Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Kimberly A. Brown

RENDERED: MARCH 10, 2023; 10:00 A.M.
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals
NO. 2022-CA-0034-MR
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM FAYETTE CIRCUIT COURT
v. HONORABLE JULIE MUTH GOODMAN, JUDGE
ACTION NO. 16-CR-00642-008
KIMBERLY A. BROWN APPELLEE
OPINION
AFFIRMING
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BEFORE: CETRULO, DIXON, AND TAYLOR, JUDGES.
DIXON, JUDGE: The Commonwealth of Kentucky appeals the denial of its
motion to extend Kimberly A. Brown’s probation, entered by the Fayette Circuit
Court on November 12, 2021. Following a careful review of the record, the briefs,
and the law, we affirm.
FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On July 12, 2016, Brown was indicted for receiving stolen property
over $5001 as part of a multi-defendant, multiple-count indictment. A criminal
summons was issued, and Brown was scheduled for arraignment on July 29, 2016.
When Brown failed to appear, a bench warrant was issued, though not executed
until March 23, 2019.
Brown appeared for her arraignment on April 5, 2019, and was
represented by the Lexington Department of Public Advocacy. With the assistance
of counsel, Brown waived further proceedings and petitioned the court to enter her
plea of guilty to an amended charge of facilitation.2 The trial court accepted the
plea and entered a judgment of guilt on the amended count of facilitation to
receiving stolen property under $10,000. Recommended conditions of probation
were entered on November 12, 2019, with the judge annotating Brown’s sentence
of 12 months, probated for two years.3 The restitution victim list, entered the same
day, ordered Brown to pay a total of $897 in restitution to three named payees in
1
Under Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 514.110, a Class D felony at that time.
2
A Class A misdemeanor.
3
The trial court did not indicate the period of probation was for “the time to complete
restitution” or “whichever is longer.”
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the amount of $50 monthly. A final judgment and sentence of probation was
entered the following day.4
Brown’s probation was set to expire on November 8, 2021. On
August 24, 2021, Brown’s Probation and Parole Officer filed an affidavit with the
trial court requesting an extension of her probation so Brown could satisfy her
restitution and court costs, stating she had only paid $150 of her restitution
obligation. On October 7, 2021, Brown appeared with counsel before the court on
this matter, and the trial judge5 set a hearing to determine whether Brown could
pay the remainder of her restitution obligation.
On November 4, 2021, Brown again appeared with counsel and
informed the trial court that she had no income or property but was soon to receive
Social Security disability payments of $794 per month. Upon questioning by the
court, it was determined that Brown had been staying with friends and family. The
court found Brown was unable to pay further restitution, court costs, or supervision
fees and ordered her probation terminated; however, the order was not entered until
November 12, 2021.
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One of its conditions of probation was that Brown pay $100 in restitution per month.
5
By this time, a different trial judge was assigned to Brown’s case.
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On November 18, 2021, the Commonwealth moved the trial court,
pursuant to CR6 59.05 and CR 52.02, to amend or make additional findings. At a
hearing on this motion, the court explained it denied the motion to extend Brown’s
probation under Bearden v. Georgia, 461 U.S. 660, 103 S. Ct. 2064, 76 L. Ed. 2d
221 (1983), and Commonwealth v. Marshall, 345 S.W.3d 822 (Ky. 2011), because
– due to no fault of her own – Brown was unable to pay further restitution. The
trial court also noted that since Brown’s probation had expired, it no longer had
jurisdiction. Accordingly, the trial court entered its order denying the motion.
This appeal followed.
STANDARD OF REVIEW
We review orders concerning probation for abuse of discretion.
Commonwealth v. Andrews, 448 S.W.3d 773, 780 (Ky. 2014) (citing
Commonwealth v. Lopez, 292 S.W.3d 878 (Ky. 2009)). We will reverse only if we
find “the trial judge’s decision was arbitrary, unreasonable, unfair, or unsupported
by sound legal principles.” Commonwealth v. English, 993 S.W.2d 941, 945 (Ky.
1999). We “will not hold a trial court to have abused its discretion unless its
decision cannot be located within the range of permissible decisions allowed by a
correct application of the facts to the law.” Blankenship v. Commonwealth, 494
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Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure.
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S.W.3d 506, 508 (Ky. App. 2015) (citing Miller v. Eldridge, 146 S.W.3d 909, 915
(Ky. 2004)).
LEGAL ANALYSIS
On appeal, the Commonwealth raises three arguments, claiming the
trial court erred in denying its motion to extend Brown’s probation because: (1)
restitution is mandatory in criminal cases where the victim has sustained a
monetary loss, (2) the trial court ignored clear statutory authority, and (3) the trial
court failed to make specific findings before terminating Brown’s probation. We
will address each, in turn.
We first note, however, that KRS 533.020(4) provides, “[t]he period
of probation . . . shall be fixed by the court and at any time may be extended or
shortened by duly entered court order[.]” A “duly entered court order” means an
order entered “[i]n a proper manner; in accordance with legal requirements.” Duly,
BLACK’S LAW DICTIONARY (9th ed. 2009). “An order entered by a court lacking
jurisdiction over the case cannot be a ‘duly’ entered court order. We construe this
provision of the statute as permitting the trial court to extend or shorten probation
prior to final discharge[.]” Commonwealth v. Wright, 415 S.W.3d 606, 610 (Ky.
2013) (emphasis in original). In the case herein, the trial court attempted to
shorten Brown’s probationary period by four days; yet, that order was not entered
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until after her probation expired. Thus, the trial court’s order was not “duly
entered.”
KRS 533.020(4) further provides, “[u]pon completion of the
probationary period . . . the defendant shall be deemed finally discharged, provided
no warrant issued by the court is pending against him, and probation . . . has not
been revoked.” Here, Brown completed her probationary period on November 8,
2021, with no pending warrants and without having her probation revoked.
Therefore, Brown was finally discharged on that date, and the trial court lost
jurisdiction over this matter.
Nevertheless, the Commonwealth argues restitution is mandatory in
criminal cases where the victim has sustained a monetary loss. In the case herein,
Brown was ordered to pay restitution. However, no consideration of her ability to
pay was given at that time. When it was finally brought to the trial court’s
attention that Brown had paid only $150 of the $897 owed – just a few months
prior to the expiration of Brown’s probation – the court then inquired as to what
means Brown had to pay the remainder of the restitution and found her financial
resources lacking, due to no fault of her own. The fact that Brown made any
payments toward her restitution in her dire financial situation evidenced a
“sufficient bona fide effort” on her part. Marshall, 345 S.W.3d at 824.
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The foregoing notwithstanding, the final judgment did not in any way
suggest that Brown’s probation would not end unless the full restitution was paid.
See Wright, 415 S.W.3d at 609. The final judgment unambiguously provided that
Brown’s probation was for two years without regard to whether restitution was
satisfied at that time. Id. at 610. Thus, Brown’s probation ended on November 8,
2021, since it was not otherwise extended. Id.
The Commonwealth next argues the trial court ignored clear statutory
authority. The Commonwealth cites KRS 532.032(1) which provides that a court
shall order restitution and KRS 532.032(3) which states, if a defendant is granted
probation, restitution shall be made a condition of the sentence. As previously
discussed, the trial court did order restitution. It then discovered Brown was
unable to pay said restitution. Even so, Brown’s probation expired prior to any
duly entered order of modification, and therefore, the trial court was divested of
jurisdiction.
The Commonwealth also cites KRS 532.033(6), providing that if a
defendant is not paying restitution, the trial court shall hold a hearing to determine
why. When the trial court was made aware of Brown’s failure to satisfy her
restitution, it held a hearing and discovered, as previously discussed, Brown did
not have the financial means to support herself, much less fulfill her restitution
obligation.
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The Commonwealth further mentions KRS 532.033(8), stating a
defendant shall not be released from supervised probation until restitution has been
paid in full. Yet, the Supreme Court of Kentucky has held, “[w]hen, as occurred in
this case, the date for the expiration of the probationary period passes before the
payment of restitution is complete, the release of the probationer resulted not from
any action of the trial court, but by operation of law.” Wright, 415 S.W.3d at 613.
The Commonwealth’s final argument is the trial court failed to make
specific findings before terminating Brown’s probation. We find this argument
unavailing. A hearing was held and a record made that Brown could not afford to
continue to make restitution payments. Yet, ultimately, Brown’s probation expired
as a matter of law prior to the entry of the order terminating her probation. At the
time the order was entered, the trial court no longer had jurisdiction. Therefore,
not only was it unnecessary for the trial court to alter or amend its order, it no
longer had authority to do so. (“The language of KRS 533.020(4) is clear:
probation is automatically discharged upon completion of a probationary period
unless it has been revoked or an arrest warrant is pending. If neither condition
exists, the trial court loses jurisdiction both to revoke and to modify the conditions
of probation.” Commonwealth v. Tapp, 497 S.W.3d 239, 242 (Ky. 2016).)
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CONCLUSION
Therefore, and for the forgoing reasons, the order entered by the
Fayette Circuit Court is AFFIRMED.
ALL CONCUR.
BRIEFS FOR APPELLANT: BRIEF FOR APPELLEE:
Daniel Cameron Kathleen K. Schmidt
Attorney General of Kentucky Frankfort, Kentucky
Mark D. Barry
Kristin Conder
Assistant Attorneys General
Frankfort, Kentucky
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