Opinion ID: 1058263
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Demetrious' Sentencing Hearing

Text: The Circuit Court of Bedford County held Demetrious' sentencing hearing on March 25, 2008. Demetrious' counsel argued for Demetrious to receive a juvenile disposition on the five convictions for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The Commonwealth argued that Demetrious' five convictions for use of a firearm required the circuit court to impose the mandatory minimum sentence set forth for each in the use of a firearm statute, Code § 18.2-53.1. The Commonwealth argued that under Bullock v. Commonwealth, 48 Va.App. 359, 375-77, 631 S.E.2d 334, 342-43 (2006), a trial court's broad discretion over juvenile sentences in Code § 16.1-272 did not override the mandatory minimum sentences required by Code § 18.2-53.1. The Commonwealth stated to the circuit court that in Bullock, the Court did deal with the situation where there was a request for a juvenile disposition... and there was a conflict in the statutes as to whether [or] not the broad discretion in the juvenile sentencing statute could override the mandatory provisions of the Use of Firearm statute. The Court of Appeals [held] that it could not, in fact, override that. The circuit court responded by taking a recess to review Bullock. Thereafter, the Commonwealth reiterated that it was relying on Bullock.  The circuit court held that Bullock prevented the circuit court from imposing a juvenile disposition on a use of a firearm charge under Code § 16.1-272(A)(1), but that the court could impose a juvenile disposition pursuant to Code § 16.1-272(A)(2). As his sentence on the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony charges, the circuit court ordered Demetrious committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice until his twentieth birthday. See Code § 16.1-285.1. The circuit court imposed adult time sentences for the remaining offenses, with all sentences to run concurrently, for a total period of incarceration of twenty-five years, and suspended that adult time.