Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Thomas Moore

Kentucky Supreme Court·Decided February 15, 2023·No. 2021 SC 0411·Unknown

Opinion

RENDERED: FEBRUARY 16, 2023 TO BE PUBLISHED

Supreme Court of Kentucky 2021-SC-0411-DG

COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLANT

ON REVIEW FROM COURT OF APPEALS V. NO. 2019-CA-1549 TODD CIRCUIT COURT NO. 18-CR-00011

THOMAS MOORE APPELLEE

OPINION OF THE COURT BY JUSTICE LAMBERT AFFIRMING IN PART, REVERSING IN PART, AND REMANDING In accordance with his plea agreement, Appellee Thomas Moore was convicted of two class D felonies and of being a persistent felony offender in the second degree and sentenced to twenty years in prison. When Moore’s motion to vacate, challenging the plea agreement and his conviction and sentence, was unsuccessful, Moore sought relief through the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals concluded that Moore’s sentence must be vacated because the circuit court committed palpable error. While the Court of Appeals’ treatment of Moore’s appeal as a direct appeal may be erroneous, the sentencing issue in this case supports the Court of Appeals’ decision that relief is warranted. However, we disagree with the Court of Appeals’ reversal of Moore’s probation revocation and we reverse that decision. Therefore, we affirm in part and

reverse in part the Court of Appeals’ decision, and we remand this case to the Todd Circuit Court for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND Following his indictment on various charges, Moore entered a guilty plea to two class D felonies: (1) operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs (DUI), fourth offense or greater within ten years, aggravating circumstances present;1 and (2) operating a motor vehicle while license is suspended for driving under the influence and at the time of the offense, operating the motor vehicle in violation of KRS 189A.010(1).2,3 Moore also pled guilty to the amended charge of being a persistent felony offender in the second degree (PFO II).4 Moore did not waive his right to appeal.

Moore memorialized his plea agreement with the Commonwealth on July 18, 2018. A separate order which details the Commonwealth’s sentencing recommendation to the circuit court was contemporaneously entered into the record. For each class D felony, the Commonwealth recommended that Moore receive a prison sentence of three years enhanced to ten years due to being a PFO II and that these two ten-year sentences run consecutively. For the PFO II

1 Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 189A.010(1) and (5)(d).

2 KRS 189A.090(1) and (2)(b).

3 Moore also pled guilty to the following charges for which he received a fine:

careless driving, KRS189.290; no/expired registration plate, KRS 186.170; and failure of owner to maintain required insurance, first offense, KRS 304.39-080.

The possession of marijuana, KRS 218A.1422, and drug paraphernalia, KRS 218A.500, charges were dismissed.

4 KRS 532.080(2).

charge, the Commonwealth noted “[twenty] years concurrent.” On the same day, the circuit court accepted Moore’s guilty plea and convicted Moore of the two class D felonies and of being a PFO II. As recommended by the Commonwealth, the circuit court fixed Moore’s punishment at twenty years in prison and probated the sentence for five years. Days later, on July 27, 2018, the Commonwealth’s Attorney filed a motion to revoke Moore’s probation.5 Moore’s probation was revoked on August 15, 2018, and the circuit court entered its Final Judgment on Plea of Guilty and Sentence of Imprisonment (Final Judgment), imposing a twenty-year sentence. According to the Final Judgment, for each class D felony, the circuit court imposed a three-year prison sentence enhanced to ten years by the PFO II charge, and for the PFO II charge itself, the circuit court imposed twenty years. The Final Judgment states that all sentences run concurrently for a total of twenty years in prison.6 After the circuit court denied Moore’s shock probation motion, Moore filed a pro se motion styled “Motion to Vacate Imposed Sentence and Request for New Trial Pursuant to RCr 10.26 and CR 61.02 Substantial Error Rules.”7

5 The grounds for the motion were that Moore failed to report to his Probation Officer as directed. Moore failed to appear for the August 1, 2018 revocation hearing. When Moore was arrested he tested positive for use of methamphetamine and benzodiazepines.

6The amended Final Judgment entered September 20, 2018 did not change the sentence imposition.

7 Because Kentucky Rule of Criminal Procedure (RCr) 10.26 and Kentucky Rule of Civil Procedure (CR) 61.02 are identical and interpreted the same, Nami Resources Company, L.L.C. v. Asher Land and Mineral, Ltd., 554 S.W.3d 323, 338 (Ky. 2018), the remainder of this Opinion cites the criminal rule, RCr 10.26, only when referencing Moore’s arguments.

Pertinently, Moore argued that it was palpable error and an abuse of discretion for the circuit court in its Final Judgment to list the PFO II conviction as an independent criminal offense, to sentence him to twenty years for that offense, and then to order that twenty-year sentence on the PFO II charge to be served concurrently to the two ten-year concurrent sentences. Moore requested the circuit court to vacate its judgment and sentence and to set his case for a new trial. The circuit court appointed counsel for Moore.

Over the course of several hearings, the circuit court discussed the merits of Moore’s motion with appointed counsel and the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Early on, appointed counsel expressed his belief that there was merit in Moore’s illegal sentence argument. At the March 6, 2019 hearing, appointed counsel presented Moore’s argument raised in his filed motion. At the final hearing on June 26, 2019, in addition to arguing that the twenty-year sentence imposed based upon the PFO II charge was illegal, because the two ten-year enhanced class D sentences could not run consecutively and that the Final Judgment did not state that the ten-year sentences run consecutively,8

8 At the final hearing on June 26, 2019, the primary discussion in regard to Moore’s illegal sentence argument was whether Moore’s PFO II status could enhance both class D felonies and if so, whether the enhanced ten-year sentences could run consecutively. Without providing a citation to the circuit court, appointed counsel described a case provided by the Commonwealth supportive of the conclusion that a defendant with a PFO II status, being found guilty of two class D felonies, may have the enhanced ten-year sentences run consecutively. Appointed counsel, however, also advocated that because the Final Judgment did not state that the ten-year sentences were to run consecutively, the ten-year sentences run concurrently. Responding to the circuit court’s question, appointed counsel further stated that if both class D felonies could be enhanced by the PFO II status, twenty years is the maximum sentence Moore could receive, which would also be the maximum sentence if he pled guilty to the PFO I charge.

appointed counsel presented a probation sentencing argument on Moore’s behalf. The circuit court denied Moore’s motions and entered a final and appealable order.

Moore acted pro se before the Court of Appeals.9 Rather than presenting his preserved illegal plea agreement and illegal sentence arguments, Moore presented both preserved and unpreserved arguments related to his probation sentencing and its revocation.

The Commonwealth did not address Moore’s briefed arguments. Instead, the Commonwealth argued that Moore’s motion to vacate pursuant to RCr 10.26 was procedurally improper because RCr 10.26’s standard of review may be utilized only on direct appeal and does not provide an avenue for a defendant to collaterally attack his convictions. The Commonwealth argued that because Moore failed to raise each of his issues in a prior proceeding, by way of an RCr 11.42 motion or a CR 60.02 motion, the failures amounted to a fatal procedural bar for consideration of his arguments and that the Todd Circuit Court should be affirmed.

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