Wood v. State

712 P.2d 420, 1986 Alas. App. LEXIS 204
CourtCourt of Appeals of Alaska
DecidedJanuary 17, 1986
DocketA-747
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 712 P.2d 420 (Wood v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Alaska primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wood v. State, 712 P.2d 420, 1986 Alas. App. LEXIS 204 (Ala. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

*422 OPINION

Before BRYNER, C.J., and SINGLETON and SOUTER * , JJ.

SINGLETON, Judge.

Samuel 0. Wood pled no contest and was convicted of one count of burglary in the first degree, a class B felony, AS 11.46.-300(a)(1), and one count of burglary in the second degree, a class C felony, AS 11.46.-310(a). Wood is a first felony offender. A second felony offender convicted of burglary in the first degree would be subject to a four-year presumptive term, while a second felony offender convicted of burglary in the second degree would be subject to a two-year presumptive term. AS 12.55.-125(d)(1); AS 12.55.125(e)(1). Judge Carlson sentenced Wood to four years for count I, and eighteen months for count II, to be served consecutively. No part of the sentence was suspended. Thus, Wood’s total sentence is five and one-half years. Wood appealed contending that his total sentence is excessive. We agree and remand for resentencing.

THE OFFENSE

On March 5, 1984, Wood gained entrance to the unoccupied residence of an acquaintance, William M. Sutherland, by breaking a window while Sutherland was at work. Wood stole a number of items, including a clock-radio, a mini-recorder, some stereo equipment, some record albums, a wrist watch, jewelry and coins. The total value of the stolen items was approximately $3,140.

On April 16, 1984, at approximately 11:30 p.m., police investigating a burglary of a taco wagon discovered the defendant and a juvenile inside. It appears that Wood and his accomplice rifled the cash register, then stole food.

THE OFFENDER

Samuel O. Wood was born on September 17, 1965, and was twenty years of age when sentenced. Wood’s first contact with the juvenile justice system occurred on December 7, 1977 shortly after Wood’s twelfth birthday, when he was informally adjusted for shoplifting a Playboy magazine. A little more than two years later, in January of 1980, he was found intoxicated and lodged for three days at McLaughlin Youth Center. He was found intoxicated a second time on February 29, 1980, and spent seven days in McLaughlin. One month later on March 19, 1980, Wood, approximately fourteen and one-half years old, was adjudicated delinquent for acts which, if committed by an adult, would have been two counts of robbery in the first degree. Wood met two children on a People Mover bus and attempted to extort money from them at knife point. One of the minors had only a bus pass, which he turned over to Wood; the other minor had nothing. Wood accompanied them to the home of one of the minors where he was given $5. Wood left when he learned the mother was at home. For these offenses Wood was institutionalized for approximately three and one-half years, initially at McLaughlin Youth Center and later at the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Billings, Montana. He remained in state custody from March of 1980 until late November of 1983.

On December 29, 1983, approximately eight days after being released from juvenile custody, Wood committed an assault which resulted in a suspended imposition of sentence and 180 days probation. Judgment was set aside on July 5, 1984. In the interim, on April 27, 1984, Wood was convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief in the third degree and received a further suspended imposition of sentence for one year conditioned upon twenty days in jail, and restitution.

During his approximately three and one-half years in state custody, Wood accumulated a number of psychiatric and psycho *423 logical evaluations. Wood has been diagnosed a manic-depressive and was prescribed Lithium by his treating physician to minimize mood swings. It appears that Wood’s depressive symptoms respond well to medication, but that undesirable side effects have made medication unattractive to Wood in the past and led to his refusal to take it except under pressure. The record reflects that while incarcerated at the Cook Inlet pretrial facility Wood sleeps all day, ignores personal hygiene and refuses to cooperate with the staff. The record does not reflect that he is currently receiving medication.

Wood’s most recent psychological evaluation was performed on September 23, 1983, shortly before Wood’s release from juvenile custody, by James F. Harper, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist. Dr. Harper’s conclusions were as follows:

Sam appears to show only a minimally receptive attitude towards change. He may attempt to act in a clever, manipulative way after early hesitations about therapy recede. However, Sam does not appear to be significantly disturbed about his inter-personal deficits, nor does he seem particularly concerned about the well-being of others. A fundamental goal of therapy must be that of guiding him to be more thoughtful about the needs of others and accepting the constraints and the responsibilities of family and social living. This will require strengthening his capacity to face shortcomings. or irresponsibilities in a very frank manner. Care must be taken in this regard not to be deceived by superficial compliance with these efforts. Sam appears to be a young man who is devoid of any significant interpersonal contacts, and his motivation to strengthen his affective bonds is very poor. [T]his examiner doubts that Sam feels much empathy for others, and overall he appears to be quite self-satisfied. His narcissism does not arise out of any particular antisocial beliefs, but rather reflects an exhi-bitionistic and self-enhancing nature. His relationships with others will primarily be directed towards meeting his needs, rather than towards the affective warmth involved or towards more altruistic roles. Sam will have a great deal of difficulty understanding how others respond to his manipulation, and he needs a great deal of confrontation and feedback in this area, to understand how it is, in fact, he may help others.

Wood’s presentence report was generally unfavorable. The presentence officer recommended that Wood be given a substantial period of time to serve and be ineligible for parole release until such time as a psychologist or psychiatrist was prepared to certify that he was no longer a danger to society. 1

*424 THE SENTENCING

In allocution, Wood explained the Sutherland burglary as the result of his intoxication and “going along with some friends.” Judge Carlson was dissatisfied with this explanation. 2 He pointed out that burglary of a residence is a very serious offense. In sentencing Wood, Judge Carlson stated:

And the presentence report which you had access to shows quite a different situation with regard to your family situation now [from the position taken by Mr. Wood in allocution] and how hard they’ve tried and how they just can’t seem to cope and how other people have tried and your lack of cooperation. Now, as [defense counsel] says, you do fit someplace between the cracks but our society as yet has not decided to have group homes for adults. You are a person who needs a group home. The only institution we have for that is jail, prison.

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Bluebook (online)
712 P.2d 420, 1986 Alas. App. LEXIS 204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wood-v-state-alaskactapp-1986.