Opinion ID: 2521344
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Due Process at Sentencing Hearing

Text: [¶10] Manes objects to the prosecutor's offering highly inflammatory and unproved allegations about the magnitude of Appellant's `real' drug sales involvement, and Appellant's status as a bad influence and the prime cause of the vaguely described criminal behavior of everyone from his wife to his son to his daughter's boyfriend, allegations which he notes did not appear in the PSI. He argues that the prosecutor was not permitted to indulge in such aspersions under the American Bar Association (ABA) standards and W.R.Cr.P. 32(a); that it was prosecutorial misconduct to offer unreliable accusations against alleged victims other than those impacted by the particular crime; prosecutorial misconduct to offer a community outrage argument; and contends that the disproportionate sentence meted out by the court for such a small amount of narcotics proves he was prejudiced at an unfair sentencing hearing. The State contends that Manes has not proved that any of the allegations were false and his failure to object at the sentencing hearing requires that we apply the plain error standard of review. [¶11] The ABA standards advocate sentencing for the offense of conviction, which limits the sentencing court to information pertaining strictly to the offense for which the defendant is sentenced plus narrowly defined mitigating and aggravating factors. A.B.A. Standards for Criminal Justice Sentencing 18-3.6 (3d ed. 1994). A real-offense sentencing jurisidiction allows the sentencing court to properly consider as much information about the defendant as the court finds is relevant to the determination of the sentence. Id. Manes contends that Rule 32 requires Wyoming follow the ABA standards but contends that whichever the category into which Wyoming falls, due process prohibits unreliable information from tainting the sentencing hearing proceedings. He also contends that a defendant who is prejudiced by unproved allegations is entitled to a new sentencing hearing. That State asserts precedent makes clear that Wyoming is a real-offense jurisdiction; however, resolution of this case does not require a determination on the matter, and we decline to consider it. [¶12] The State denies that it had a duty to prove that the information provided was accurate if the sentencing court reasonably believed it was. The State contends that unless the defendant or the sentencing court challenges the accuracy of the allegations the sentencing court is entitled to consider that fact at sentencing. Upon a challenge, the sentencing court is then required to resolve the issue as to the accuracy of that alleged fact. The State claims that a formal objection as to accuracy must be made to obtain an accuracy resolution, relying upon Swingholm v. State, 910 P.2d 1334, 1339 (Wyo. 1996). Swingholm's failure to find a due process failure was based upon the fact that the sentencing court had acted to resolve the factual dispute in question and did not require an objection. Id. The record shows that both Manes himself and his defense counsel argued that the prosecutor's accusations regarding wife, children, and community were untrue. Additionally, the presentencing investigation report contained none of these allegations although the preparer of that report had spoken to Manes and his family. Although the argument disputed the accuracy, the sentencing court did not resolve that dispute, and we will consider whether that failure resulted in an unfair sentencing hearing for Manes. [¶13] Wyoming does not permit a sentencing decision based upon unreliable information, undocumented information, or inaccurate information. Mehring, 860 P.2d at 1117; DeLoge v. State, 2002 WY 155, ¶13, 55 P.3d 1233, ¶13 (Wyo. 2002). We have previously held that a prosecutor's act of bringing an undocumented allegation to the district court's attention so that the court would consider that allegation in sentencing is prosecutorial misconduct. DeLoge, ¶13. We agree that such conduct at Manes' hearing was improper and constituted prosecutorial misconduct. The sentencing court, however, stated that its sentencing decision was based on the seriousness of the narcotic delivery convictions and Manes' prior criminal history. The sentencing court did not refer to any of the improper prosecutorial argument as a basis for its decision. Its stated basis for its decision was supported by the presentence investigation report and Manes' own taped statements to police. In light of Manes' failure to object to the presentence investigation report which contained that prior criminal history and in light of Manes' taped statements to police claiming to be a significant drug dealer in the area, we can see no reliance by the trial court on the prosecutorial misconduct to formulate its sentencing decision. We therefore must follow our precedent and conclude that the misconduct did not result in denying Manes a fair sentencing hearing, nor did it prejudice Manes in terms of the sentence imposed. Id. Without a showing of prejudice, Manes is not entitled to a new sentencing hearing despite the failure of the sentencing court to resolve the disputed accuracy of the prosecutor's information.