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IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO

Docket No. 39812

STATE OF IDAHO,

Plaintiff-Respondent,

v.

DARON WAYNE NELSON,

Defendant-Appellant.

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2012 Unpublished Opinion No. 740

Filed: November 27, 2012

Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk

THIS IS AN UNPUBLISHED 

OPINION AND SHALL NOT 

BE CITED AS AUTHORITY

Appeal from the District Court of the Third Judicial District, State of Idaho, 

Canyon County. Hon. Gregory M. Culet, District Judge. 

Judgment of conviction and unified sentence of ten years, with a minimum period 

of confinement of two years, for aggravated battery, affirmed; order denying 

I.C.R. 35 motion for reduction of sentence, affirmed.

Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Spencer J. Hahn, Deputy 

Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant. 

Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Lori A. Fleming, Deputy Attorney 

General, Boise, for respondent. 

________________________________________________

Before GRATTON, Chief Judge; GUTIERREZ, Judge;

and MELANSON, Judge

PER CURIAM

Daron Wayne Nelson pled guilty to aggravated battery. Idaho Code §§ 18-903(b), 18-

907(a). The district court sentenced Nelson to a unified term of ten years, with a minimum 

period of confinement of two years. Nelson filed an Idaho Criminal Rule 35 motion, which the 

district court denied. Nelson appeals asserting the district court abused its discretion by 

declining to place him on probation or retain jurisdiction and by denying his Rule 35 motion.

Sentencing is a matter for the trial court’s discretion. Both our standard of review and the 

factors to be considered in evaluating the reasonableness of the sentence are well established. 

See State v. Hernandez, 121 Idaho 114, 117-18, 822 P.2d 1011, 1014-15 (Ct. App. 1991); State 
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v. Lopez, 106 Idaho 447, 449-51, 680 P.2d 869, 871-73 (Ct. App. 1984); State v. Toohill, 103 

Idaho 565, 568, 650 P.2d 707, 710 (Ct. App. 1982). When reviewing the length of a sentence, 

we consider the defendant’s entire sentence. State v. Oliver, 144 Idaho 722, 726, 170 P.3d 387, 

391 (2007). Applying these standards, and having reviewed the record in this case, we cannot 

say that the district court abused its discretion.

The decision whether to retain jurisdiction is also a matter within the sound discretion of 

the district court. State v. Lee, 117 Idaho 203, 205-06, 786 P.2d 594, 596-97 (Ct. App. 1990). 

The primary purpose of a district court retaining jurisdiction is to enable the court to obtain 

additional information regarding whether the defendant has sufficient rehabilitative potential and 

is suitable for probation. State v. Jones, 141 Idaho 673, 677, 115 P.3d 764, 768 (Ct. App. 2005). 

There can be no abuse of discretion if the district court has sufficient evidence before it to 

conclude that the defendant is not a suitable candidate for probation. Id. 

Next, we review whether the district court erred in denying Nelson’s Rule 35 motion. A 

motion for reduction of sentence under I.C.R. 35 is essentially a plea for leniency, addressed to 

the sound discretion of the court. State v. Knighton, 143 Idaho 318, 319, 144 P.3d 23, 24 (2006); 

State v. Allbee, 115 Idaho 845, 846, 771 P.2d 66, 67 (Ct. App. 1989). In presenting a Rule 35 

motion, the defendant must show that the sentence is excessive in light of new or additional 

information subsequently provided to the district court in support of the motion. State v. 

Huffman, 144 Idaho 201, 203, 159 P.3d 838, 840 (2007). In conducting our review of the grant 

or denial of a Rule 35 motion, we consider the entire record and apply the same criteria used for 

determining the reasonableness of the original sentence. State v. Forde, 113 Idaho 21, 22, 740 

P.2d 63, 64 (Ct. App. 1987); Lopez, 106 Idaho at 449-51, 680 P.2d at 871-73. Upon review of 

the record, we conclude no abuse of discretion has been shown.

Therefore, Nelson’s judgment of conviction and sentence, and the district court’s order 

denying Nelson’s Rule 35 motion, are affirmed.