Case Title: State v. Knox

Citation: 446 So. 2d 1211

Docket Number: 

State: louisiana

Court: Louisiana Supreme Court

Date: 1984-02-27T00:00:00Z

Document:
446 So. 2d 1211 (1984) STATE of Louisiana v. Jerome KNOX. No. 82-KA-0473. Supreme Court of Louisiana. February 27, 1984. William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Ossie Brown, Dist. Atty., Allen W. Helm, Kay Kirkpatrick, Asst. Dist. Attys., for plaintiff-appellee. M. Michele Fournet, Asst. Public Defender, for defendant-appellant. *1212 PER CURIAM. Jerome Knox was charged by bill of information with two counts of felony theft, La.R.S. 14:67 and a single count of forgery, La.R.S. 14:72. The basis of the theft charge was the taking of two ladies dress suits valued at $150 from a department store. In a separate incident, defendant and two other persons negotiated a United States Treasury check for $283. On September 28, 1981, the defendant entered pleas of guilty to the forgery charge and to one theft charge. The second theft count was deleted from the bill as part of a plea bargain. The trial court, after considering a presentence investigation report, sentenced defendant to two years at hard labor for the theft charge and to eight years at hard labor for the forgery offense, the sentences to run concurrently. On appeal, defendant's convictions were affirmed by this court; however, because the trial court failed to provide an adequate record of its sentencing considerations and the factual basis therefor, we vacated the sentence imposed and remanded the case for resentencing in accordance with the law. State v. Knox, 425 So. 2d 707 (La.1982). On remand, the trial court conducted a resentencing hearing and again sentenced the defendant to two years at hard labor on the theft charge and eight years at hard labor on the forgery charge, to run concurrently, and stated additional reasons, which, in pertinent part, were as follows: Defendant appealed from the reimposition of these sentences urging one assignment of error, that the sentences imposed are excessive. Our review of the record indicates that the trial court imposed these sentences after careful assessment of the facts and circumstances surrounding the defendant's commission of two independent crimes, and after being fully informed of the defendant's personal background and past juvenile and adult criminal record. Although these are the defendant's first felony convictions, the record reflects his consistent involvement in criminal activity over a four year period preceding the reimposition *1213 of the sentences. In view of the record in this case and the additional sentencing reasons given by the trial court, we are unable to say that the sentencing judge abused his discretion or that the defendant's sentences are excessive. Accordingly, the defendant's sentences are affirmed. AFFIRMED.