526 P.3d 1221
Or. Ct. App.2023Background
- Neill pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm (Counts 2 and 8) plus two other charges; other counts were dismissed under a plea agreement.
- The plea stipulated to downward-departure sentences: 36 months’ probation on each UUW/F count, and an express stipulation that if probation were revoked the court would impose consecutive 5-year firearm-minimum terms (60 months each) under ORS 161.610(4).
- The trial court accepted the plea and imposed the stipulated probation terms.
- After Neill violated probation, the court revoked probation and imposed the agreed consecutive 60‑month sentences, producing a total suspended DOC time of 120 months.
- Neill appealed, arguing the revocation sentences exceeded OAR 213-010-0002(2) maximums and that the trial court plainly erred; the State conceded the merits but argued ORS 138.105(9) barred appellate review.
- The court held ORS 138.105(9) bars appellate review of the stipulated probation-revocation sentence and rejected Neill’s constitutional challenges (relying on Colgrove).
Issues
| Issue | State's Argument | Neill's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether ORS 138.105(9) bars appellate review of a probation‑revocation sentence that the parties stipulated in a plea agreement | ORS 138.105(9) prevents review because Neill agreed to the specific revocation sentence | Stipulations to future revocation sanctions are not the kind of stipulated sentencing agreements described in ORS 135.407, so ORS 138.105(9) should not bar review | Held: ORS 138.105(9) bars review here—Neill expressly agreed to the precise consecutive 60‑month terms, so the court cannot review that part of the sentence |
| Whether ORS 138.105(9) (as applied) violates state or federal constitutional protections | State: constitutional arguments are precluded/without merit under existing precedent | Neill: statute violates Article VII (Amended) sections 1 and 3 and Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment | Held: constitutional challenges foreclosed by State v. Colgrove and do not show a due process violation; rejected |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Rusen, 369 Or 677 (Sup. Ct. 2022) (held ORS 138.105(9) does not bar review when parties reserve the right to contest sentencing parameters; distinguishes agreements that produce a specific agreed sentence)
- State v. Davis‑McCoy, 300 Or App 326 (Or. Ct. App. 2019) (held ORS 138.105(9) barred review of a stipulated probation‑revocation sentence)
- State v. Silsby, 282 Or App 104 (Or. Ct. App. 2016) (explained review is barred when parties agreed to a specific sentence imposed by the court)
- State v. Thomas, 312 Or App 527 (Or. Ct. App. 2021) (applied same principle to bar review of stipulated sentencing components)
- State v. Kephart, 320 Or 433 (Or. 1994) (discussion of ORS 135.407’s role in defining stipulated sentencing agreements)
- State v. Colgrove, 370 Or 474 (Or. 2022) (addressed and foreclosed constitutional challenges to statutory limitations on appellate review of stipulated sentences)
