State v. Tabatha Christensen

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Docket No. 42767 STATE OF IDAHO, ) 2015 Unpublished Opinion No. 607 ) Plaintiff-Respondent, ) Filed: September 2, 2015 ) v. ) Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk ) TABATHA LEE ANNE CHRISTENSEN ) THIS IS AN UNPUBLISHED aka TABITHA LEE ANN ) OPINION AND SHALL NOT CHRISTENSEN, ) BE CITED AS AUTHORITY ) Defendant-Appellant. ) ) Appeal from the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District, State of Idaho, Ada County. Hon. Michael E. Wetherell, District Judge. Order revoking probation and execution of suspended sentence, affirmed. Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Sally J. Cooley, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant. Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Lori A. Fleming, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent. ________________________________________________ Before MELANSON, Chief Judge; GUTIERREZ, Judge; and GRATTON, Judge ________________________________________________ PER CURIAM Tabatha Lee Anne Christensen aka Tabitha Lee Ann Christensen pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance. I.C. § 37-2732(c). In exchange for her guilty plea, an additional charge was dismissed. The district court sentenced Christensen to a unified term of seven years, with a minimum period of confinement of two and one-half years. After a period of retained jurisdiction, the district court, suspended the sentence and placed Christensen on probation. Subsequently, Christensen admitted to violating the terms of the probation, and the 1 district court consequently revoked probation and ordered execution of the original sentence. Christensen appeals, contending that the district court abused its discretion in revoking probation. It is within the trial court’s discretion to revoke probation if any of the terms and conditions of the probation have been violated. I.C. §§ 19-2603, 20-222; State v. Beckett, 122 Idaho 324, 325, 834 P.2d 326, 327 (Ct. App. 1992); State v. Adams, 115 Idaho 1053, 1054, 772 P.2d 260, 261 (Ct. App. 1989); State v. Hass, 114 Idaho 554, 558, 758 P.2d 713, 717 (Ct. App. 1988). In determining whether to revoke probation a court must examine whether the probation is achieving the goal of rehabilitation and consistent with the protection of society. State v. Upton, 127 Idaho 274, 275, 899 P.2d 984, 985 (Ct. App. 1995); Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327; Hass, 114 Idaho at 558, 758 P.2d at 717. The court may, after a probation violation has been established, order that the suspended sentence be executed or, in the alternative, the court is authorized under Idaho Criminal Rule 35 to reduce the sentence. Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327; State v. Marks, 116 Idaho 976, 977, 783 P.2d 315, 316 (Ct. App. 1989). The court may also order a period of retained jurisdiction. State v. Urrabazo, 150 Idaho 158, 162, 244 P.3d 1244, 1248 (2010). A decision to revoke probation will be disturbed on appeal only upon a showing that the trial court abused its discretion. Beckett, 122 Idaho at 325, 834 P.2d at 327. In reviewing the propriety of a probation revocation, the focus of the inquiry is the conduct underlying the trial court’s decision to revoke probation. State v. Morgan, 153 Idaho 618, 621, 288 P.3d 835, 838 (Ct. App. 2012). Thus, this Court will consider the elements of the record before the trial court relevant to the revocation of probation issues which are properly made part of the record on appeal. Id. Applying the foregoing standards, and having reviewed the record in this case, we cannot say that the district court abused its discretion in revoking probation. Therefore, the order revoking probation and directing execution of Christensen’s previously suspended sentence is affirmed. 2