State v. Bell

369 N.W.2d 140, 1985 S.D. LEXIS 301
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJune 12, 1985
Docket14725
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 369 N.W.2d 140 (State v. Bell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Bell, 369 N.W.2d 140, 1985 S.D. LEXIS 301 (S.D. 1985).

Opinion

HENDERSON, Justice.

ACTION

This is a criminal appeal arising from the revocation of a suspended execution of sentence. We affirm the judgment revoking the suspended sentence but reverse and remand for an evidentiary hearing on that aspect of the appeal pertaining to credit for jail time.

FACTS

On December 22, 1983, Kenneth Charles Bell, defendant-appellant, pleaded guilty to a violation of SDCL 22-34-1, Intentional Damage to Property in the First Degree. He was sentenced to five years in the State Penitentiary with the execution of the sentence being suspended and appellant being placed on probation for three years under the following conditions: 1) That appellant be on good behavior and have no alcohol-related offenses for three years; 2) that appellant sign and abide by the standard probation agreement for three years; 3) that appellant make restitution of $500 damages and repay attorney fees; and 4) that appellant serve six months in jail with credit for time served and credit for time spent in inpatient alcohol treatment facilities at Yankton, South Dakota. *

On August 20, 1984, appellant checked himself into McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls for alcohol treatment. On August 23, 1984, he was released from the hospital and received some valium from the hospital staff. Upon his release, appellant took the valium and also purchased a bottle of 190-proof vodka from which he drank throughout the day. Later that afternoon, appellant argued with his girlfriend in a restaurant parking lot, left her car, and began to walk home.

On his way home and at 5:30 p.m., appellant entered the side door of a home at 910 West 12th Street. The occupant, Marie Fullenkamp, met appellant near the door and after several inquiries, told appellant to leave. Appellant left immediately and *142 without incident. Appellant previously lived in an apartment with a side entrance at 925 West 12th Street for one and one-half years.

That evening, appellant was arrested by Sioux Falls police and charged with assaulting his girlfriend and later charged with entering or remaining without privilege in violation of SDCL 22-35-5 (unlawful occupancy). After a preliminary hearing, the assault charge was not bound over to circuit court.

Based on the above incident, appellant’s Court Services Officer filed a Violation Report and on August 30, 1984, the State, plaintiff-appellee herein, filed a motion to revoke the suspended sentence. On September 6, 1984, a revocation hearing was conducted and the above facts were adduced. Appellant Bell also testified that during the incident in question, he was in an alcoholic blackout and knew nothing about it except for what he was told.

After the hearing and by an order dated September 7, 1984, and an amended order dated September 12, 1984, the trial court revoked appellant’s suspended sentence and imposed the complete five-year sentence with credit for 14 days jail time spent prior to the revocation hearing. The trial court specifically found that appellant violated the terms of the order and probation agreement in that 1) appellant violated a South Dakota statute and 2) appellant violated his good behavior condition, both of which violations were not justified. It is from these orders revoking the suspended sentence and remanding him to the State Penitentiary that appellant appeals.

DECISION

I.

WAS THERE SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE FOR THE TRIAL COURT TO REVOKE APPELLANT’S SUSPENDED SENTENCE? WE HOLD THAT THERE WAS.

Appellant contends that the trial court’s revocation of his suspended sentence was in error for two reasons. First, appellant asserts that because he was in an alcoholic blackout and, in the trial court’s own words, was “wandering around in a fog” not knowing where he was, he did not have the specific intent required to violate SDCL 22-35-5. Therefore, he urges the trial court erred in determining that he violated the above statute and the revocation of his suspended sentence is unlawful. Second, and in this same vein, appellant asserts that because he did not commit a criminal act, he did not violate the good behavior conditions of his suspended sentence.

Under South Dakota Constitution Article V, § 5, and SDCL 23A-27-18, a trial court is empowered, in certain cases under certain conditions, to suspend the execution of sentence. A suspended sentence is an act of grace and the decision to so suspend is within the trial court’s discretion. State ex rel. Caldwell v. Skinner, 59 S.D. 68, 75, 238 N.W. 149, 152 (1931). The revocation of a suspended sentence, however, is not a decision to be made at the court’s pleasure. Application of Jerrel, 77 S.D. 487, 492, 93 N.W.2d 614, 617 (1958).

Before revoking the suspension of the execution of a sentence by the court there must be some showing that the convicted person’s behavior is not good or that he has violated the conditions or restitutions imposed upon him. Such factual showing must be sufficient to justify the exercise of discretion by the court in revoking the suspension.

Id., 77 S.D. at 492-93, 93 N.W.2d at 617.

“[PJroof sufficient to support a criminal conviction is not required to support a judge’s discretionary order revoking probation. A judge in such proceeding need not have evidence that would establish beyond a reasonable doubt guilt of criminal offenses. All that is required is that the evidence and facts be such as to reasonably satisfy the judge that the conduct of the probationer has not been as good as required by the conditions of probation.” Manning v. United States, [161 F.2d 827, 829 (5th Cir.1947)].

State v. Elder, 77 S.D. 540, 544, 95 N.W.2d 592, 594 (1959). A revocation proceeding is not a criminal prosecution and the standard *143 of proof is the “reasonably satisfied” standard. State v. Burkman, 281 N.W.2d 442, 443 (S.D.1979). The State does not assume the burden of proving a specific violation of the statute or statutes alleged to have been transgressed. State v. Olson, 305 N.W.2d 852, 853 (S.D.1981). Only evidence need be “produced to ‘reasonably satisfy’ the court that appellant violated [the statute in question] and that these activities were sufficient to justify revocation.” Id. at 853.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
369 N.W.2d 140, 1985 S.D. LEXIS 301, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-bell-sd-1985.