State v. VOLCEK

729 N.W.2d 90, 15 Neb. Ct. App. 416, 2007 Neb. App. LEXIS 38
CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 13, 2007
DocketA-06-568, A-06-569
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 729 N.W.2d 90 (State v. VOLCEK) 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. VOLCEK, 729 N.W.2d 90, 15 Neb. Ct. App. 416, 2007 Neb. App. LEXIS 38 (Neb. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

Irwin, Judge.

I. INTRODUCTION

Jeffrey L. Volcek brings these appeals from the district court’s affirmance of the sentences imposed by the county court for Douglas County in two cases concerning Volcek’s violation of city ordinances concerning maintenance of real property. In case No. A-06-568, Volcek attempts to challenge the county court’s failure to waive a 45-day jail sentence imposed in a probation order. We find Volcek’s appeal regarding this sentence to be untimely, and we dismiss that appeal. In case No. A-06-569, Volcek challenges the county court’s sentence of 45 days’ imprisonment. We find no abuse of discretion by the county court, and we uphold the district court’s affirmance of that sentence.

II. BACKGROUND

1. Case No. A-06-568

On January 26, 2005, the State filed a complaint in Douglas County Court charging Volcek with the violation of a number of *418 city ordinances concerning maintenance of real property, including allowing the growth of noxious weeds, failure to secure a building permit, failure to secure an occupancy certificate, and violation of zoning and parking ordinances. On August 25, Volcek entered pleas of guilty to two counts and the State dismissed the rest. Also on August 25, the county court sentenced Volcek to a term of 6 months’ probation.

The probation order contained a provision requiring Volcek to serve a term of 45 days’ imprisonment to begin on December 15, 2005, “unless waived by the Court.” The probation order also set a hearing date on December 15 “for the purpose of determining whether said jail sentence should be waived.” No appeal was taken from the probation order.

On December 15, 2005, the county court held a hearing at which the issue of whether the court would waive the 45-day jail sentence was addressed. At the conclusion of the hearing, the court declined to waive the jail sentence and ordered Volcek to serve 45 days in jail, as previously set forth in the August 25 probation order.

Volcek appealed to the district court, which affirmed on April 20, 2006. Volcek then brought the appeal docketed in this court as case No. A-06-568.

2. Case No. A-06-569

On September 29, 2005, the State filed a complaint in Douglas County Court charging Volcek with the violation of a number of city ordinances concerning maintenance of real property, including violations of parking and zoning ordinances, littering, and failure to secure a building permit. On December 15, Volcek entered a plea of guilty on one count and the State dismissed the rest. Also on December 15, the county court sentenced Volcek to a term of 45 days’ imprisonment, to be served consecutively with the sentence in case No. A-06-568.

Volcek appealed to the district court, which affirmed on April 20, 2006. Volcek then brought the appeal docketed in this court as case No. A-06-569.

III. ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

In each case, Volcek’s sole assignment of error is that the 45-day jail term imposed in that case is an excessive sentence.

*419 IV. ANALYSIS

In case No. A-06-568, Volcek attempts to appeal from the district court’s order upholding the county court’s refusal to waive the 45-day jail term that was imposed as a term of Volcek’s probation. Volcek argues that the imposition of 45 days’ imprisonment is an excessive sentence. We find that Volcek’s appeal on this issue is untimely because Volcek failed to appeal from the court’s imposition of sentence.

In a criminal case, the judgment is the sentence. State v. Vela, 272 Neb. 287, 721 N.W.2d 631 (2006). 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). The three types of final orders which may be reviewed on appeal under the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1902 (Reissue 1995) are (1) an order which affects a substantial right in an action and which in effect determines the action and prevents a judgment, (2) an order affecting a substantial right made during a special proceeding, and (3) an order affecting a substantial right made on summary application in an action after a judgment is rendered. State v. Vela, supra.

It is clear that in Nebraska, sentencing orders in which a defendant is sentenced to probation with one term of probation’s being a jail term that may or may not ultimately be waived by the court are final, appealable orders. See, State v. Stott, 255 Neb. 438, 586 N.W.2d 436 (1998); State v. Spiegel, 239 Neb. 233, 474 N.W.2d 873 (1991); State v. Charles, 13 Neb. App. 305, 691 N.W.2d 567 (2005); State v. Ruisi, 9 Neb. App. 435, 616 N.W.2d 19 (2000), disapproved on other grounds, State v. Decker, 261 Neb. 382, 622 N.W.2d 903 (2001); McDermott v. McDermott, 8 Neb. App. 860, 602 N.W.2d 676 (1999). As such, the county court order sentencing Volcek to probation was a final, appealable order from which no appeal was taken.

Inasmuch as the probation order itself was a final, appealable order, it is apparent that the county court’s later decision not to waive the term of incarceration is not itself an appealable order. First, we note that there is no authority in this state for allowing an appeal from a court’s ultimate determination of whether to waive a jail term imposed as a term of probation. Second, we note *420 that a court’s determination not to waive such a jail term does not affect a substantial right and does not fit within any of the three types of final, appealable orders set forth in § 25-1902.

A substantial right is an essential legal right, not a mere technical right. State v. Vela, supra. A substantial right is affected if the order affects the subject matter of the litigation, such as diminishing a claim or defense that was available to an appellant prior to the order from which an appeal is taken. Id. In this case, the court’s determination not to waive the jail term did not diminish a claim or defense otherwise available to Volcek and did not affect any substantive right that Volcek had prior to the order; Volcek did not have any substantive right to have the jail term waived, and such was merely within the discretion of the county court. See Neb. Rev. Stat.

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Bluebook (online)
729 N.W.2d 90, 15 Neb. Ct. App. 416, 2007 Neb. App. LEXIS 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-volcek-nebctapp-2007.