered an order for a presentence investigation.

[¶5] The subsequently filed Amended District Court Information alleged a single count of indecent liberties with a child, but did not name or otherwise identify the child. 1 In the Presentence Investigation Report (PST) filed thereafter, the "official version" of the offense contained this single allegation, but it also contained a deputy sheriff's probable cause narration as to all of the originally charged offenses involving the step-daughter. Appended to the PSI were victim impact statements from both the appellant's stepdaughter and daughter.

[¶6] At the sentencing hearing held on May 23, 2002, the appellant objected to inclusion of the dismissed charges in the PSI and objected to the district court's consideration of those charges, which he denied. The district court, however, noted that there was probable cause to believe those crimes were committed or they would not have been bound over for trial. In addition, the district court indicated that it also had considered the victim impact statements appended to the PSI, including the statement of the appellant's daughter, who was not the victim of the crime to which the appellant had pled guilty. Finally, after citing Mehring v. State, 860 P.2d 1101 (Wyo.1998), as authority for consideration of information beyond the charged crime, the district court informed the appellant that it simply did not believe his denials. The appellant was then sentenced to imprisonment for a term of five to eight years.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

[17] We review sentencing decisions for an abuse of discretion.

"Sentencing decisions are normally within the discretion of the trial court. Hamill v. State, 948 P.2d 1356, 1358 (Wyo.1997). 'A sentence will not be disturbed because of sentencing procedures unless the defendant can show an abuse of discretion, procedural conduct prejudicial to him, and cireumstances which manifest inherent unfairness and injustice, or conduct which offends the public sense of fair play.! Smith v. State, 941 P.2d 749, 750 (Wyo. 1997). 'An error warrants reversal only when it is prejudicial and it affects an appellant's substantial rights. The party who is appealing bears the burden to establish that an error was prejudicial' Candelaria v. State, 895 P.2d 434, 439-40 (Wyo.1995) (citations omitted); see also, Robinson v. Hamblin, 914 P.2d 152, 155 (Wyo.1996)."

Lee v. State, 2001 WY 129, ¶ 10, 36 P.3d 1133, 1138 (Wyo.2001) (quoting Trusky v. State, 7 P.3d 5, 13 (Wyo.2000)). In imposing sentence, trial courts have broad discretion to consider a wide range of factors about the defendant and the crime. Halbleib v. State, 7 P.3d 45, 47 (Wyo.), cert. denied, 581 U.S. 968, 121 S.Ct. 404, 148 L.Ed.2d 312 (2000) (quoting Jones v. State, 771 P.2d 368, 371 (Wyo.1989)); Mehring, 860 P.2d at 1115.

DISCUSSION

W.R.CRP. 32(a)(3)(C)

[¶8] The appellant's complaints are related, but distinct. First, he faults the district court for considering controverted material contained in the PSI. Second, he contends that the district court should not have considered victim impact testimony from someone who was not the victim of the crime to which he pled guilty. Assessment of these claims must begin with a review of relevant statutes and court rules.

[¶9] Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-18-407(a@)@) (LexisNexis 2003) directs state probation and parole agents to investigate cases referred by any court and to report to the court in writ *260 ing. W.R.Cz.P. 32(a) implements this directive in regard to PSI's. At issue in the instant case is W.R.Cr.P. 82(a)(8)(C), which establishes the procedure that is to be followed when a defendant contests matters contained in the PSI:

If the comments of the defendant and the defendant's counsel or testimony or other information introduced by them allege any factual inaccuracy in the presentence investigation report or the summary of the report or part thereof, the court shall, as to each matter controverted, make:

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Bluebook (online)
2003 WY 140, 78 P.3d 257, 2003 Wyo. LEXIS 170, 2003 WL 22461812, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bitz-v-state-wyo-2003.