State v. Rivera

711 N.W.2d 573, 14 Neb. Ct. App. 590, 2006 Neb. App. LEXIS 42
CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 28, 2006
DocketNo. A-04-1142
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 711 N.W.2d 573 (State v. Rivera) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska 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. Rivera, 711 N.W.2d 573, 14 Neb. Ct. App. 590, 2006 Neb. App. LEXIS 42 (Neb. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Cassel, Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Paul K. Rivera pled no contest to child abuse, a Class IIIA felony, and the district court for Douglas County sentenced Rivera to 3 years’ probation. The State of Nebraska, through a specially appointed deputy county attorney, appeals the sentence imposed on Rivera as excessively lenient. Rivera cross-appeals, alleging that (1) because the record fails to show that the Douglas County Attorney requested the appointment, the district court lacked the authority to appoint a special deputy county attorney; (2) the State failed to follow the proper procedure to appeal the sentencing; and (3) the State failed to timely file an appellate brief. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

II. BACKGROUND

The State originally charged Rivera with child abuse on December 1, 2003, in violation of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-707(5) (Cum. Supp. 2004), a Class III felony, based upon injuries sustained by his infant daughter. Rivera pled no contest to a reduced charge of child abuse, a Class IIIA felony in violation of § 28-707(4). The factual basis for the charge, provided by the prosecutor, is as follows:

Your Honor, on the date or the time frame set forth in the information, for a period of that time and the last few days in that time frame, the defendant and his family were in Douglas County. During that period of time, the child . . . was taken to Children’s Hospital and found to have ... leg fractures, five to both legs. . . . [T]he child was very young. I believe her date of birth was 10/1 of ’03. The opinions of the radiologist and treating physicians at Children’s Hospital [593]*593was that these were injuries caused by non-accidental trauma to the child.
. . . Rivera did make a statement to the police indicating that he was responsible for mishandling the child to such a degree that these injuries and fractures were caused.

Rivera’s counsel added, “It was a situation where . .. Rivera was doing what they called gas exercises, rotating his little girl’s legs, and he snapped one of the legs.” The court accepted Rivera’s no contest plea.

On September 28, 2004, the matter came on for sentencing. During the sentencing hearing, the court stated:

[T]he Court has reviewed your record, which basically up to this point is traffic misdemeanors. Why this happened, I think only you know. You flipped out supposedly. You’ve been doing everything that you’re supposed to do, stayed in Nebraska. You’ve been working and continuing with your treatment. There’s a good report from the treatment facility. They want you to continue. . . .
... The Court’s going to put you on probation. Probation will be for three years. Conditions of probation are that you stay out of trouble. . . . [T]he Court has no problem if you do wish to move to Colorado and join your family. This matter can be transferred there, but you have to get it all worked out with the probation office.

The transcript contains an “Order Appointing Special Deputy County Attorney” dated October 6, 2004, and file stamped on October 13. That order, signed by a district court judge other than the judge who took Rivera’s plea and imposed sentence, states in part: “This matter comes [sic] the motion of the Court on this 6th day of October, 2004, seeking appointment of Corey M. O’Brien, . . . Assistant Attorney General, to act as Special Deputy County Attorneys [sic] in all matters related to the above-captioned matter.” The order further stated that the court found the motion to be well taken and that the court appointed Corey M. O’Brien to serve as special deputy county attorney “pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 23-1204.01 ([Reissue] 1997).” The transcript does not contain any written motion requesting appointment of a special deputy county attorney. Also on October 6, the “Special Deputy [594]*594Douglas County Attorney, Corey M. O’Brien,” requested permission from the Attorney General to appeal the sentence, and the chief deputy Attorney General, acting in the name of the Attorney General, consented. On behalf of the State and in his capacity as a special deputy county attorney, O’Brien timely appealed to this court pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2320 (Cum. Supp. 2004), claiming that Rivera’s sentence was excessively lenient.

III.ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The State alleges that the trial court abused its discretion in imposing an excessively lenient sentence.

On cross-appeal, Rivera alleges that the appeal should be dismissed because the assistant attorney general failed to (1) follow the proper procedure to be appointed a special deputy county attorney, (2) follow the proper procedure to appeal the sentence, and (3) timely file his brief on appeal.

IV.STANDARD OF REVIEW

Whether an appellate court is reviewing a sentence for its leniency or its excessiveness, a sentence imposed by a district court that is within the statutorily prescribed limits will not be disturbed on appeal unless there appears to be an abuse of the trial court’s discretion. State v. Rice, 269 Neb. 717, 695 N.W.2d 418 (2005).

V.ANALYSIS

1. Jurisdiction

Before reaching the legal issues presented for review, it is the duty of an appellate court to settle jurisdictional issues presented by a case. Merrill v. Griswold’s, Inc., 270 Neb. 458, 703 N.W.2d 893 (2005). Thus, we begin by considering the assignments of error raised by Rivera’s cross-appeal.

The appellate jurisdiction of a court is contingent upon timely compliance with constitutional or statutory methods of appeal. State v. Hess, 261 Neb. 368, 622 N.W.2d 891 (2001). To the extent the State is authorized to appeal an adverse ruling in a criminal case, the appeal is to be taken in accordance with, and is constrained by, the terms of the statute authorizing the appeal. State v. Jones, 264 Neb. 812, 652 N.W.2d 288 (2002).

[595]*595Rivera alleges in his brief that this court does not have jurisdiction over the appeal because the State did not follow proper procedures pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 23-1204.01 (Reissue 1997) and 29-2320 and 29-2321 (Cum. Supp. 2004). We address each statute in turn.

(a) § 23-1204.01

Rivera argues both that § 23-1204.01 requires that a special deputy county attorney must be procured by the county attorney and that the record shows the absence of any motion or request made by or on behalf of the county attorney to procure such assistance.

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Bluebook (online)
711 N.W.2d 573, 14 Neb. Ct. App. 590, 2006 Neb. App. LEXIS 42, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-rivera-nebctapp-2006.