State of Iowa v. Jeffry Robert Jensen ( 2016 )

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF IOWA
No. 15-2172
Filed October 12, 2016
STATE OF IOWA,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
vs.
JEFFRY ROBERT JENSEN,
Defendant-Appellant.
________________________________________________________________
Appeal from the Iowa District Court for Pottawattamie County, Timothy
O’Grady (plea) and Gregory W. Steensland (sentencing), Judges.
A defendant challenges the State’s fidelity to the plea agreement and the
district court’s imposition of consecutive sentences. CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED,
SENTENCE VACATED IN PART, AND REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING.
Marti D. Nerenstone, Council Bluffs, for appellant.
Thomas J. Miller, Attorney General, and Kelli A. Huser, Assistant Attorney
General, for appellee.
Considered by Danilson, C.J., and Vaitheswaran and Tabor, JJ.
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TABOR, Judge.
Jeffry Jensen raises two complaints about his sentencing hearing. First,
he alleges the State breached the plea agreement by promising to recommend
time served for two of his four convictions but then asking the district court to
impose consecutive sentences. Because his attorney did not object, he raises
this allegation under the rubric of his counsel’s ineffective assistance. Second,
he contends the district court failed to explicitly state its reasons for running all
four sentences consecutively.
We see no merit in Jensen’s first allegation because the prosecutor
honored the plea agreement at the sentencing hearing, though the district court
was not bound by and did not follow the State’s recommendation. On Jensen’s
second claim, under the new directive of State v. Hill, 878 N.W.2d 269, 275 (Iowa
2016), we find it necessary to vacate the portion of the sentencing order
mandating all four terms to run consecutively and remand for a new sentencing
hearing.
I. Facts and Prior Proceedings
Across six months in late 2014 and early 2015, Jensen committed the
crimes of operating a motor vehicle without owner consent, second-degree theft,
criminal transmission of an infectious disease, and possession of
methamphetamine.1 The parties entered a written plea agreement addressing
the offenses of second-degree theft and operating a motor vehicle without owner
consent. In paragraph 9 of that document signed by Jensen, the parties agreed
1
The State originally filed four different trial informations, alleging a total of six offenses.
The State dismissed several counts and reduced the severity level of other charges.
3
“sentencing will be open such that either party may request any sentencing
permitted by law.” Jensen also acknowledged: “My entry of these guilty pleas is
not contingent on the Court accepting the plea agreement and/or sentencing
recommendations described above at paragraph 9.”
For the offenses of criminal transmission and methamphetamine
possession, both serious misdemeanors carrying a maximum sentence of one
year, the prosecutor agreed to recommend “a jail sentence equal to time served”
with no probation. On both misdemeanor pleas, Jensen again signed written
agreements acknowledging entry of his guilty pleas was not contingent on the
court’s acceptance of the parties’ sentencing recommendations.
While making its recommendation at the sentencing hearing, the State
informed the court:
As of today, Mr. Jensen has credit for [eighty-four] days served in
SRCR148302 [methamphetamine possession]. The State is asking
that he be sentenced to that number of days, along with the 125
days that he has credit for in FECR147097 [criminal transmission],
and that both of those jail sentences run concurrent with each
other, but consecutive to the charges in FECR146402 and 146543,
the stolen vehicle and operation without owner’s consent cases.
The State noted the presentence investigation report revealed Jensen’s
long criminal history, including his failure to appear for multiple court hearings.
The State also emphasized “every single time he was out on bond,” Jensen
committed a new criminal offense. The State justified its recommendation as
follows: “To give him the maximum opportunity for rehabilitation, please sentence
him to prison in FECR146402 and FECR146543 consecutive to the jail
sentences and consecutive to each other for a total of [seven] years with no
credit for time served.”
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In mitigation of Jensen’s sentence, defense counsel noted his client’s age,
thirty-two, and the backing Jensen had from his parents. Counsel said Jensen
tried to provide financial support for his five children, but his use of
methamphetamine during the past year was the root of his criminal problems.
Defense counsel asked the court to impose “a probationary-type sentence” so
Jensen could remain in the community and continue to help with his children.
Jensen personally addressed the court, saying
I understand that it’s my own fault that I did all of these screw-ups.
If I would have thought about it a little longer on each one of them, I
probably wouldn’t have done them. I’d like to be able to be with my
kids. I’m sorry for what I’ve done.
After Jensen’s allocution, the district court pronounced sentence, stating
the following rationale:
Because of your need for and the likelihood to achieve
rehabilitation, because of society’s need for protection from further
offenses by you and others, and because of my review of the
presentence investigation report and the past criminal history that
appears in that report, the facts and circumstances of each of these
cases, and the chronology in which those cases all occurred, in
FECR146402, on the charge of operating without owner’s consent,
you are sentenced to an indeterminate term of incarceration not to
exceed two years, you are fined the minimum fine of $625.
In FECR146543, on the charge of theft in the second
degree, you are sentenced to an indeterminate term of
incarceration not to exceed five years; you are fined the minimum
fine of $750.
In FECR147097, on the charge of criminal transmission of a
contagious or infectious disease, you are sentenced to one year in
the county jail, fined the minimum fine of $315.
In FECR148302, on the charge of possession of
methamphetamine, you are sentenced to one year in jail, fined the
minimum fine of $315.
All of the fines and surcharges will be suspended. The terms
of incarceration will not be suspended. Mittimus will issue on those
immediately. All counts shall run consecutively with one another for
a total term of incarceration of [nine] years. You’ll receive credit for
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time served against any of those charges as shown by the records
of the county jail.
After detailing Jensen’s requirements to pay restitution and the other
consequences of his convictions, the court added: “It gives me no pleasure in
imposing this sentence on you, Mr. Jensen. I don’t do it out of any sense of
vindictiveness. I don’t do it out of any sense of being overly punitive, but you
have earned it.”
Jensen now challenges his consecutive sentences.
II. Scope and Standards of Review
Because defense counsel did not object to the State’s recommendation at
the sentencing hearing, Jensen failed to preserve error. See State v. Horness,
600 N.W.2d 294, 297 (Iowa 1999). To raise the issue on appeal, Jensen must
allege counsel rendered ineffective assistance. We review Jensen’s ineffective-
assistance-of-counsel claim de novo. See State v. Bearse, 748 N.W.2d 211, 214
(Iowa 2008). If the prosecutor breached the plea agreement, Jensen’s counsel
was duty-bound to object. See State v. Lopez, 872 N.W.2d 159, 169 (Iowa
2015). “[P]rejudice is presumed when defense counsel fails to object to the
[S]tate’s breach of a plea agreement at the sentencing hearing.” Id. at 170.
We review the district court’s imposition of sentence for an abuse of
discretion. See Hill, 878 N.W.2d at 272. The court abuses its discretion when its
decision is based on “clearly untenable grounds” or the extent of discretion
exercised is “clearly unreasonable.” Id. A district court’s sentencing rationale is
“untenable when it is not supported by substantial evidence or when it is based
on an erroneous application of the law.” Id.
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III. Analysis
A. Did the prosecutor breach the plea agreement?
When a defendant’s guilty plea rests in any significant degree on a
promise from the prosecutor, such that the promise was an inducement for the
defendant to enter the plea, the prosecutor must fulfill that promise. Horness,
600 N.W.2d at 298.
In this case, Jensen alleges the State breached its plea agreement in
discussing the serious-misdemeanor sentences. The prosecutor informed the
court Jensen had served eighty-four days on the methamphetamine-possession
offense and 125 days on the criminal-transmission offense. The prosecutor then
asked the court to sentence Jensen to “that number of days” and for those jail
sentences to run concurrent with each other but consecutive to “the stolen
vehicle and operation without owner’s consent cases.”
On appeal, Jensen asserts:
She fulfilled part of her agreement, by asking that Mr. Jensen be
sentenced to those number of days, and for those sentences to run
concurrent with each other. However, she breached the plea
agreement by not agreeing that Mr. Jensen be sentenced to time
served, but by asking that those sentences run consecutive to the
sentences in the other charges.
The record does not support Jensen’s assertion. The prosecutor abided
by the plea agreement in asking for time served on the serious-misdemeanor
offenses. The prosecutor recommended Jensen serve “a total of seven years.”
The plea agreements contemplated the prosecutor could ask for consecutive
sentences for the aggravated misdemeanor and class “D” felony. Nothing in the
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plea agreements prevented the prosecutor from asking for the theft and
operating-without-consent terms to commence at the point of sentencing.2
Jensen also argues the sentencing court erred in not following the plea
agreements. This argument is without merit. The written agreements in these
cases stated Jensen’s guilty pleas were “not contingent” on the court’s
acceptance of the State’s sentencing concessions. See Iowa R. Crim. P. 2.10(2)
(permitting but not requiring parties to condition plea agreement on court’s
concurrence to the charging or sentencing concessions). At the plea hearing,
both defense counsel and the district court noted “that sentencing is open”—
indicating the court was not bound by either party’s recommendations.
On this record, we find defense counsel had no duty to object at the
sentencing hearing. See Lopez, 872 N.W.2d at 169 (“If the prosecutor honored
the plea agreement, Lopez’s trial counsel had no duty to object.”).
B. Did the district court fail to explicitly give reasons for the
consecutive sentences?
Sentencing occurred in this case on December 7, 2015. Jensen filed a
notice of appeal on December 17 and filed his proof brief in February 2016. On
April 22, 2016, our supreme court filed its decision in Hill, which changed the
requirements for sentencing courts when imposing consecutive terms. 878
N.W.2d at 275.
2
We are satisfied the State was asking for two consecutive prison sentences totaling
seven years. The State also recommended time served for the two serious
misdemeanors. We acknowledge the State’s recommendation for the “time served” jail
sentences to run consecutive to the two prison terms could be problematic because
consecutive sentences “shall be construed as one continuous term of imprisonment.”
See Iowa Code § 901.8. But if the court had followed the State’s recommendation for
time served, it would not have been required to decide between concurrent or
consecutive sentences because the serious-misdemeanor terms would have been
completed or discharged.
8
On June 1, the supreme court transferred Jensen’s appeal to our court.
On June 12, Jensen filed a motion asking to supplement his brief with an
argument based on Hill. Our court granted that motion on June 23, and both
parties filed supplemental briefs. Because we granted Jensen’s request for
supplemental briefing, we conclude the rule of law announced in Hill applies to
this case. See id. at 275 (applying new rule to “those cases not finally resolved
on direct appeal in which the defendant has raised the issue, and all future
cases”).
In Hill, our supreme court overruled precedent allowing us to affirm a
district court’s decision to run sentences consecutively as part of an overall
sentencing plan. See id. Sentencing courts are now required to “explicitly state
the reasons for imposing a consecutive sentence, although in doing so the court
may rely on the same reasons for imposing a sentence of incarceration.” Id.
At Jensen’s sentencing hearing, the court gave reasons for imposing
incarceration but did not specifically tie those reasons to its pronouncement that
all terms were to run consecutively for a total of nine years. Because we may no
longer infer the court ordered boxcar sentences as part of an overall sentencing
plan, we vacate the portion of the order imposing consecutive sentences. See
id.; see also State v. Jason, 779 N.W.2d 66, 77 (Iowa Ct. App. 2009) (“Since the
trial court gave sufficient reasons for imposing incarceration, we vacate only that
portion of the sentence imposing consecutive sentences and remand for the
purpose of determining whether the sentences should run consecutive or
concurrent.”). On remand, the district court should determine whether the
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sentences should run consecutive or concurrent and provide reasons for its
decision.
CONVICTIONS AFFIRMED, SENTENCE VACATED IN PART, AND
REMANDED FOR RESENTENCING.