Court Opinion

ID: 9511988
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-06 22:10:25.405034+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:05:15.778760
License: Public Domain

JUSTICE RICE
dissenting.
¶46 I join in Justice Leaphart’s dissent and would end this matter after reaching the conclusion that Stephenson is not entitled to withdraw his plea. Further, even if I were to reach the merits, I would disagree with the Court’s conclusion that a sentencing court is without authority to impose a surcharge or a fee related to a probationer’s participation in a community service program. The Court’s reasoning-that no statute allows for a charge “in the nature of a surcharge fee”-is a forced and artificial premise which directly conflicts with a sentencing court’s broad statutory authority to construct probationary sentences in the interests of rehabilitation, restitution and the protection of society.