State v. Joshua Lee Haworth ( 2015 )


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  •                IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
    Docket No. 42246
    STATE OF IDAHO,                                 )     2015 Unpublished Opinion No. 321
    )
    Plaintiff-Respondent,                    )     Filed: January 27, 2015
    )
    v.                                              )     Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk
    )
    JOSHUA LEE HAWORTH,                             )     THIS IS AN UNPUBLISHED
    )     OPINION AND SHALL NOT
    Defendant-Appellant.                     )     BE CITED AS AUTHORITY
    )
    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 requiring execution of unified fourteen-year
    sentence with seven-year determinate term for grand theft by possession of stolen
    property, affirmed.
    Sara B. Thomas, State Appellate Public Defender; Shawn F. Wilkerson, Deputy
    Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant.
    Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Russell J. Spencer, Deputy
    Attorney General, Boise, for respondent.
    ________________________________________________
    MELANSON, Chief Judge; GUTIERREZ, Judge;
    and GRATTON, Judge
    PER CURIAM
    Joshua Lee Haworth pled guilty to grand theft by possession of stolen property. Idaho
    Code § 18-2403(4). The district court imposed a unified fourteen-year sentence with a seven-
    year determinate term, suspended the sentence, and placed Haworth on probation for a period of
    five years. Subsequently, Haworth admitted to violating several terms of the probation, and the
    district court consequently revoked probation and retained jurisdiction. Following the period of
    retained jurisdiction, the district court reinstated probation for a period of ten years. Haworth
    again admitted to violating his probation and the district court again revoked his probation and
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    again placed him on retained jurisdiction. Haworth appeals, contending that the district court
    abused its discretion by revoking probation and retaining jurisdiction.
    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 that are properly made part of the record on appeal and are relevant
    to the defendant’s contention that the trial court should have reduced the sentence sua sponte
    upon revocation of probation. 
    Id. The primary
    purpose of the retained jurisdiction program is to enable the trial court to
    obtain additional information regarding the defendant’s rehabilitative potential and suitability for
    probation, and probation is the ultimate objective of a defendant who is on retained jurisdiction.
    State v. Chapel, 
    107 Idaho 193
    , 
    687 P.2d 583
    (Ct. App. 1984); State v. Toohill, 
    103 Idaho 565
    ,
    567, 
    650 P.2d 707
    , 709 (Ct. App. 1982). Based upon the information that was before the district
    court at the time of sentencing, we hold that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it
    retained jurisdiction in this case.
    Applying the foregoing standards, and having reviewed the record in this case, we cannot
    say that the district court abused its discretion either in revoking probation or in ordering
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    execution of Haworth’s original sentence, suspending the sentence, and retaining jurisdiction.
    Therefore, the order revoking probation and retaining jurisdiction is affirmed.
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