State v. Worsham
| Decision Date | 01 February 2000 |
| Docket Number | No. 32,670-KA.,32,670-KA. |
| Citation | 754 So.2d 1107 |
| Parties | STATE of Louisiana, Appellee, v. Christopher Brian WORSHAM, Appellant. |
| Court | Court of Appeal of Louisiana — District of US |
Michael O. Craig, Benton, Counsel for Appellant
Richard Ieyoub, Attorney General, James M. Bullers, District Attorney, Michael A. Pitman, Assistant District Attorney, Counsel for Appellee.
Before BROWN, KOSTELKA, DREW, JJ.
Christopher Brian Worsham ("Worsham") pled guilty as charged to one count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile, La. R.S. 14:80. After the denial of a timely motion for reconsideration, Worsham appealed his seven-year hard labor1 sentence as excessive. We affirm.
On March 14, 1998, Worsham, age eighteen, committed oral sexual battery upon and engaged in sexual intercourse with a thirteen-year-old girl at a residence in Haughton, Louisiana. Worsham readily confessed when confronted.
Worsham argues that the trial court failed to consider this was his first felony offense and was not the victim's first sexual encounter and evidence of the victim's behavior after the incident.
After reviewing the trial court's articulation of reasons and the sentence imposed in accordance with the jurisprudential analysis set forth in State v. McKinney, 31,611 (La.App.2d Cir.02/24/99), 728 So.2d 1009, we affirm the sentence.
At the original sentencing hearing, the court stated for the record that it had considered a presentence investigation report which reflected Worsham's first felony status. Moreover, the trial court considered evidence at the hearing on the motion to reconsider sentence regarding the victim's sexual history and actions after the event.
Considering all of the circumstances, including Worsham's first felony status, we do not find this moderate sentence to be shocking to the sense of justice nor constitute an abuse of discretion of the trial court's broad discretion. Worsham gained a substantial reduction in sentencing exposure through the plea agreement; the state agreed not to charge Worsham with other counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile arising from these facts. The seriousness of this offense is escalated by the four-year age difference between the victim and Worsham. Moreover, we note Worsham's continued efforts to reduce his culpability through the victim's reputation. On the showing made, we do not find the seven-year sentence to be constitutionally excessive.
Upon error patent review, we note that the Boykin colloquy fails to inform...
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...to pay a fine of $2,000. This court affirmed the first offender's sentence, citing Breaux, 491 So.2d 506, and State v. Worsham, 32,670 (La.App. 2 Cir. 2/1/00), 754 So.2d 1107. In Worsham, the second circuit affirmed the eighteen-year-old first felony offender's seven-year hard labor sentenc......
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State v. Price
...conveyed in words tailored to a particular individual's vocabulary and comprehension. Mendenhall, supra. In State v. Worsham, 32,670 (La.App.2d Cir.2/1/00), 754 So.2d 1107, this court found a defendant's guilty plea valid despite the fact that the trial court did not inform him of his right......
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State v. Honeycutt
...determine whether a voluntary waiver of rights occurred. State v. Lawson, 410 So.2d 1101, 1103 (La.1982). In State v. Worsham, 32,670 (La.App. 2d Cir.02/01/00), 754 So.2d 1107, 1108, this court found that the defendant's guilty plea was valid, in spite of the fact that the trial court did n......
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State v. Ford
...to determine whether a voluntary waiver of rights occurred. State v. Lawson, 410 So.2d 1101 (La.1982). In State v. Worsham, 32,670 (La.App.2d Cir.02/01/00), 754 So.2d 1107, this court found that the defendant's guilty plea was valid, in spite of the fact that the trial court did not inform ......