Opinion ID: 2632290
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Gertsch's Sentences Are Affirmed, Except For The Sentence Related To The Racketeering Conviction.

Text: Because we vacate Gertsch's racketeering conviction and the related sentence, the longest of the remaining concurrent sentences is ten years with three years fixed. Gertsch argues that her sentences are unduly harsh, and therefore an abuse of discretion, in light of her age, as well as her prior history of compliance with the law and also the extraordinary stresses she was under prior to and during the time of the offenses. Where a sentence is within the statutory limits, the appellant bears the burden of demonstrating that it is a clear abuse of discretion. To constitute an abuse of discretion, the sentence must be shown to be excessive under any reasonable view of the facts. A sentence is reasonable if at the time of imposition it appears necessary to achieve the primary objective of protecting society and to achieve any or all of the related goals of deterrence, rehabilitation or retribution applicable to the given case. For the purpose of sentencing review, this Court considers the minimum period of incarceration to be the probable measure of confinement. State v. Lundquist, 134 Idaho 831, 836, 11 P.3d 27, 32 (2000) (internal citations omitted). Gertsch must show that a minimum term of confinement of three years is unreasonable and therefore an abuse of discretion. The evidence showed that Gertsch had told a long string of lies in order to convince people to give her money for an alleged investment program. Eventually, she deprived her victims of a total of approximately $130,000. Some of the victims were facing extraordinary stresses akin to those Gertsch claims to have been facing. She convinced many of the victims to cash in their retirement accounts and college savings accounts held for their children. Some victims completely exhausted their credit card limits by way of cash advances in amounts exceeding $10,000, at an annual interest rate of 36%. Gertsch has failed to meet her burden to show that her three-year minimum sentence is excessive under any reasonable view of the facts. She has not shown that her sentence fails to serve the objective of protecting society or fails to achieve any or all of the related goals of deterrence, rehabilitation or retribution.