MEMORANDUM DECISION
Pursuant to Ind. Appellate Rule 65(D),
this Memorandum Decision shall not be FILED
regarded as precedent or cited before any May 24 2017, 10:07 am
court except for the purpose of establishing CLERK
the defense of res judicata, collateral Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
estoppel, or the law of the case. and Tax Court
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE
Cara Schaefer Wieneke Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Wieneke Law Office, LLC Attorney General of Indiana
Brooklyn, Indiana
Michael Gene Worden
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
William S. Matherly, May 24, 2017
Appellant-Defendant, Court of Appeals Case No.
84A04-1701-CR-198
v. Appeal from the Vigo County
Superior Court
State of Indiana, The Honorable John T. Roach,
Appellee-Plaintiff Judge
Trial Court Cause No.
84D01-1209-FC-2974
84D01-1207-FB-2176
May, Judge.
Court of Appeals of Indiana | Memorandum Decision 84A04-1701-CR-198 | May 24, 2017 Page 1 of 6
[1] William S. Matherly appeals the trial court’s order, following revocation of his
probation, that Matherly serve the remainder of his sentence in the Department
of Correction (“DOC”). We affirm.
Facts and Procedural History
[2] In 2012, under two different cause numbers, Matherly was charged with Class
B felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, 1 Class C
felony possession of an altered handgun, 2 and Class C felony burglary. 3
Pursuant to a plea agreement, he pled guilty to possession of an altered
handgun in one cause and burglary in the other cause. He was sentenced to
four years on the possession charge with “[t]wo (2) years of said sentence . . .
executed on Work Release.” (App. Vol. 2 at 63.) He was also sentenced to a
consecutive six-year sentence for the burglary charge. “Two (2) years of said
sentence [to] be executed on Work Release . . . and four (4) years . . .
suspended. [Matherly wa]s placed on formal probation for four (4) years.” (Id.
at 64.)
[3] In 2015, the State filed a petition to revoke probation alleging Matherly had
failed drug screens for methamphetamine and marijuana. The trial court
ordered Matherly be “returned to probation pursuant to the original terms and
1
Ind. Code § 35-47-4-5 (2012).
2
Ind. Code § 35-47-2-18 (1983) and Ind. Code § 35-47-2-23 (1997).
3
Ind. Code § 35-43-2-1 (1999).
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conditions [and to] enter Freebirds Solutions, Inc. . . . until he is successfully
discharged[.]” (Id. at 87-88.) However, on October 20, 2016, the State filed
another petition to revoke in which it asserted Matherly had been arrested for
two new charges and tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine. (Id.
at 91.) Matherly admitted the violations, but the State and Matherly could not
agree as to the sanction.
[4] At the hearing on that petition, Matherly’s probation officer, Amber
Lowdermilk, stated Matherly “does well with structure,” (Tr. at 15), but noted
when she referred Matherly for outpatient alcohol and drug counseling, she did
not “believe that was ever followed up on.” (Id. at 13.) “[G]iven [Matherly’s]
prior violations and issues with the probation,” Lowdermilk did not believe he
would “be successful on probation [and] the only option [she] would think of
[as a viable alternative] is in-patient or DOC.” (Id.)
[5] Matherly and his wife testified that his wife was homeless, disabled, and
depended on him for care. Matherly also testified that he was currently
unemployed due to the arrest underlying the probation violation, but he “was
going to be hired [at Burger King in Brazil, Indiana] right before he was
arrested.” (Id. at 18.) Matherly said his wife had checked with the manager at
Burger King and “[the manager] said that she would still give [him] a chance.”
(Id.) Matherly admitted he had addiction issues and requested “to be placed in
the Jail Linkage Program and [given] another chance at a Sober Living
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environment.” (Id. at 21.) The trial court ordered Matherly to serve the
remainder of his sentence for the burglary conviction at the DOC. 4
Discussion and Decision
[6] Matherly asserts the trial court abused its discretion in ordering him to serve the
remainder of his sentence in the DOC when it is an undue hardship for his
disabled wife, he suffers from substance abuse addiction, and there is a “less
restrictive and more reasonable alternative available.” (Appellant’s Br. at 8.)
The alternative to which he points is Vigo County’s Jail Linkage program.
[7] Matherly admitted his violation, and “proof of a single violation of the
conditions of probation is sufficient to support the decision to revoke
probation.” Bussberg v. State, 827 N.E.2d 37, 44 (Ind. Ct. App. 2005), reh’g
denied, trans. denied. On finding a defendant violated his probation, the trial
court may “[o]rder execution of all or part of the sentence that was suspended
at the time of initial sentencing.” Ind. Code § 35-38-2-3(h)(3). We affirm the
sanction imposed by a trial court following a probation violation unless the trial
court abused its discretion. Prewitt v. State, 878 N.E.2d 184, 188 (Ind. 2007).
“An abuse of discretion occurs where the decision is clearly against the logic
and effect of the facts and circumstances.” Id. When reviewing the decision,
we consider only the evidence most favorable to the judgment without assessing
4
The State and Matherly agreed the sentence for the possession of the altered handgun had been completed.
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the credibility of the witnesses. McHenry v. State, 820 N.E.2d 124, 126 (Ind.
2005).
[8] Matherly had a previous probation violation, for which the trial court allowed
him to remain on probation and to seek treatment for his addiction issues.
However, Matherly again tested positive for marijuana and methamphetamine
in 2016. Following testimony from his probation officer, himself, and his wife,
the trial court ordered Matherly to serve the remainder of his sentence in the
DOC. The trial court had given Matherly a chance to take advantage of
addiction counseling but he continued to use drugs and commit other crimes.
Even if we assume, for the sake of argument, Matherly could help his wife if he
were not in the DOC, we cannot find an abuse of discretion in the trial court’s
order for him to serve the remainder of his sentence in the DOC as Matherly
had squandered opportunities given to him by the trial court. See Cox v. State,
850 N.E.2d 485, 491 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006) (no abuse of discretion when court
ordered Cox to serve the remainder of his suspended sentence after failing to
comply with substance abuse recommendations and being arrested for
subsequent crimes).
Conclusion
[9] Matherly has not demonstrated the trial court abused its discretion in ordering
execution of the remainder of his sentence in the DOC. Accordingly, we
affirm.
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[10] Affirmed.
Brown, J., and Pyle, J., concur.
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