Opinion ID: 1267164
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: Whether the Defendant's Sentence was Excessive

Text: The defendant also contends that his sentence was excessive under the circumstances, in that the defendant had no prior criminal record, and that 120 days of incarceration would result in the loss of his job and income. At trial, the defendant was convicted of delivering a controlled substance in violation of W. Va.Code 60A-4-401(a) (1983). Because marijuana falls under Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, W. Va. Code 60A-2-204(d)(14) (1991), the trial court sentenced the defendant to a term of not less than one nor more than five years, in compliance with W. Va.Code 60A-4-401(a)(ii) (1983). [21] The trial court granted the defendant's motion that the sentence be suspended and that he be placed on probation, contingent upon the defendant serving a period of 120 days incarceration in the Upshur County Jail. W. Va.Code 62-12-9 (1994) sets forth the conditions of release for a defendant receiving probation. Specifically, subsection (b)(4) provides, in relevant part, that a defendant shall, in the discretion of the court, be required to serve a period of confinement in the county jail of the county in which he was convicted for a period not to exceed one third of the minimum sentence established by law or one third of the least possible period of confinement in an indeterminate sentence, but in no case shall such period of confinement exceed six consecutive months. W. Va.Code 62-12-9(b)(4) (1994). The minimum sentence prescribed under W. Va.Code 60A-4-401(a)(ii) (1983) is one year. Thus, the trial court's decision to require the defendant to serve 120 days in the county jail as a condition of the suspension of the sentence and probation was within the statutory limits of W. Va.Code 62-12-9(b)(4) (1994). In State v. Goodnight, we held that [s]entences imposed by the trial court, if within statutory limits and if not based on some unpermissible factor, are not subject to appellate review. Syllabus Point 4, State v. Goodnight, 169 W.Va. 366, 287 S.E.2d 504 (1982). Because the trial court was well within its statutorily-prescribed discretion, and because the defendant failed to show that the sentence was based on some impermissible factor, the sentence imposed by the trial court is not subject to our review.