State v. CHARLES F.
36 A.3d 731
Conn. App. Ct.2012Background
- defendant charged with possession of child pornography in the first degree; plea entered Alford on June 3, 2008
- presentence investigation report prepared after sentencing date; report contained statements about offender's wishes and family comments
- defendant asserted untimely receipt of the report (forty-eight hours before sentencing) affected ability to correct inaccuracies
- three asserted inaccuracies: offender's version not included; daughter’s statement about victim in pending case; prosecution's claim of thirty felonies
- sentencing occurred September 19, 2008; June 1, 2010 defendant moved to correct illegal sentence under Practice Book § 43-22; motion denied after a June 11, 2010 hearing
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether trial court had jurisdiction to hear the § 43-22 motion | State argues lack of jurisdiction | Defendant argues court had jurisdiction to correct illegal sentence | Court had jurisdiction over the motion |
| Whether sentence relied on inaccurate information | Defendant claims specific report inaccuracies were relied upon | State alleges no reliance on inaccuracies | Sentence not based on the challenged inaccurate information; no abuse of discretion |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Parker, 295 Conn. 825 (2010) (limits of jurisdiction for correcting illegal sentences; reliance on information)
- State v. McNellis, 15 Conn.App. 416 (1988) (illegality defined; distinction between illegal sentence and illegal manner)
- State v. Osuch, 124 Conn. App. 572 (2010) (motion under § 43-22 based on inaccurate sentencing information; court jurisdiction)
- Richardson v. Commissioner of Correction, 298 Conn. 690 (2010) (subject matter jurisdiction; standard for reviewing jurisdictional questions)
- Johnson v. Commissioner of Correction, 258 Conn. 804 (2002) (threshold jurisdiction issue presented on appeal)
