Case Name: STATE of Louisiana v. Donald JOHNSON
Court: Louisiana Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1984-11-20
Citations: 459 So. 2d 1316
Docket Number: No. KA 84 0362
Parties: STATE of Louisiana v. Donald JOHNSON.
Judges: Before WATKINS, CRAIN and ALFORD, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 459
Pages: 1316–1320

Head Matter:
STATE of Louisiana v. Donald JOHNSON.
No. KA 84 0362.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.
Nov. 20, 1984.
Ossie Brown, Dist. Atty., by Samera Abide, Asst. Dist. Atty., Baton Rouge, for plaintiff-appellee.
Anne L. Jordan, Appellate Counsel, Asst. Public Defender, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellant.
Before WATKINS, CRAIN and ALFORD, JJ.

Opinion:
WATKINS, Judge.
Donald R. Johnson, Sr. was charged by bill of information with one count of possession of pentazocine, a controlled dangerous substance, classified in Schedule II, in violation of LSA-R.S. 40:967 C(l). Defendant withdrew his original plea of not guilty, pled guilty as charged, and was subsequently sentenced to a term of three years imprisonment in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Corrections. We affirm.
The record reveals that, during the evening of March 9, 1983, two police officers were patrolling in the fifteen hundred block of 43rd Street when they were approached by a young man who stated that someone was fighting with his mother. The officers proceeded to the scene of the fight and arrested defendant for battery on the young man's mother. While patting down defendant, incident to the arrest, the officers discovered a syringe in defendant's right sock. The syringe contained a white powdery substance which was later confirmed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab to be pentazocine.
In bringing this appeal, defendant urges that the trial court violated the sentencing guidelines of LSA-C.Cr.P., art. 894.1 (Assignment of Error No. 1) and that the sentence imposed was excessive (Assignment of Error No. 2).
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 1:
In his first assignment of error, defendant asserts that the trial court failed to follow the guidelines of art. 894.1 by not specifically listing for the record defendant's personal history. However, this lack of specificity in itself does not render the sentence invalid because the record clearly illuminates the sentencing choice. State v. Smith, 430 So.2d 31 (La.1983); State v. Davis, 440 So.2d 818 (La.App. 1st Cir.1983).
Defendant further asserts that the trial court incorrectly considered his prior arrests. However, we find that the trial court did act properly. The type of criminal activity a court may consider in a sentencing proceeding is not limited to prior convictions or by the rules of evidence. State v. Washington, 414 So.2d 313 (La. 1982); State v. Marchese, 430 So.2d 1303 (La.App. 1st Cir.1983).
ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR NO. 2:
In his second assignment of error, defendant asserts that the sentence imposed was excessive. We disagree. The standard of review to be exercised by an appellate court is circumscribed by rather narrow limits. A trial judge has wide discretion to impose a sentence within statutory limits. State v. Sepulvado, 367 So.2d 762 (La.1979). In the absence of manifest abuse of discretion, the sentence imposed will not be set aside as excessive. . State v. Lanclos, 419 So.2d 475 (La.1982).
Generally a sentence is considered excessive if it is grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime or is nothing more than needless imposition of pain and suffering. State v. Thomas, 432 So.2d 325 (La. App. 1st Cir.1983). A sentence is considered grossly disproportionate if one's sense of justice is shocked when comparing the punishment in light of the harm done to society. Id. at page 327.
The sentencing exposure for violation of LSA-R.S. art. 40:967 C(l) with respect to pentazocine is imprisonment with or without hard labor for not less than two years and not more than five years and an optional fine of not more than five thousand dollars.
The record reflects that the trial court ordered a presentence investigation report and adequately contemplated the sentencing guidelines of LSA-C.Cr.P., art. 894.1. In pronouncing sentence the court noted:
. [yjou've been given ample opportunities in the past by the Courts to straighten up your life. And you have failed to take advantage of these prior periods of probation. You continued to violate the criminal laws of this state. It's felt that your attitude and your character at this time indicates that you would be likely to commit other crimes were you given probation . I find no grounds tending to excuse or justify your conduct... I don't find that addiction to [drugs] justifies your continued violation of the Louisiana criminal laws. I find no provocation and, as such, I feel that there is an undue risk that . you would commit another offense. I feel that a lesser sentence would deprecate the seriousness of your crime. And I feel you are in need of correctional treatment within a custodial environment.
We cannot say that the sentence imposed is excessive under the circumstances. Defendant has a long juvenile and adult criminal record. He is a third felony offender whose behavior has not been positively altered by supervised probation granted for prior convictions. We find that the trial judge fully considered the range of sentencing alternatives and individualized the sentence to the particular defendant for the particular crime involved.
These assignments of error are without merit.
AFFIRMED.
CRAIN, J., concurs and assigns reasons.
. The trial judge need not articulate every aggravating and mitigating circumstance to comply with guidelines of LSA-C.Cr.P., art. 894.1. State v. Grey, 408 So.2d 1239 (La.1982).