State v. Polatis

• Docket Number: 50126
• Decision Date: 16 January 2024
• Parties: STATE OF IDAHO, Plaintiff-Respondent, v. CODY LEIGH POLATIS, Defendant-Appellant.
• Court: Idaho Court of Appeals

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STATE OF IDAHO, Plaintiff-Respondent,
v.
CODY LEIGH POLATIS, Defendant-Appellant.

No. 50126

Court of Appeals of Idaho

January 16, 2024

UNPUBLISHED OPINION

Appeal from the District Court of the Seventh Judicial District, State of Idaho, Madison County. Hon. Steven W. Boyce, District Judge.

Judgment of conviction and unified sentence of six and one-half years, with a minimum period of confinement of two and one-half years, for indecent exposure, affirmed.

Erik R. Lehtinen, Interim State Appellate Public Defender; Ben P. McGreevy, Deputy Appellate Public Defender, Boise, for appellant.

Hon. Raúl R. Labrador, Attorney General; Kenneth K. Jorgensen, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for respondent.

Before Gratton, Chief Judge; Huskey, Judge; and Lorello, Judge

PER CURIAM.

Cody Leigh Polatis pled guilty to indecent exposure. I.C. § 18-4116. The district court sentenced Polatis to a unified term of six and one-half years, with a minimum period of confinement of two and one-half years. Polatis filed an I.C.R. 35 motion, which the district court denied. Polatis appeals, arguing that his sentence is excessive and that the district court should have placed him on probation.

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Sentencing is a matter for the trial court's discretion. Both our standard of review and the factors to be considered in evaluating the reasonableness of the sentence are well established and need not be repeated here. See State v. Hernandez, 121 Idaho 114, 117-18, 822 P.2d 1011, 101415 (Ct. App. 1991); State v. Lopez, 106 Idaho 447, 449-51, 680 P.2d 869, 871-73 (Ct. App. 1984); State v. Toohill, 103 Idaho 565, 568, 650 P.2d 707, 710 (Ct. App. 1982). When reviewing the length of a sentence, we consider the defendant's entire sentence. State v. Oliver, 144 Idaho 722, 726, 170 P.3d 387, 391 (2007). Our role is limited to determining whether reasonable minds could reach the same conclusion as the district court. State v. Biggs, 168 Idaho 112, 116, 480 P.3d 150, 154 (Ct. App. 2020).

We note that the decision to place a defendant on probation is a matter within the sound discretion of the district court and will not be overturned on appeal absent an abuse of that discretion. State v. Hood, 102 Idaho 711, 712, 639 P.2d 9, 10 (1981); State v. Lee, 117 Idaho 203, 205-06, 786 P.2d 594, 596-97 (Ct. App. 1990). The goal of probation is to foster the probationer's rehabilitation while protecting public safety. State v. Gawron, 112 Idaho 841, 843, 736 P.2d 1295...