Opinion ID: 1376397
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Restitution Provision

Text: Ochoa's final argument for error involves the district court's failure to set a specific amount of restitution in the sentence. The State concedes that the imposition of restitution in an indeterminate amount is improper. See Keller v. State, 771 P.2d 379 (Wyo. 1989). Where the trial court exceeds its sentencing authority and the sentence is divisible, we have the option of remanding for resentencing or simply mandating that the illegal provision be stricken. Keller, 771 P.2d at 387. However, where the restitution provision of the sentence fails due to a lack of proof at the sentencing, we will not remand for correction unless other portions of the sentence are remanded. Renfro v. State, 785 P.2d 491, 493 (Wyo.1990); see also Fischer v. State, 811 P.2d 5, 9 (Wyo.1991) (where restitution provision was remanded for recalculation along with the larceny conviction). In Kahlsdorf v. State, 823 P.2d 1184 (Wyo.1991), we held that the defendant had waived the requirement that restitution be based on credible evidence and that it be set in a specific pecuniary amount. Id., at 1195. However, in so holding, we required that there be evidence in the record that the defendant knowingly and voluntarily waived her right to a specific amount of restitution. Id., at 1194. We were able to find sufficient evidence of a knowing and voluntary waiver through the defendant's specific statements at sentencing. Id., at 1194. We are persuaded that this is not a situation like Kahlsdorf. The district court simply explained to Mr. Ochoa why they were not going to set the specific amount of restitution. There is no evidence, like in Kahlsdorf, to suggest a knowing and voluntary waiver. Instead we have a situation here where the district court and the prosecutor were aware that sentencing was to proceed but failed to establish a specific amount of restitution and thus left it undetermined. Therefore, because there was no waiver to the court setting an unspecified amount of restitution and because of a lack of proof of a proper amount at sentencing, and because there will be no remand of any other provision of the sentence, we must simply strike the indeterminate restitution provision.