Opinion ID: 2062104
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Ex Parte Discussion of Sentence Computation

Text: Before sentencing, the court made an ex parte telephone call to an employee of the Department of Corrections to discuss the methodology used for computing credit for time served. After sentencing, the court informed the parties about the telephone conversation and explained that its sole purpose had been to clarify the mathematics in making the computations. Defendant objected to the contact as a violation of the canons of judicial conduct and moved to vacate the sentence and for resentencing before a different judge. Defendant claims that the judge's contact violated his right to advance disclosure of information pertinent to sentencing. V.R.Cr.P. 32(c)(3), (4); State v. Ramsay, 146 Vt. 70, 81, 499 A.2d 15, 22 (1985) (full disclosure of information must be made before sentencing to allow adequate opportunity for rebuttal). Here, however, defendant does not contest what the court learned over the telephone. Rather, he faults the ex parte nature of the procedure. Defendant had access to the information, since the method of computation the court discussed in the telephone conversation was contained in an exhibit in evidence. Defendant has not shown prejudice. The court had decided that defendant should be eligible for parole in the year 2016. The call was made to do a correct calculation to achieve that result. Nor can defendant's claim of partiality be supported in light of the purely technical nature of the inquiry. See In re C.W., 148 Vt. 282, 287, 532 A.2d 566, 570 (1987) (judge's questions about matters outside the record were improper, but in context were not prejudicial). Affirmed.