FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
JOHN PINNOW JEFFREY A. MODISETT
Greenwood, Indiana Attorney General of Indiana
SARAH E. SCHERRER
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
DAROLL PAVEY, )
)
Appellant-Defendant, )
)
vs. ) No. 23A04-9812-CR-602
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff. )
APPEAL FROM THE FOUNTAIN CIRCUIT COURT
The Honorable Vincent F. Grogg, Judge
Cause Nos. 23C01-9710-DF-383 & 23C01-9804-DF-178
May 21, 1999
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
BAILEY, Judge
Case Summary
Appellant-Defendant Darroll Pavey (Pavey) appeals from the trial court's
revocation of his placement in West Central Regional Community Corrections (the
Program) following his plea of guilty for two counts of Operating a Vehicle While
Intoxicated, Class D felonies.See footnote
1
Pavey's placement in the Program was revoked for an alleged
violation of the rules governing that Program. The trial court then committed Pavey to the
Indiana Department of Corrections for a determinate period of three years, with 159 days
credit for time spent incarcerated. We affirm.
Issues
Pavey raises three issues on appeal which we consolidate and restate into two:
I. Whether the trial court, at sentencing, sufficiently advised Pavey of the
terms of the program.
II. Whether the filing of a Program violation under Cause No. 23C01-9804-
DF-178 was sufficient due process notice that Pavey's placement in a
community corrections program and probation could be revoked, along with
the reinstatement of his three year suspended sentence reinstated.
Facts
The evidence most favorable to the trial court's judgment indicates that Pavey pled
guilty to two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. (R. 73, 76). On May 19, 1998,
the trial court sentenced Pavey as follows:
. . . for each of said offenses [Pavey] be committed to the Indiana Department
of Correction for a determinant period of 1 ½ years, said sentencing to run
consecutive for a total sentence of 3 years . . . the first 1 ½ years be served by
direct commitment to the [Program] all components applicable. Balance of
said sentence suspended and [Pavey] placed on probation for 1 ½ years with
terms to be fixed by the court.
(R. 37) (emphasis added).
Pavey was placed on work release by the Program. (R. 46). The Program's work
release agreement included language to the effect that violation of its terms could result in
imposition of Pavey's full sentence. (R. 46). Under the terms of the work release agreement,
Pavey agreed not to violate any rules of the Fountain County Jail (Jail), despite not
receiving a written copy of the jail rules. (R. 84, 87, 98). The Jail rules prohibited
possession of any tobacco products. (R. 85, 89). Upon return to the Jail from work release,
Pavey was found to be in possession of cigarettes. (R. 84). Deputy Sheriff Kemp (Sheriff)
saw a cigarette fall from Pavey's clothes and then another cigarette was found in Pavey's
shoe. (R. 84). The Sheriff testified that Pavey stated he didn't know where [the cigarette
which fell from his clothes] came from. (R. 97). Upon discovery of the second cigarette,
the Sheriff testified that Pavey stated he didn't know where [either of the cigarettes] came
from. (R. 97). Based on these events, a Program violation was filed under Cause No.
23C01-9804-DF-178. (R. 43).
At Pavey's revocation hearing, the trial court ruled that Pavey had violated the terms
of the Program. (R. 7-8). On September 9, 1998, the trial court ordered the following:
. . . that the order this court entered on May 19, 1998, be set aside and
[Pavey's] failure to comply with Community Corrections was a condition
precedent to probation and accordingly [Pavey] is ordered committed for a
determinate period of 3 years. . .
(R. 8). The following appeal ensued.
I. Whether the trial court, at sentencing, sufficiently advised Pavey of the
terms of the Program.
Standard of Review - Revocation of Placement in a Community Corrections Program
This court has analyzed the relationship between community corrections programs and
probation, determining the difference between the two to be insignificant. Brooks v. State,
692 N.E.2d 951, 953 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998), trans. denied. A defendant is not entitled to serve
his sentence in a community corrections program but, as with probation, placement in the
program is a matter of grace and a conditional liberty that is a favor, not a right. Id. When
deciding whether to revoke probation, matters are left to the sole discretion of the trial court.
Hubbard v. State, 683 N.E.2d 618, 620 (Ind. Ct. App. 1997). A revocation of probation will
be affirmed if, considering only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom,
there is sufficient evidence supporting the conclusion that the probationer is guilty of
violating any condition of his probation. Ind. Code § 35-38-2-3; Hubbard, 683 N.E.2d at
620. Similarly, we will affirm the revocation of placement in a community corrections
program if, considering only the probative evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom,
there is sufficient evidence supporting the conclusion that the individual within the program
is guilty of violating any condition of the program. See Brooks v. State, 692 N.E.2d at 953.
Notice of Program Terms
Pavey contends that the trial court failed to advise him of the terms of his probation
and that Pavey's violation of Jail rules did not violate a condition of probation. We disagree.
Pavey's placement in the Program was ordered pursuant to Ind. Code § 35-38-2.6-
3(a), which provides:
The court may, at the time of sentencing, suspend the sentence and order a
person to be placed in a community corrections program as an alternative to
commitment to the department of correction. The court may impose
reasonable terms on the placement. . . .
(Emphasis added).
We have previously addressed the legislative intent of this chapter on community correction
programs in the context of a trial court's notice to a defendant of the terms of his placement.
See Million v. State, 646 N.E.2d 998, 1000 (Ind. Ct. App. 1995).
In Million, we held that the community corrections statute does not require the trial
court to give written notice of the terms of placement or specify those conditions on the
record. Id. Nevertheless, notice to the defendant of the terms of his placement is implicit
in the statute and a prerequisite to revocation of the placement. Id.
Pavey was specifically instructed by the trial court that all components of the
Program were applicable to him. (R. 66). Pavey acknowledged that he understood the
phrase all components. (R. 68). Pavey also signed a work release agreement which
specifically read, I agree not to violate any rules of the [Jail]. (R.46). Pavey's statements
to the Sheriff could be taken as further evidence that he was on notice that tobacco products
were not permitted within the Jail, as Pavey denied knowing where the cigarettes came from.
(R. 97). Moreover, Pavey does not specifically contend that he was not aware that tobacco
products were not permitted in the Jail.
Accordingly, we hold that the trial court, at sentencing, sufficiently advised Pavey of
the terms of the Program.
II. Whether the filing of a Program violation under Cause No. 23C01-9804-
DF-178 was sufficient due process notice that Pavey's placement in a
community corrections program and probation could be revoked, along with
his three year suspended sentence reinstated.
Pavey contends that the Program violation filed by the State under Cause No. 23C01-
9804-DF-178 did not provide sufficient due process notice that his placement in a
community corrections program and probation could be revoked, along with his three year
suspended sentence reinstated. (Brief of Appellant, p. 6-7). We disagree.
Pavey is alleged to have violated the terms of his placement, after which;
. . . the court may, after a hearing, do any of the following: (1) Change the
terms of the placement, (2) Continue the placement under the original terms,
(3) Revoke the placement and commit the person to the department of
correction for the remainder of the person's sentence.
Ind. Code § 35-38-2.6-5. We have previously addressed the due process rights triggered by
an alleged violation of an individual's placement terms. See Million, at 1003 (Ind. Ct App.
1995). In Million, we held that a defendant is entitled to written notice of the claimed
violation of the terms of his placement, disclosure of the evidence against him, an
opportunity to be heard and present evidence and the right to confront and cross-examine
adverse witnesses in a neutral hearing before the trial court. Id.
The State provided written notice to Pavey by filing a Program violation with the trial
court, alleging that Pavey had violated Jail rules. (R. 43). Specifically, the State disclosed
evidence of Pavey's possession of cigarettes within the Jail. (R. 45). One of the rules of the
Jail was against possession of tobacco products. (R. 89). Pavey had signed a work release
agreement, whereby he agreed not to violate any rules of the Jail. (R. 87). Also included on
Pavey's signed work release agreement was language to the effect that violation of the
agreement could result in the imposition of his full sentence. (R. 46). At Pavey's revocation
hearing, the trial court permitted Pavey to hear and present evidence and to confront and
cross-examine the Sheriff. (R. 85-97). The foregoing facts satisfy the due process
requirements established in Million and satisfy the sufficiency of the evidence presented to
the trial court. See Decker v. State, 704 N.E.2d 1101, 1104 (Ind. Ct. App. 1999) (we held
that the State need only prove that a revocation was warranted by a preponderance of the
evidence, as a community corrections revocation hearing is civil in nature).
Pavey also specifically contends that the filing of the Program violation under Cause
No. 23C01-9804-DF-178 (Pavey's second charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated)
and not under Cause No. 23C01-9804-DF-383 (Pavey's first charge of operating a vehicle
while intoxicated) did not provide sufficient due process notice that both of the respective
probationary periods and Program placement periods were at issue during his revocation
hearing. (Appellant's Brief, p. 15). However, Pavey understood from the terms of his plea
agreement that he had forgone separate trials on his alleged offenses for a plea of guilty as
to both charges and a single sentence. (R. 64, 66-69). Furthermore, the trial court properly
revoked Pavey's probationary periods, despite the fact that Pavey had not yet entered the
probationary phase of his sentence. See Johnson v. State, 606 N.E.2d 881, 882 (Ind. Ct. App.
1993) (we held that trial court could revoke probation of the defendant who violated rule,
despite fact that defendant had not yet entered probationary phase of his sentence).
Accordingly, we find that the filing of the Program violation under Cause No. 23C01-
9804-DF-178 was sufficient due process notice that Pavey's placement in a community
corrections program and probation could be revoked, along with his three year suspended
sentence reinstated.
Affirmed.
FRIEDLANDER, J., and STATON, J., concur.
Footnote:
1 Ind. Code § 9-30-5-3 (previous conviction of operating while intoxicated within five years).
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