State of Iowa v. Bradley Steven Graham

Court of Appeals of Iowa·Decided June 29, 2016·No. 15-1464·Published

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA

No. 15-1464

Filed June 29, 2016

STATE OF IOWA, Plaintiff-Appellee,

vs.

BRADLEY STEVEN GRAHAM, Defendant-Appellant.

Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Polk County, Jeffrey D. Farrell, Judge.

Bradley Graham seeks review of the district court’s denial of his motion to correct an illegal sentence, arguing his sentence constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. WRIT ANNULLED.

Mark C. Smith, State Appellate Defender, and Theresa R. Wilson, Assistant Appellate Defender, for appellant.

Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, and Timothy M. Hau and Kevin R.

Cmelik, Assistant Attorneys General, for appellee.

Heard by Potterfield, P.J., and Mullins and McDonald, JJ.

MULLINS, Judge.

Bradley Graham seeks review of the district court’s denial of his motion to correct an illegal sentence. Graham pled guilty to one count of sexual abuse in the third degree and was sentenced pursuant to statute to serve an indeterminate, ten-year term of incarceration. The court also imposed a mandatory special sentence of lifetime parole and ordered Graham to register as a sex offender for life. On appeal, Graham claims the special sentence imposed pursuant to Iowa Code section 903B.1 (2009) and the sex offender registration requirements under chapter 692A constitute cruel and unusual punishment and are a violation of his due process rights because he was a juvenile at the time of the offense. Alternatively, Graham contends the lifetime special sentence and the lifetime registration requirements are unconstitutional because they are grossly disproportionate to the offense committed as applied to him under article 1, section 17 of the Iowa Constitution. We treat the appeal as a petition for writ of certiorari, find no illegality in the sentences, and annul the writ.

I. Backgrounds Facts and Proceedings On August 24, 2010, the State charged Graham by trial information with three counts of sexual abuse in the third degree for an assault on a thirteen-year- old victim. In November 2010, Graham pled guilty to one count of sexual abuse in the third degree, in violation of Iowa Code section 709.4(2)(b),1 and proceeded to immediate sentencing. Pursuant to sections 902.3 and 902.9(4), the court sentenced Graham to a term of incarceration for no more than ten years with no

1 Iowa Code section 709.4 provides: “A person commits sexual abuse in the third degree when the person performs a sex act . . . [with a person who] is twelve or thirteen years of age,” while not “cohabiting as husband and wife.” Iowa Code § 709.4(2)(b).

mandatory minimum. The court also imposed a lifetime special sentence of supervision by the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) under section 903B.1 and ordered that Graham be subject for life to the reporting requirements of the sex offender registry statute set out in chapter 692A.2 Graham did not appeal his conviction.

On September 6, 2013, Graham filed a motion for correction of an illegal sentence,3 claiming the special sentence and registry provisions were unconstitutional because he was a juvenile at the time of the offense. The court held a telephonic hearing with regard to Graham’s motion on September 4, 2014, during which Graham argued his sentence was illegal in light of recent juvenile sentencing decisions of the Iowa Supreme Court. The State conceded Graham should receive a resentencing hearing pursuant to State v. Lyle, 854 N.W.2d 378 (Iowa 2014), but also argued the recent cases were distinguishable because they applied to the mandatory incarceration of juveniles rather than the duration or terms of parole.

On April 15, 2015, Graham discharged his prison sentence after serving four and one-half years. He immediately began serving his lifetime special sentence and was placed in a work release facility.

On August 18, 2015, the court held a hearing to consider resentencing.

Graham argued that, under Iowa Code section 901.5(14), the court had authority

2 Iowa Code chapter 692A was amended in 2009, prior to the last date of Graham’s offense. See 2009 Iowa Acts ch. 119, §§ 1-31. All references to chapter 692A will be to the 2011 code. 3 We are reviewing the denial of this motion but note the record indicates, at some point in the proceedings, the motion was identified or treated as a postconviction-relief application.

to suspend the mandatorily imposed lifetime special sentence in whole or in part and requested the court suspend all but ten years of the special sentence. Graham also argued the special sentence was punitive because, if he failed to comply with the sentence, he would face additional prison time. Graham further complained the 2000-foot restriction contained within chapter 692A was punitive in nature, rather than purely administrative, and requested that the court modify the requirement pursuant to section 901.5(14). The State argued the imposition of the special sentence and the requirement that Graham register as a sex offender were appropriate and the court lacked authority to modify or resentence Graham. The court affirmed Graham’s original sentence and denied his motion to correct an illegal sentence, finding the sentence was not illegal or unconstitutional because Graham was not sentenced to a mandatory minimum, but rather “had the opportunity for parole and, in fact, [had] discharged his regular sentence.” The court further found it did “not have the authority to cut the length of the special sentence.” Graham appeals.

II. Scope and Standard of Review A defendant may challenge the legality of a sentence at any time. State v.

Bruegger, 773 N.W.2d 862, 869 (Iowa 2009); see also Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.24(5)(a). “Although challenges to illegal sentences are ordinarily reviewed for correction of legal errors, we review an allegedly unconstitutional sentence de novo.” Lyle, 854 N.W.2d at 382. “[S]tatutes are cloaked with a presumption of constitutionality.” State v. Wade, 757 N.W.2d 618, 622 (Iowa 2008) (quoting State v. Seering, 701 N.W.2d 655, 661 (Iowa 2005)). To overcome this presumption, Graham must prove the statutes are unconstitutional beyond a

reasonable doubt, which can only be accomplished by “refut[ing] every reasonable basis upon which the statute[s] could be found to be constitutional.” Seering, 701 N.W.2d at 661 (citation omitted).

III. Analysis Graham was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse, punishable by an indeterminate term of imprisonment for no more than ten years. See Iowa Code §§ 709.4(2)(b), 902.9(4). Pursuant to Iowa Code section 903B.1, 4 Graham is subject to a lifetime special sentence of supervision by the DOC, to be served “as if on parole,” and subject to the terms and procedures governing parole under chapter 906. In April 2015, Graham was discharged from prison and began serving his lifetime special sentence. If Graham violates the terms of his parole,5

4 Iowa Code section 903B.1 (Supp. 2009) provides:

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State of Iowa v. Bradley Steven Graham, (iowactapp 2016).

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