Opinion ID: 2048643
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: issues

Text: Defendant contends that the trial court erred in concluding that it had no authority to suspend the sentence, and he argues that the trial court's comments during the sentencing hearing to that effect require remand for resentencing. [1] Under the facts of this particular case we agree with Defendant's contentions, and remand for resentencing. Arguably, Defendant stood charged with both a class A felony for which the sentence was suspendable, i.e. robbery resulting in bodily injury to the victim, and a class B felony for which the sentence was non-suspendable, i.e. robbery while armed with a deadly weapon. See, Ind. Code § 35-42-5-1 (Burns 1979 Repl.) (defining robbery); Ind. Code § 35-50-2-2(a)(4) (Burns 1979 Repl., as amended by Acts 1982, P.L. 204, § 39, now after further amendment Ind. Code § 35-50-2-2(b)(4) [Burns 1985 Repl.]) (providing that class A felony robbery resulting in serious bodily injury or class B robbery committed with a deadly weapon result in sentences which are non-suspendable); Ind. Code § 35-41-1-1 (Burns 1979 Repl., now codified in pertinent part at Ind. Code §§ 35-41-1-4, 35-41-1-25 [Burns 1985]) (defining bodily injury and serious bodily injury respectively). However, he stands guilty only of the class A felony charged and should be sentenced in accordance with the statutes pertaining to that offense. Although he might have been charged with a class A felony (non-suspendable) by the inclusion of an allegation that the injury was a serious one, he was not so charged. In fact, the only verdict forms submitted to the jury were (guilty of robbery, a class A felony), and (not guilty). Inasmuch as it is apparent that the trial court was under an erroneous conception that precluded his consideration of suspending any part of Defendant's sentence, we remand this cause for the sole purpose of such consideration and intend to intimate no opinion upon the decision thereon. In all other respects, we affirm the judgment of the trial court. GIVAN, C.J., and HUNTER, DeBRULER and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.