Opinion ID: 2173986
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues

Text: The trial court enhanced the thirty (30) year presumptive sentence for class A felony by twenty (20) years and stated on the record its reason for such enhancement as follows: Court finds aggravating circumstances due to defendant's lengthy criminal record. R. at 157. Defendant correctly notes that under numerous cases from this Court, this is not an adequate statement of aggravating circumstances justifying the enhancement of the sentence. He admits, however, that this error was not raised by the Motion to Correct Error, but claims that it is fundamental error. The record, however, contains the pre-sentence investigation report, and it recites Defendant's lengthy criminal history which includes prior convictions for Entering to Commit a Felony and First Degree Burglary. Given the opportunity, by advisement in the Motion to Correct Errors, the trial court could easily have provided a statement evidencing that the enhancement of the sentence was justifiable. The record affirmatively discloses that the sentence is not manifestly unreasonable in light of Defendant's criminal record. The error is, therefore, not fundamental. Rather, it appears that defense counsel merely abandoned a potential but meritless assignment of error. We find no reversible error. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed. GIVAN, C.J., and DeBRULER, HUNTER and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.