Opinion ID: 1838226
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Defendant next seems to argue he should have been given the opportunity to examine the report.

Text: Presentence reports are documents which are not required to be made available to defendant as a matter of right. Gregg v. United States, 394 U.S. 489, 492, 89 S.Ct. 1134, 1136, 22 L.Ed.2d 442. The following statement from United States v. Lowe, 482 F.2d 1357, 1358-1359 (6 Cir. 1973), is relevant: Appellant's second contention raises the issue of whether a criminal defendant has a right to examine a presentence report. If appellant has this right, it must be found in the Constitution. The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure are clear in indicating that a defendant has no such absolute right. Rule 32(c) (2), Fed.R.Crim. P., provides that a district judge may disclose all or part of the material contained in the presentence report. This has been uniformly interpreted as granting discretion to the trial court in determining whether a defendant should be permitted to examine the report. 2 Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure § 524. No reported decision of this Court on this constitutional issue has been found. We follow the sound reasoning expressed by several other Circuits in rejecting this contention of appellant.    [citing authorities]. (Emphasis in the original) In the present state of the law there is no constitutional right to inspection of the presentence report. However, see State v. Delano, 161 N.W.2d at 71-72 and the dissent in State v. Cole, 168 N.W.2d 37, 42-45 (Iowa 1969), where several authorities are set out concerning the fact that it may be desirable, and in the future constitutionally necessary, to allow examination of the report. See also the pocket supplement to 2 Wright, Federal Practice and Procedure, section 524. It is to be remembered that at no time did defendant in the case before us request an opportunity to examine the report although it was referred to by both the prosecution and the sentencing judge. Under this record the trial court did not abuse its discretion. The contention cannot be sustained. IV. Defendant was sentenced to an indeterminate term not to exceed seven years; this was not in excess of the penalty provided by section 713.1, The Code, 1971. Defendant makes two contentions in this assignment. Insofar as his first contention is that the statute under which he was sentenced is unconstitutional because it provides for cruel and inhuman punishment, such argument presents nothing for review because it was never raised in trial court. State v. Russell, 216 N.W.2d 355 (Iowa 1974). On substantive grounds, generally a sentence within statutorily prescribed penalties does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. State v. McNeal, 167 N.W.2d 674, 678 (Iowa 1969); State v. Tokatlian, 203 N.W.2d 116, 120 (Iowa 1972). His second contention is that trial court abused its discretion in imposing the indeterminate sentence not to exceed seven years. If the judgment does not exceed the statutory maximum this court will interfere only where an abuse of discretion is shown. State v. Carncross, 205 N.W.2d 698 (Iowa 1973). Defendant's past record is not good; he has had several other problems with the law. Under the circumstances shown by this record no abuse of discretion is shown. This assignment is without merit. The case is therefore Affirmed.