Title: Wills v. State

State: indiana

Issuer: Indiana Supreme Court

Document:

578 N.E.2d 363 (1991)
William R. WILLS, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Indiana, Appellee.
No. 09S00-9008-CR-548.

Supreme Court of Indiana.
September 26, 1991.
*364 Jim Brugh, Logansport, for appellant.
Linley E. Pearson, Atty. Gen., Gary Damon Secrest, Deputy Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
GIVAN, Judge.
Appellant pled guilty to the crime of Voluntary Manslaughter. He originally was sentenced to an enhanced term of thirty-five (35) years for Voluntary Manslaughter as a Class A felony. On November 2, 1989, we remanded this case to the trial court for sentencing pursuant to our decision in Wills v. State (1989), Ind., 545 N.E.2d 571. On May 3, 1990, the trial court resentenced appellant to a term of twenty (20) years for his conviction of Voluntary Manslaughter, a Class B Felony.
The facts are: James F. Sutton was killed in Cass County, Indiana, on February 13, 1987. Sutton was shot by John Braswell. Braswell v. State (1990), Ind., 550 N.E.2d 1280. Wills was Braswell's accomplice in the commission of that crime. Wills testified against Braswell during the course of Braswell's trial. The testimony given by Wills against Braswell was admitted at both the original sentencing and resentencing of Wills.
Appellant contends that the trial court did not state sufficient grounds upon which to enhance the presumptive sentence of ten (10) years for voluntary manslaughter, a Class B felony.
The trial court made the following record at sentencing:
When we remanded this case to the trial court we directed that court to follow the standard regarding sentencing which is set *365 forth in Fry v. State (1988), Ind., 521 N.E.2d 1302. In Fry, we stated that when a trial court imposes an increased or consecutive sentence, the record must show a consideration by the judge of the facts of the specific crime and the relation of the sentence to the objectives to be served by that sentence. We further stated in Fry:
We previously have held that the trial court need list only one aggravating factor to support an enhanced sentence. Duvall v. State (1989), Ind., 540 N.E.2d 34. Further, we have stated that an enhanced sentence can be imposed when the only aggravating circumstance is a prior criminal history. Id.
We have held that it is for the trial court to determine the weight to be given to the aggravating and mitigating factors. Gilley v. State (1989), Ind., 535 N.E.2d 130.
In the present case the sentencing order meets the Fry standard of specificity. Where the supporting statement is sufficient, the sentence will be sustained unless it is manifestly unreasonable. Frappier v. State (1983), Ind., 448 N.E.2d 1188.
The trial court is affirmed.
SHEPARD, C.J., and DeBRULER, DICKSON and KRAHULIK, JJ., concur.