State v. Melvin P. Foster

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Docket No. 43146 STATE OF IDAHO, ) 2016 Unpublished Opinion No. 340 ) Plaintiff-Respondent, ) Filed: January 26, 2016 ) v. ) Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk ) MELVIN P. FOSTER, ) THIS IS AN UNPUBLISHED ) OPINION AND SHALL NOT Defendant-Appellant. ) BE CITED AS AUTHORITY ) Appeal from the District Court of the Seventh Judicial District, State of Idaho, Bonneville County. Hon. Jon J. Shindurling, District Judge. Order revoking probation, affirmed. Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Eric D. Fredericksen, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant. Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Lori Anne Fleming, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent. ________________________________________________ Before MELANSON, Chief Judge; GUTIERREZ, Judge; and HUSKEY, Judge ________________________________________________ PER CURIAM Melvin P. Foster pleaded guilty to grand theft, felony, Idaho Code § 18-2407(1)(b)1. The district court imposed a unified six-year sentence, with two years determinate, suspended the sentence, and placed Foster on probation. Subsequently, Foster admitted to violating the terms of the probation, and the district court consequently revoked probation, suspended the sentence, and retained jurisdiction. After a period of retained jurisdiction, the district court placed Foster on probation. Foster again admitted to violating the terms of his probation and the district court ordered execution of the original sentence. Foster filed an Idaho Criminal Rule 35 motion.1 Foster appeals, contending that the district court abused its discretion in revoking probation. 1 Foster does not appeal from his Idaho Criminal Rule 35 motion. 1 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 Foster’s previously suspended sentence is affirmed. 2