Opinion ID: 2416645
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: analysis

Text: The penalties for violations of our DUI laws are codified at Tenn.Code Ann. § 55-10-403. The defendant was convicted of third offense DUI. On the same day, the defendant pled guilty to a subsequent DUI charge. Both third and subsequent DUI convictions, at the time of the defendant's conviction, provided for a sentence of confinement not less than one hundred twenty (120) days nor more than eleven (11) months and twenty-nine (29) days. Tenn.Code Ann. § 55-10-403(a)(1). The DUI penalty statute further provided that: [a]ll persons sentenced under subsection(a) shall, in addition to the service of at least the minimum sentence, be required to serve the difference between the time actually served and the maximum sentence on probation. Tenn.Code Ann. § 55-10-403(c). Accordingly, the length of a defendant's sentence for a third or subsequent offense of DUI is set at eleven months and twenty-nine days. While trial courts cannot deviate from the length of the DUI sentence, trial courts do retain some discretion in determining what portion of the eleven month and twenty-nine day sentence a defendant will serve in confinement. [2] Our initial focus is on whether a trial court in a DUI case must place on the record either orally or in writing any enhancement or mitigating factors it found pursuant to Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-210(f). Enhancement and mitigating factors are used primarily to determine the length of a felony sentence within a statutory range. A sentence for DUI, however, does not involve a range. A defendant convicted of DUI automatically receives a sentence of eleven months and twenty-nine days. Accordingly, enhancement and mitigating factors are not used in determining the length of a DUI sentence. Tennessee Code Annotated § 40-35-210(f) is clearly inapplicable to DUI sentencing. Our next inquiry is whether a trial court must make specific findings of fact on the record when determining what portion of a DUI sentence will be served in confinement. A DUI, at the time of the defendant's offense, was a Class A misdemeanor. Tenn.Code Ann. § 55-10-403(m). Accordingly, we must determine whether a trial judge must make specific findings of fact in misdemeanor sentencing when determining what portion of a defendant's sentence the defendant will serve in confinement. Misdemeanor sentencing guidelines are codified at Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-302 and provide in pertinent part: In imposing a misdemeanor sentence, the court shall fix a percentage of the sentence which the defendant shall serve [in confinement]. . . .In determining the percentage of the sentence to be served in actual confinement the court shall consider the purposes of this chapter, the principles of sentencing, and the enhancement and mitigating factors set forth herein, and shall not impose such percentages arbitrarily. Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-302(d). The Sentencing Commission Comments to § 40-35-302(d) note that subsection (d), unlike felony sentencing, provides trial judges with needed flexibility in misdemeanor sentencing. See State v. Combs, 945 S.W.2d 770, 773-74 (Tenn.Crim.App.1996) (noting flexibility); see also State v. Williams, 914 S.W.2d 940, 948 (Tenn.Crim.App.1995) (holding no presumption regarding alternative form of sentence). The sentencing considerations generally used in determining the manner of service for both misdemeanors and felony sentences are codified at Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 40-35-102, -103. See Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-102 (noting considerations used in determining whether confinement shall be imposed); Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-103 (setting forth considerations to be used when issuing sentencing of confinement). In addition to the statutory considerations for issuing sentences of confinement, the misdemeanor sentencing statute merely requires a trial judge to consider enhancement and mitigating factors when calculating the percentage of a misdemeanor sentence to be served in confinement. Compare Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-302 (to consider the purpose of this chapter, the principles of sentencing, and the enhancement and mitigating factors set forth herein) with Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-210(f) (stating court shall place on record either orally or in writing what enhancement or mitigating factors it found). The legislature has clearly indicated that trial courts must make specific findings on the record in felony sentencing. See generally Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 40-35-209(c), 210(f). The language in these subsections is inconsistent with the language employed in the misdemeanor sentencing statute. Moreover, the legislature has indicated the ability to clearly mandate specific findings on the record in felony sentencing. Had the legislature intended this practice in misdemeanor sentencing, it could have so stated. Accordingly, while the better practice is to make findings on the record when fixing a percentage of a defendant's sentence to be served in incarceration, a trial court need only consider the principles of sentencing and enhancement and mitigating factors in order to comply with the legislative mandates of the misdemeanor sentencing statute. [3] When imposing a percentage to be served pursuant to the misdemeanor sentencing statute, Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-302 requires that a trial court shall not impose such percentages arbitrarily. Where, as in the case now before us, the defendant fails to include all materials necessary for resolution of a misdemeanor sentencing issue, the sentence shall be presumed to be correct. See Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-401 (1990) (noting that defendant carries the burden of establishing impropriety of sentence); see also Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-302 (shall not impose such percentages arbitrarily). The defendant in the case now before us has failed to include the trial transcript. It was the defendant's responsibility to include a complete record on appeal. See State v. Ballard, 855 S.W.2d 557 (1993) (holding failure to include transcript precludes appellate review); State v. Oody, 823 S.W.2d 554 (Tenn.Crim.App.1991) (holding trial court's ruling presumed correct in the absence of an adequate record on appeal). Notwithstanding waiver, the record before us indicates that the defendant has a total of ten (10) DUI convictions, a felony conviction, and other driving-related offenses. His tenth conviction stems from an arrest for DUI while on bond for the instant DUI offense. We find that the following factors present in the record before us amply support the trial court's sentences: 1. the defendant's lengthy criminal background, Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-103; 2. the potential dangerousness of his convictions and his lack of hesitation to drive under the influence which involves a high risk to his life and others, Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-114(10); 3. the defendant's inability to refrain from driving under the influence while on bond for a pending DUI charge; 4. the defendant's previous unwillingness to comply with conditions of a sentence involving release into the community, Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-114(8); 5. measures less restrictive than confinement have frequently been applied unsuccessfully to the defendant, Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-103(1)(C); 6. the defendant's apparent dishonesty with the V.A. (factor relevant to ability to be rehabilitated), Tenn.Code Ann. § 40-35-103(6); [4] and 7. the need to protect society from chronic and habitual offenders of our DUI laws, see generally Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 40-35-102(1), (3), -103(1)(A). Accordingly, the defendant's sentences are amply supported by the record. The defendant's sentences are affirmed, and costs of this appeal shall be taxed to the defendant, Kenneth Eugene Troutman, for which execution may issue if necessary. ANDERSON, C.J., and DROWOTA, J., concur. BIRCH, J., concurs with separate opinion.