Opinion ID: 2033789
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Review of Tumulty's Sentence

Text: By contrast to the prohibition on appealing the trial's court's acceptance of a plea, a defendant is entitled to contest the merits of a trial court's sentencing discretion where the court has exercised sentencing discretion, as it did here. Tumulty contends that the trial court did not articulate reasons sufficient to enhance his sentence for attempted criminal deviate conduct by ten years. The trial court found as aggravating circumstances Tumulty's prior criminal history (namely, burglary, four counts of battery and theft) and his history of his abuse of the victim in this case. The judge found his relative youth, his affection for his daughter, his good conduct in jail and the money he saved taxpayers by pleading guilty to be mitigating factors. Balancing these factors, the court concluded that the factors in aggravation were weightier and warranted enhancement. We review such claims under an abuse of discretion standard. Butler, 658 N.E.2d at 77. We cannot say that the trial court's balancing in this case was such an abuse. Moreover, we cannot say that it was manifestly unreasonable under Appellate Rule 17(B), as Tumulty also contends.