State v. Peterson

887 P.2d 67, 126 Idaho 522, 1994 Ida. App. LEXIS 163
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 22, 1994
Docket20556
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 887 P.2d 67 (State v. Peterson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Peterson, 887 P.2d 67, 126 Idaho 522, 1994 Ida. App. LEXIS 163 (Idaho Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

PERRY, Judge.

Upon his plea of guilty, Clark Peterson stands convicted of sexual battery of a minor child sixteen or seventeen years of age. I.C. § 18-1508A(l)(a). He received a sentence of eight years, with a minimum period of three years’ confinement. Peterson appealed. While his appeal was pending, Peterson filed an I.C.R. 35 motion for reduction of his sentence, which was denied by the district court following a hearing. Peterson filed an amended notice of appeal to include the denial of his Rule 35 motion.

On appeal, Peterson asserts that the district court erred in accepting his guilty plea, that his sentence is excessive and that the district court further erred in denying his Rule 35 motion. For the reasons stated below, we affirm the actions of the district court.

First, Peterson asserts that the district court committed fundamental error in its acceptance of his guilty plea. Peterson’s argument is based upon what the state has deemed a typographical error in the amended information. Peterson was originally charged with a two-count complaint alleging acts of sexual battery which occurred be *524 tween July 2, 1992, and August 15, 1992. The statute under which Peterson was charged went into effect on July 1,1992. See I.C. § 18-1508A. Peterson waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was bound over to the district court for arraignment.

The state filed its information against Peterson alleging the same two counts. However, the information charged that the acts occurred between July 2, 1990, and August 15, 1992. Pursuant to a plea agreement with the state, an amended information was filed to allege one count of sexual battery and the second count was dismissed. The count contained in the amended information also alleged the July 2, 1990, through August 15, 1992, dates. No objection was ever made by Peterson to the language of the amended information, and no motion to amend was offered by the state. Peterson pled guilty to the amended information. He was sentenced to a three to eight-year term of imprisonment. Peterson did not attempt to withdraw his guilty plea before the district court, but appealed from the judgment of conviction.

Peterson claims for the first time on appeal, “It was fundamental error for the district court to accept appellant’s guilty plea when the prosecuting attorney’s Information alleged erroneous dates, and without inquiring further as to the specific time frame in which the sexual acts occurred.”

In State v. Lavy, 121 Idaho 842, 828 P.2d 871 (1992), the Idaho Supreme Court explained:

Lavy asserts for the first time on appeal that the trial court committed reversible error by failing to specifically advise him of his right against self-incrimination. Lavy has never asserted that he was prejudiced or mislead [sic] by this omission.
It is well established that issues not raised in the trial court cannot later be raised on appeal, State v. Mauro, 121 Idaho 178, 824 P.2d 109 (1991); State v. Martin, 119 Idaho 577, 808 P.2d 1322 (1991), unless the alleged error would constitute “fundamental error.” Fundamental error is error “which so profoundly distorts the trial that it produced manifest injustice and deprives the accused of his fundamental right to due process.”

121 Idaho at 843-44, 828 P.2d at 872-73 (citations omitted).

There is no requirement that the trial court must establish a factual basis for the crimes charged prior to accepting a guilty plea. State v. Hawkins, 117 Idaho 285, 290, 787 P.2d 271, 276 (1990); State v. Coffin, 104 Idaho 543, 545, 661 P.2d 328, 330 (1983). In Coffin, the Idaho Supreme Court held:

[The defendant] alleges that the trial court erred in accepting his pleas of guilty to the first degree burglary charges without first establishing a sufficient factual basis for the crimes charged. The defendant accurately notes in his brief on appeal that there is currently no requirement in Idaho that the trial court must establish a factual basis prior to accepting a guilty plea. Furthermore, this Court has previously stated that a valid guilty plea, voluntarily and understandingly given, is a judicial admission of all facts charged by the indictment or information____ Finally, a valid plea of guilty is conclusive as to guilt and obviates the necessity of the prosecution going forward with the evidence.

104 Idaho at 546, 661 P.2d at 331 (citations omitted). Therefore, having reviewed the record of the proceedings, we find that no error occurred in the district court’s acceptance of Peterson’s guilty plea.

Peterson also asserts that his sentence is excessive and that the district court erred in denying his Rule 35 motion. An appellate review of a sentence is based on an abuse of discretion standard. State v. Wolfe, 99 Idaho 382, 582 P.2d 728 (1978). If the sentence is not illegal, the appellant has the burden to show that it is unreasonable, and thus a clear abuse of discretion. State v. Brown, 121 Idaho 385, 825 P.2d 482 (1992). A sentence may represent such an abuse if it is shown to be unreasonable upon the facts of the case. State v. Nice, 103 Idaho 89, 645 P.2d 323 (1982). A sentence of confinement is reasonable if it appears at the time that confinement is necessary “to accomplish the primary objective of protecting society and to achieve any or all of the related goals of deterrence, rehabilitation or retribution ap *525 plicable to a given case.” State v. Toohill, 103 Idaho 565, 568, 650 P.2d 707, 710 (Ct.App.1982).

In reviewing a sentence imposed under the Unified Sentencing Act, we treat the minimum period specified by the sentencing judge as the probable duration of confinement. I.C. § 19-2513; State v. Sanchez, 115 Idaho 776, 769 P.2d 1148 (Ct.App.1989). Thus, we view Peterson’s actual term of confinement as three years. In order for Peterson to show that his sentence is excessive, he must establish that, under any reasonable view of the facts, a period of confinement of three years for his conviction of sexual battery of a minor was an abuse of discretion. Where reasonable minds might differ, this Court will not substitute its own view for that of the sentencing judge. Toohill, 103 Idaho 565, 650 P.2d 707.

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Bluebook (online)
887 P.2d 67, 126 Idaho 522, 1994 Ida. App. LEXIS 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-peterson-idahoctapp-1994.