State v. Martin

589 P.2d 116, 99 Idaho 781, 1979 Ida. LEXIS 371
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 12, 1979
DocketNo. 12591
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 589 P.2d 116 (State v. Martin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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. Martin, 589 P.2d 116, 99 Idaho 781, 1979 Ida. LEXIS 371 (Idaho 1979).

Opinion

THOMAS, Justice

Pro Tern.

The defendant-appellant, Robert W. Martin, appeals from a sentence of not to exceed five years imposed upon by the First District Court in and for Kootenai County on November 7, 1975. At the time of sen[782]*782tencing, the presiding district judge suspended the execution of the sentence and placed the defendant on probation to the Idaho State Board of Correction for a period of five years subject to certain specific terms and conditions. The sentence was the result of a plea of guilty being entered in that court by Robert W. Martin, the defendant-appellant herein, on August 8, 1975, to a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicating beverages — a second offense, a felony.

Recognizing that the appellant had an alcoholic problem, the district court imposed three specific conditions of his probation which were related to this problem. Relevant to the appeal, were these conditions: First, that he continue to follow his current employment1 and that if he became unemployed he was to surrender himself to the Kootenai County Sheriff within 48 hours; second, that he violate no law of the United States, State of Idaho, or political subdivision thereof; third, that the defendant obtain a doctor’s prescription for the use of antabuse.

A few months later the appellant was charged by the Board of Correction with having violated the first and second conditions of his probation. Subsequently, a probation violation hearing was held, and on March 18, 1977, the appellant was found in violation of his probation. He, at that time, freely admitted the violation of leaving his employment and failing to report to the Sheriff as directed. The court found that appellant could not abide by the probationary conditions and that his record did not justify further leniency. The court then vacated the prior order suspending the execution of the sentence and ordered that the sentence be executed in full.

A preliminary question which should be considered is whether or not this appellant has standing to question the validity of the sentence imposed when he did not, within the time provided by law, appeal from the final judgment. This matter was touched upon briefly by both parties in their briefs and at oral argument. Inferentially, the case of State v. Wagenius, 99 Idaho 273, 581 P.2d 319 (1978), would indicate that a defendant has a right to test the legality of the sanction imposed by the court after a judgment of conviction, referring to I.C. § 19-2803 (repealed in 1977). While it is clear under Appellate Rules of Procedure 11(c)(6) the defendant has a right to appeal a probation revocation order, it is not so clear whether he can at this time attack, without a direct appeal, the propriety of probationary conditions imposed. However, tempted we may be to delve into the matter, in light of the final determination we make of the case, this question need not be considered further.

Appellant submits that failure by the sentencing court to take into consideration alternatives other than execution of the sentence in full is a matter which should be reviewed by an appellate court to determine if failure to do so is an abuse of discretion.

The heart of this case is the sentence which was imposed by the district court, but was suspended. The defendant was given the maximum five year sentence for the crime of driving while under the influence, a second offense. See I.C. § 49-1102(e). Obviously, that sentence did not seem to be excessive when it was suspended and the defendant placed on probation, but when it is imposed it must take on a different hue to the defendant.

As appellant admits, there is no improper action by the sentencing court when the sentence imposed is within the statutory limitations, State v. Hawk, 97 Idaho 1, 539 P.2d 553 (1975), but appellant would specifically have this Court modify his sentence either in permitting the sentencing court to retain jurisdiction for the first 120 days of said sentence or imposing some lesser penal time.

[783]*783Appellant first asserts that the sentence is improper because the violation was minor, and that the magnitude of the violation should have been considered with greater weight by the sentencing court. Furthermore, the additional thrust of appellant’s argument seems to center around the fact that the defendant-appellant was an alcoholic and all his problems stem from this “disease.” On this question, the hallmark case is State v. Oyler, 92 Idaho 43, 436 P.2d 709 (1968), where this Court faced a similar problem. In the Oyler case, this Court remanded the matter back to the trial court to determine whether the condition of abstention from alcohol was a condition of probation that could be reasonably expected to be performed by the defendant in that case. It was also instructed to determine whether compliance with such a requirement was fundamental to a proper probation for the defendant. Impliedly, the court had found that abstention was a fundamental condition of probation but impossible to be performed by the defendant, thus, the query was whether the court was free to commit or incarcerate that defendant. The concurring' opinion of Justice Taylor in the Oyler case, at page 47, 436 P.2d at page 713, had this significant comment:

If the District Court should find upon the hearing to be conducted, that appellant’s violation of parole consisted of driving an automobile while intoxicated, then the probation should be revoked and the judgment should be executed without regard to the question of whether appellant is incapable of refraining from using intoxicating beverages. In such case incarceration would be punitive as well as rehabilitative. Violation of the statute making it a crime to drive an automobile while intoxicated cannot be excused by the courts whether or not the driver is capable of refraining from the use of intoxicants.

In reality it appears that appellant’s questioning of the sentencing judge in failing to consider the lack of magnitude of the probation violation is the self-same question: that the court failed to take into consideration the underlying cause of the problem, that of alcohol. However, in this case the record is devoid of a showing of being the situation of a “chronic alcoholic.” Apparently, the appellant would want himself to be considered in the position of a “status offender” such as evidenced in Robinson v. California, 370 U.S. 660, 82 S.Ct. 1417, 8 L.Ed.2d 758 (1962). The record does not sustain the fact that the defendant is an incurable addicted alcoholic. The psychological evaluation submitted to the court at its request indicated only that the defendant-appellant was an “impulsive drinker,” which tendency could be curbed by antabuse treatment. The evaluation goes on to indicate that the defendant may now be properly motivated to change his style of living. Nowhere does the record indicate that appellant has developed to the situation that it may be said that his alcoholism is a “disease.”2 Cf. Powell v. Texas, 392 U.S. 514, 88 S.Ct. 2145, 20 L.Ed.2d 1254 (1968).

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Related

State v. Isbell
596 P.2d 109 (Idaho Supreme Court, 1979)

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Bluebook (online)
589 P.2d 116, 99 Idaho 781, 1979 Ida. LEXIS 371, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-martin-idaho-1979.