Court Opinion

ID: 9587736
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:25:46.105028+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:59:59.409204
License: Public Domain

ON REHEARING
This case came to us originally on the issue of the correct calculation of a maximum sentence for the felony offense of attempted first-degree murder. We affirmed the sentence imposed by the district court, 125 Idaho at 912, 876 P.2d at 1353. A petition for rehearing was subsequently filed, which did not challenge the prior opinion of this Court. Rather, the petition challenges the basic issue of whether the defendant, Blaine Aaron Wood, was properly convicted of the offense of attempted first-degree murder. He contends that the conviction was improperly entered for the offense of attempted first-degree murder during the commission of a felony. We granted Wood’s request to consider this additional issue on rehearing because we have recently held that attempted felony murder is not a crime in Idaho. State v. Pratt, 125 Idaho 91, 873 P.2d 848 (1994).
Reference should be made to the initial opinion in this case for a detailed statement of the facts underlying Wood’s plea and conviction. Wood was initially charged with robbery and attempted first-degree murder. The charging portion of the information charged him with violations of both I.C. § 18-4003(a) and (b). The reference to (b) is apparently a typographical error as there is no indication in the record that the crime involved murder of a law enforcement officer. Clearly the information was intended and understood by both the State and Wood to charge attempted premeditated murder (18-4003(a)), and attempted murder committed during the commission of a felony (18-4003(d)). Wood thereafter negotiated with the State and entered a plea of guilty to the offenses charged in the information, attempted premeditated murder and attempted murder committed during the commission of a felony.
Now, on rehearing, after careful review of the information, the colloquy between the judge and Wood at the plea hearing and at sentencing, and the judgment of conviction, it is obvious that Wood clearly understood he was pleading guilty to both attempted murder charges. Because we have held that there is no crime in Idaho for attempted first-degree murder committed during the commission of a felony, the plea entered by Wood to the charge is dismissed. However, this is of no avail to Wood on his petition for rehearing. He also clearly pled guilty to attempted premeditated and deliberate first-degree murder under I.C. § 18-4003(a) and was sentenced for that offense. The fact that one of the charges to which Wood pled guilty is dismissed has no effect on the validity of his plea to the other attempted first-degree murder charge. Therefore, the judgment of conviction and sentence for attempted premeditated murder are affirmed.
McDEVITT, C.J., and BISTLINE, JOHNSON and SILAK, JJ. concur.