Thornton v. State

• Decision Date: 14 August 1998
• Citation: 728 So.2d 1162
• Parties: Dominique THORNTON v. STATE.
• Court: Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals

728 So.2d 1162

Dominique THORNTON v. STATE.

CR-97-1140.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

August 14, 1998.

Opinion on Return to Remand October 23, 1998.

William Edward Scully, Jr., Daphne, for appellant.

Bill Pryor, atty. gen., and Jean A. Therkelsen, asst. atty. gen., for appellee.

PATTERSON, Retired Appellate Judge.

Dominique Thornton appeals from the circuit court's order revoking his probation. Thornton contends that the circuit court's order is insufficient because, he says, it fails to set out the evidence relied upon in revoking his probation as required by Armstrong v. State, 294 Ala. 100, 312 So.2d 620 (Ala.1975).

The circuit court's order revoking probation reads, in pertinent part, as follows:

"Comes now the defendant and counsel and counsel for the State of Alabama on a probation revocation hearing in this case. The defendant having been charged with violating the terms and conditions of his probation, to-wit:

"1) New Offense—Robbery, 1st Degree;

"2) New Offense—Robbery, 1st Degree;

"3) Moving Without Permission of Parole Officer;

"4) Failure to Report/Absconding Supervision;

and the Court having heard testimony and arguments of counsel, adjudged the defendant guilty of violating the terms and conditions of probation and hereby ORDERS that the defendant's probation be revoked. The defendant is remanded to the custody of the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections for the remainder of his sentence."

Although the trial court's order states the reasons for revoking the appellant's probation, it does not set out the evidence it relied upon. See Hairgrove v. State, 668 So.2d 887 (Ala.Cr.App.1995); Wyatt v. State, 608 So.2d 762 (Ala.1992). In its brief to the court, the state agrees that the circuit court's order is insufficient, and asks this court to remand the case to the circuit court.

We, therefore, remand the case to the circuit court with directions that it enter an order stating the evidence relied upon in revoking Thornton's probation. The trial court shall take the necessary action to see that the circuit clerk makes due return to this court at the earliest possible time within 45 days of the release of this opinion.

The foregoing opinion was prepared by Retired Appellate Judge John Patterson while serving on active duty status as a judge of this court under the provisions of § 12-18-10(e), Ala.Code 1975.

REMANDED WITH INSTRUCTIONS.

LONG, P.J., and McMILLAN, COBB, BROWN, and BASCHAB, JJ., concur.

On Return to Remand

PATTERSON, Retired Appellate Judge.

On August 14, 1998, we remanded this case to the circuit court with instructions that the court enter a written statement stating the evidence it relied upon in revoking Dominique Thornton's probation. The circuit court has filed a return to our remand, which shows that it has complied with our instructions. The circuit court's return indicated that it relied upon the probation officers' testimony that Thornton was instructed on the conditions of probation, including that he should not violate any federal, state, or local law; that he should not...