Opinion ID: 1655666
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Was Mertens Entitled to Probation?

Text: Once judgment and sentencing occur in a criminal proceeding, the trial court has exhausted its jurisdiction. It can take no further action in that case except when otherwise expressly provided by statute or rule. State ex rel. Simmons v. White, 866 S.W.2d 443, 445 (Mo. banc 1993). Section 559.115.3 expressly provides, in pertinent part: 3. The court may recommend placement of an offender in a department of corrections one hundred twenty-day program. Upon the recommendation of the court, the department of corrections shall determine the offender's eligibility for the program, the nature, intensity, and duration of any offender's participation in a program and the availability of space for an offender in any program. When the court recommends and receives placement of an offender in a department of corrections one hundred twenty-day program, the offender shall be released on probation if the department of corrections determines that the offender has successfully completed the program except as follows. Upon successful completion of a treatment program, the board of probation and parole shall advise the sentencing court of an offender's probationary release date thirty days prior to release. The court shall release the offender unless such release constitutes an abuse of discretion. If the court determined that there is an abuse of discretion, the court may order the execution of the offender's sentence only after conducting a hearing on the matter within ninety to one hundred twenty days of the offender's sentence. If the court does not respond when an offender successfully completes the program, the offender shall be released on probation.... (Emphasis added.) Under this section, after sentence is imposed and the board of probation and parole timely reports the offender has successfully completed the institutional program, probation is required absent an abuse of discretion by the board of probation and parole. If the trial court determines the board did abuse its discretion, before ordering the execution of the offender's sentence, the statute also requires the trial court to conduct a hearing within 90 to 120 days. In this case, the trial court failed to timely hold the hearing; therefore, under section 559.115, the time to order execution of the sentence expired, and the offender is required to be released on probation.