Opinion ID: 2166160
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Application of the Sentencing Cap

Text: At the sentencing hearing, Appellant was given consecutive sentences on all counts totaling 470 years. The Commonwealth argued that because the offenses listed in indictment 02-CR-002050 occurred while Appellant was on confinement or probation for a 1996 juvenile offense, the sentencing cap of seventy (70) years in KRS 532.110(1)(c) did not apply pursuant to an exception found in KRS 533.060(2). See Corbett v. Commonwealth, 717 S.W.2d 831, 833 (Ky.1986). At the sentencing hearing, the trial court agreed with the Commonwealth that Appellant was on juvenile probation, without specifying the source in the record of this conclusion. On appeal, Appellant argues that the 70-year sentencing cap applies to him and the 470-year sentence was contrary to law. Initially, the Commonwealth contends that this court should not reach the question of the propriety of the sentence because it was not preserved for appellate review below. The Commonwealth claims that defense counsel conceded that Appellant was on probation as a juvenile at the sentencing hearing. We agree with Appellant that his argument as to sentencing and submission of a brief in favor of the application of the sentencing cap preserved this issue for appellate review. Moreover, our review of the record discloses no concession by Appellant regarding the probation question. In addition, because this concerns Appellant's sentence, we do not find it fatal that Appellant may have made other arguments in the trial court and now makes novel arguments on appeal. Sentencing is jurisdictional, and all defendants have the right to be sentenced after due consideration of all applicable law. Hughes v. Commonwealth, 875 S.W.2d 99, 100 (Ky.1994); Wellman v. Commonwealth, 694 S.W.2d 696, 698 (Ky.1985). Thus, sentencing issues may be raised for the first time on appeal and Appellant is proceeding properly before this Court. Appellant argues that the court erred in relying on the exception found in KRS 533.060(2) because his juvenile offense did not fit within its terms. That provision states: When a person has been convicted of a felony and is committed to a correctional detention facility and released on parole or has been released by the court on probation, shock probation, or conditional discharge, and is convicted or enters a plea of guilty to a felony committed while on parole, probation, shock probation, or conditional discharge, the person shall not be eligible for probation, shock probation, or conditional discharge and the period of confinement for that felony shall not run concurrently with any other sentence. (Emphasis supplied.) Appellant argues that this provision requiring that the sentences not run concurrently, is inapplicable because (1) he was not convicted of a felony by the 1996 adjudication and (2) he was not on probation at the time he committed the subsequent felonies. Appellant correctly notes that juvenile adjudications are not considered convictions pursuant to the Unified Juvenile Code. KRS 635.040 states, No adjudication by a juvenile session of District Court shall be deemed a conviction. . . . A juvenile adjudication is not tantamount to a criminal conviction, but is instead an adjudication of a status. Phelps v. Commonwealth, 125 S.W.3d 237, 239 (Ky.2004). We agree with Appellant that the General Assembly is presumed to know its enactments, is aware that juvenile adjudications will not result in convictions, and so did not intend that offenses committed while one is a juvenile would trigger the provision in KRS 533.060(2) requiring consecutive sentences. Additionally, Appellant directs us to the utter lack of evidence that Appellant was placed on probation while under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court in 1996. In the sentencing court, the Commonwealth cited the trial court to Appellant's tenth juvenile petition on July 29, 1996. The 1996 charge was for second-degree burglary; Appellant was committed to the Cabinet for Families and Children [2] for placement in a home. The Commonwealth contended that after Appellant's adjudication he was committed to the Cabinet either in confinement or on probation until he reached the age of majority. Yet there is no indication in the 1996 order that Appellant was on probation for the burglary charge. The Commonwealth argues that the fact that the records do not sufficiently spell out the exact parameters of the disposition of the juvenile case, it was not error for the trial court to find that appellant was on probation. We believe the lack of a record is the reason to find error, particularly since merely being released by the Cabinet does not equate to an order of a court granting probation. Therefore, if KRS 533.060(2) has no application to this case, we are left with the other limitation on sentencing, KRS 532.110(1)(c). [3] KRS 532.110 provides that when multiple sentences are imposed on a defendant the court shall determine as a matter of discretion whether the sentences shall run concurrently or consecutively. The exception in KRS 532.110(1)(c) states: The aggregate of consecutive indeterminate terms shall not exceed in maximum length the longest extended term which would be authorized by KRS 532.080 for the highest class of crime for which any of the sentences is imposed. In no event shall the aggregate of consecutive indeterminate terms exceed seventy (70) years. We agree that the 70 year limitation applies in this case. The maximum sentence that Appellant should have received in this case was 70 years. In other cases in which the statutory limit was exceeded, we remanded to the trial court for imposition of sentence which would fulfill the statutory maximum. See e.g. Gibbs v. Commonwealth, 208 S.W.3d 848 (Ky.2006) and Young v. Commonwealth, 968 S.W.2d 670 (Ky.1998). Therefore, we believe it is necessary for the trial court to fashion a new sentence which does not exceed the seventy year aggregate provided in KRS 532.110(1)(c). For the foregoing reasons, we remand this case to the Jefferson Circuit court for imposition of sentence not to exceed the 70 year maximum imposed by operation of law. All sitting. All concur.