Case Title: State v. Styles

Citation: 166 Vt. 615, 693 A.2d 734

Docket Number: 

State: vermont

Court: Vermont Supreme Court

Date: 1997-04-01T00:00:00Z

Document:
State v. Styles  (96-234); 166 Vt. 615; 693 A.2d 734

[Filed 1-Apr-1997]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 96-234

                              MARCH TERM, 1997

State of Vermont                }     APPEALED FROM:
                                }
                                }
     v.                         }     District Court of Vermont,
                                }     Unit No. 2, Chittenden Circuit
Arthur G. Styles, III           }
                                }     DOCKET NO. 4572-10-94 Cncr

       In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Defendant Arthur Styles appeals a finding that he violated his
  conditions of probation and the resultant revocation of his probation.  We
  vacate and remand.

       On November 3, 1994, defendant pled nolo contendere to a charge of
  domestic assault in violation of 13 V.S.A. § 1042.  He received a sentence
  of four to twelve months, all suspended except for thirty days, and
  probation with conditions.  In a complaint dated January 29, 1996, the
  State alleged that defendant violated the following conditions:

     H:  You shall participate fully in any program to which you may
     be referred by the Court or your probation officer.
     J:  You shall not engage in threatening, violent or assaultive
     behavior.
     M:  You shall not purchase, possess or consume regulated drugs
     unless prescribed for your use by a physician.  You shall submit
     to urinalysis testing when requested by your probation officer, or
     any other person authorized by your probation officer.
     8:  You shall complete payment of your fine(s) of $17.50
     surcharge to your probation officer on a schedule determined by
     your probation officer.
     14:  Defendant is to attend DAEP.  Defendant is to attend DAY
     ONE.  Defendant is to follow all Family Abuse Orders.

       At a hearing on March 21, 1996, a police officer testified that on
  January 24, 1996 he responded to a call involving an alleged violation of a
  relief-from-abuse order.  Over defense counsel's objections, the court
  allowed the police officer to testify concerning hearsay statements made by
  the complainant and another witness, and admitted affidavits by complainant
  and the other witness into evidence.  Next, defendant's probation officer
  testified concerning defendant's attendance at DAEP and the Day One
  program, defendant's alleged violation of a restraining order, defendant's
  nonpayment of the $17.50 fine, and defendant's urinalysis tests.  Based on
  this evidence, the trial court found that defendant had violated his
  conditions of probation and revoked his probation.

       Defendant contends that the trial court erred in admitting hearsay
  evidence in a probation revocation hearing without stating on the record
  its reasons for admitting the hearsay evidence and making a finding of good
  cause.  In State v. Austin, ___ Vt. ___, ___,