Justices affirm conviction but remand for new sentencing order

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A man sentenced to 14 years in prison for his convictions on multiple felony gun and drug charges will still have to serve the time, but the court must revise the sentencing order to explain why one conviction was ordered to be served consecutive to the others.

A Carroll Circuit jury convicted Robert Bowen of Class B felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, Class C felony dealing in schedule IV controlled substance, Class D felony possession of a controlled substance and Class A misdemeanor possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to 10 years on the SVF charge, and the other felony counts were ordered to be served concurrently, except for the dealing sentence – four years imposed consecutively for a 14-year aggregate executed sentence.

In a two-page per curiam decision in Robert Bowen v. State of Indiana, 08S02-1306-CR-423,  the Indiana Supreme Court cited the precedent of Anglemyer v. State, 868 N.E.2d 482, 490-91 (Ind. 2007), that requires the court to “include a reasonably detailed recitation of the trial court’s reasons for imposing a particular sentence.”

“The trial court did not state its reasons for imposing this sentence, either in writing or from the bench, and did not identify any reason for consecutive sentences,” the court wrote. “Accordingly, we grant transfer and remand this case to the trial court with instructions to issue an amended sentencing order that complies with the law, without a hearing.”

 

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