Case Title: MACK v. STATE

Citation: 

Docket Number: 

State: wyoming

Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

Date: 2000-07-11T00:00:00Z

Document:
MACK v. STATE2000 WY 1477 P.3d 899Case Number: 99-296Decided: 07/11/2000Supreme Court of Wyoming
 
COREY MACK, Appellant 
(Defendant), v.THE STATE OF WYOMING, Appellee 
(Plaintiff).

Appeal from the District 
Court of Sweetwater County, The Honorable Jere Ryckman, 
Judge.

Representing 
Appellant: Corey Mack, Pro 
Se.Representing Appellee: Gay Woodhouse, Attorney General; Paul S. 
Rehurek, Deputy Attorney General; D. Michael Pauling, Senior Assistant Attorney 
General; and Kimberly A. Baker, Senior Assistant Attorney 
General.

Before 
LEHMAN, C.J., and THOMAS, MACY*, GOLDEN & 
HILL, JJ.

MACY, 
Justice.

[¶1]      We 
affirm.

ISSUES

[¶2] Mack failed 
to present a statement of issues; however, the state provided the following 
issues which appropriately focus our attention on the arguments Mack makes in 
his brief:

I. Whether the district 
court abused its discretion in denying Appellant's motion for sentence 
reduction?

II. Whether claims other 
than those relating to the sentence reduction motion may be considered in an 
appeal from the denial of a motion for sentence reduction?

FACTS

[¶3] On August 
26, 1998, Carolyn Suval invited the victim to go to her home with her. Once they 
arrived at her home, Suval informed the victim that he would have to pay her for 
the time they spent together. The victim attempted to leave, but Mack entered 
the home at that point and insisted that the victim give his money to Suval. 
When the victim again attempted to leave the residence, Mack took the victim's 
wallet and removed $200 in twenty-dollar bills from it. Mack then struck the 
victim in the face, knocking him to the floor. Some blood from the newly 
inflicted wound on the victim's head spilled onto the floor, and Suval wiped it 
up with a rag.

[¶4] The victim 
was finally allowed to leave the residence, and he proceeded to the police 
department where he reported the incident. The police found Suval and Mack, 
along with blood spatters on the floor, a blood soaked rag, and $200 in 
twenty-dollar bills. Mack was arrested and charged with one count of robbery. He 
initially pleaded not guilty. The state later added a habitual criminal charge. 
Mack thereafter entered a conditional plea of nolo contendre to the robbery 
charge, and, in exchange, the habitual criminal allegation was dismissed. Mack 
was sentenced to serve a term in the Wyoming State Penitentiary of not less than 
four years nor more than six years. He filed a motion for a sentence reduction, 
which the district court denied. Mack appeals from that adverse ruling to this 
Court.

STANDARD OF 
REVIEW

[¶5] A motion 
filed pursuant to W.R.Cr.P. 35(b) is ordinarily left to the sound discretion of 
the district court. Ayers v. State, 949 P.2d 469, 470 (Wyo. 1997). The district 
court's decision is given considerable deference unless no rational basis exists 
for its conclusion. Barela v. State, 936 P.2d 66, 69 (Wyo. 
1997).

DISCUSSION

[¶6] Wyo. Stat. 
Ann. § 6-2-401(b) (LEXIS 1999) provides for a maximum penalty of ten years in 
the state penitentiary for the offense of robbery. The term imposed by the 
district court was below the maximum penalty allowable by law. Although the 
four- to six-year sentence may seem harsh to Mack, when we consider Mack's 
significant criminal history along with the role he played in this crime, we 
cannot conclude that the district court abused its 
discretion.

[¶7] We are not 
at liberty to address Mack's various other claims because they are not properly 
before this Court. A motion for a sentence reduction cannot be used to attack 
the validity of a conviction, nor may it be used as a substitute for a properly 
filed appeal. Smith v. State, 969 P.2d 1136, 1138 (Wyo. 
1998).

[¶8] 
Affirmed.