Case Name: STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff, -vs- CHRISTOPHER SHOWEN, Defendant
Court: Montana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Montana
Decision Date: 2016-05-05
Citations: 386 Mont. 55
Docket Number: CAUSE NO. DC-15-284
Parties: STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff, -vs- CHRISTOPHER SHOWEN, Defendant.
Judges: Hon. Brenda Gilbert, Chairperson, Hon. Brad Newman, Member and Hon. Kathy Seeley, Member.
Reporter: Montana Reports
Volume: 386
Pages: 55–56

Head Matter:
Montana Eleventh Judicial District Court. County of Flathead.
STATE OF MONTANA, Plaintiff, -vs- CHRISTOPHER SHOWEN, Defendant.
CAUSE NO. DC-15-284
Done in open Court this 5th day of May, 2016.
DATED this 10th day of June, 2016.

Opinion:
DECISION
On December 28, 2015, the Defendant was sentenced to the Montana State Prison for a period of ten (10) years with five (5) years suspended for the offense of Bail Jumping, a felony, in violation of §45-7-308. The Court ordered the sentence to run consecutively to the sentence in Cause No. DC-14-276. Defendant was fined $1000 and ordered to pay his Public Defender costs of $800, along with court surcharges. Defendant was given credit for 328 days served in custody.
On May 5, 2016, the Defendant's Application for review of that sentence was heard by the Sentence Review Division of the Montana Supreme Court (hereafter "the Division").
The Defendant appeared by video conferencing from the Crossroads Correctional Center and was represented by Peter Ohman of the Office of the State Public Defender. The State was represented by Flathead County Attorney Ed Corrigan.
Before hearing the Application, the Defendant was advised that the Division has the authority not only to reduce the sentence or affirm it, but also increase it. The Defendant was further advised that there is no appeal from a decision of the Division. The Defendant acknowledged that he understood this and stated that he wished to proceed.
Rule 12, Rules of the Sentence Review Division of the Supreme Court of Montana, provides that, "The sentence imposed by the District Court is presumed correct. The sentence shall not be reduced or increased unless it is clearly inadequate or clearly excessive." (Section 46-18-904(3), MCA).
The Division finds that the reasons advanced for modification are insufficient to hold that the sentence imposed by the District Court is clearly inadequate or clearly excessive.
Therefore, it is the unanimous decision of the Division that the sentence is AFFIRMED.
Hon. Brenda Gilbert, Chairperson, Hon. Brad Newman, Member and Hon. Kathy Seeley, Member.