Case Title: State v. Lennon

Citation: 

Docket Number: 405, 2002

State: delaware

Court: Delaware Supreme Court

Date: 2003-03-11T00:00:00Z

Document:
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE
STATE OF DELAWARE
§
No. 405, 2002
§
Plaintiff Below,
§
Appellant,
§
Court Below: Superior Court
§
of the State of Delaware
v.
§
in and for New Castle County
§
Cr.A. No. IN02-02-0759
JAMES E. LENNON
§
§
Defendant Below, 
§
          Appellee.                          §
    
                                           
Submitted: December 12, 2002
Decided: 
March 11, 2003
Before VEASEY, Chief Justice, WALSH and BERGER, Justices.  
ORDER
This 11th day of March  2003, upon consideration of the briefs of the
parties and oral argument, it appears to the Court that:
(1)
On December 18, 2001, James E. Lennon entered a Wawa
convenience store, displayed what appeared to be a handgun, and robbed the
clerk.  Two days later, Lennon robbed another Wawa convenience store in a
similar manner.  On April 8, 2002, Lennon accepted a plea agreement under
which he pled guilty to one count of first degree robbery and one count of
second degree robbery.
1 Siple v. State, 701 A.2d 79, 83 (Del. 1997); see also Ward v. State, 567 A.2d 1296, 1297
(Del. 1989) (“Appellate review of a sentence generally ends upon determination that the
sentence is within the statutory limits prescribed by the legislature”).
211 Del.C. §832(a).
2
(2)
On June 21, 2002, the trial court sentenced Lennon, on the charge
of first degree robbery, in pertinent part: “effective January 30, 2002, you’re
placed in the custody of the Department of Correction for a period of five years.
That’s suspended upon successful completion of Key, for the balance at Level
3, Crest After-Care.”  “Key” refers to the Key Therapeutic Community, a six
to eighteen month drug treatment program established by the Delaware
Department of Correction.  “Crest After-Care” refers to a related, though less
restrictive, program.  The State timely objected to the imposed sentence.
(3)
This Court reviews sentences to determine, inter alia, whether they
fall “within the statutory limits.”1  First degree robbery is a Class B felony.2  As
such, under 11 Del.C. §4205(b)(2), the minimum sentence is “not less than 2
years … to be served at Level V.”  Pursuant to 11 Del. C. §4205(d), the
minimum sentence required by subsection (b) is not subject to suspension by
the court.
(4)
The trial court’s sentencing order does not require Lennon to serve
2 years at Level V.  It only requires him to complete the Key program (which
could take as little as 6 months) before being released from Level V.  Even
3
though the order is retroactive, the retroactive effective date only adds
approximately 5 months to Lennon’s Level V time.  Thus, under the existing
order, Lennon could be released from Level V after only 11 months. This
clearly violates the two-year minimum at Level V set out in 11 Del.C.
§4205(b).
        NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS ORDERED that the judgment of the Superior
Court is REVERSED, and this case is REMANDED for resentencing consistent
with this Order.  Jurisdiction is not retained.
BY THE COURT:
/s/ Carolyn Berger
Justice