Court Opinion

ID: 9743712
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 21:41:08.397954+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:42.959865
License: Public Domain

DeBRULER, Justice,
concurring and dissenting.
Rule 2(1) of the Appellate Review of Sentences provides:
"The reviewing court will not revise a sentence authorized by statute except where such sentence is manifestly unreasonable in light of the nature of the offense and the character of the offender."
Appellant was convicted of selling L.S.D. to an adult for profit. At the sentencing hearing, the court enhanced the basic ten year sentence by an additional five years. The court stated his reasons for enhancement at two different places as follows:
"The Defendant is hereby sentenced to the Indiana Department of Corrections for a period of ten (10) years, plus an additional five (5) years for aggravating circumstances, same being that the imposition of a lesser sentence would depreciate the seriousness of the offense, the Defendant being a man well known in his area, being over 50 years of age and having held responsible jobs in the county.”
"That the defendant has held responsible positions and that he is over 50 years of age and that a shorter sentence would tend to influence younger people and depreciate the seriousness of this offense and like offenses."
Here, appellant sold drugs to an adult, and had no criminal record. He was fifty-two years of age. I understand the sentencing court to be saying that the basic ten year sentence for selling drugs by a well known middle-aged adult would be viewed by younger people in the community as so short a sentence as to constitute a form of encouragement to misbehave in like manner. The enhancement on the basis stated is manifestly unreasonable. It penalizes the defendant for years of decent law abiding conduct and upon a speculation that the basic sentence chosen by the Legislature would excite criminal behavior in an amorphous segment of society.
I would affirm the conviction and remand for imposition of the standard sentence of ten years. *
PRENTICE, J., concurs.