Opinion ID: 1175769
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: Because the Court of Appeals has jurisdiction of direct appeals of postconviction remedies only under Rule 57.1, the defendants characterized their motions for good time credits as motions for the correction or modification of sentence under Rule 57.1(a). In relevant part, that rule provides that [t]he district court may correct an illegal sentence at any time and may correct a sentence imposed in an illegal manner within    [thirty days after the sentence is imposed]. Crim.P.R. 57.1(a). The Court of Appeals held that because these defendants had not received illegal sentences, they were not eligible for modification of sentence at any time. Crim. P.R. 57.1(a). It therefore dismissed the appeal of defendant Gobel, whose motion in the district court had not been timely filed within thirty days of sentencing. Holding that the district court did have jurisdiction to hear the timely motions of defendants Aqui and Sena, the Court of Appeals entertained their appeals on the merits. We agree with the Court of Appeals that defendants, who received unambiguous sentences within the limits authorized by our sentencing statutes, cannot seek correction of illegal sentences under Rule 57.1(a). See State v. Harris, 101 N.M. 12, 14-15, 677 P.2d 625, 627-28 (Ct. App.1984). We disagree with the Court of Appeals implication that two of the defendants can seek, under Rule 57.1(a), correction of sentences imposed in an illegal manner, for they do not allege procedural deficiencies in their sentencing by the district court. Unlike mandatory credits under Section 31-20-12, the deduction of good time credits from an inmate's sentence is a discretionary matter entrusted not to the courts but to the administrators of the Corrections Department or the county jails. See §§ 33-2-34, 33-3-9, 33-8-14; see generally NMSA 1978, §§ 33-1-1 to 33-10-2 (Repl.Pamp.1983 & Cum.Supp.1985). The computation of good time credits is exclusively an administrative responsibility, and such deductions have no bearing upon the validity of the original sentence imposed by the district court. Cf. Drew v. United States, 248 F.2d 75 (9th Cir.1957) (federal law). Defendants' claims of entitlement to good time credits therefore challenge the execution of their sentences rather than the sentences themselves, and cannot be addressed by Rule 57.1(a) motions for correction of illegal sentences or of sentences imposed in an illegal manner. Cf. United States v. Brown, 753 F.2d 455 (5th Cir. 1985); United States v. Giddings, 740 F.2d 770 (9th Cir.1984); Lee v. United States, 400 F.2d 185 (9th Cir.1968) (discussing federal law regarding credits for presentence confinement).