Jan 15, 1987 SENTENCE A
 

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF THE 37th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
OF PENNSYLVANIA
WARREN COUNTY BRANCH                    CRIMINAL      

     

CONMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: No. 240 of 1986
: Chg: Reckless endangerment
VS: No. 267 of 1986
GARY D. LAUFFENBERGER: Chg: Poss. with intent to
: deliver
: Manufacture of marijuana
: Plea: Guilty

SENTENCE

     AND NOW, to-wit, this 16th day of January, 1987, Defendant is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution on all charges. On the charge of reckless endangerment Defendant is sentenced in the aggravated range of the sentencing guidelines to stand committed to Western Diagnostic and Classification Center at Pittsburgh for a minimum period of 12 months to a maximum period of 24 months, and the deadly weapon enhancement period is imposed and as imposed Defendant shall stand committed for a minimum period of 24 months to a maximum period of 48 months and shall pay a fine of $500.00.

On the charge of possession with intent to deliver Defendant shall stand committed to said institution for a minimum period of 12 months to a maximum period of 24 months, sentence imposed in the aggravated range.

Sentences to run consecutive and not concurrent.

Defendant is further ordered to pay an amount of $15.00 under the Victims' Compensation Act and to make restitution to the victim.

Credit to be given on the within sentence from January 16, 1987, the date of commitment, and the Clerk of Courts is directed to calculate the days spent in custody by the Defendant for such offenses prior to the imposition of sentence.

The Defendant shall comply with any special conditions of probation or parole imposed by the supervision staff of the Board of Probation and Parole.

The pre-sentence report to the Court is made part of the record.

STAND COMMITTED.

BY THE COURT

_______________________(signed)

Robert L. Wolfe, P.J.

Jan 19, 1987 MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION B
 

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF THE 37th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
OF PENNSYLVANIA
WARREN COUNTY BRANCH                    CRIMINAL      

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: No. 240 of 1986

VS:
GARY D. LAUFFENBERGER:

 

MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION OF SENTENCE

TO THE HONORABLE JUDGE, ROBERT L. WOLFE:

The Petition of Gary D. Lauffenberger by his Attorney, Joseph A. Massa, Jr., Public Defender of Warren County respectfully presents that:

1. Gary D. Lauffenberger is the Defendant in the above captioned case. He was charged with the criminal offenses of Aggravated Assault and Reckless Endangerment.

2. Through plea negotiations, on December 18, 1986, the Defendant plead guilty to Reckless Endangerment, a Misdemeanor of the second degree.

3. The statutory maximum imprisonment for a misdemeanor of the second degree is two (2) years. (See 18 Pa. C.S. 1104 (2)).

4. On January 16, 1987, the Court imposed a sentence for the Reckless Endangerment charge of a minimum period of incarceration of twenty-four (24) months to a maximum period of forty-eight (48) months.

5. The above sentence exceeds the statutory maximum sentence for a misdemeanor of the second degree.

WHEREFORE, because the sentence imposed exceeds the maximum permissible sentence allowed by statute, Gary D. Lauffenberger, through his Attorney, Joseph A. Massa Jr., respectfully prays the Honorable Court modify the above sentence to a sentence within the maximum permissible sentence allowed by statute.

Respectfully submitted,

______________________(signed)

Joseph A. Massa, Jr., Esquire
Public Defender of Warren County

Jan 26, 1987 DA'S MEMORANDUM C
 

Office of the District Attorney

WARREN COUNTY COURT HOUSE
WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA
PHONE 814 723-7550

January 26, 1987 NNNNN

RICHARD A. HERNAN, JR.
District Attorney

 

The Honorable Robert L. Wolfe
Judge's Chambers
Warren County Court House
Warren, PA 16365

RE: COM V GARY D. LAUFFENBERGER: Reconsideration of Sentence

No. 240 of 1986

Dear Judge Wolfe:

This memorandum is an addition to the Defendant's Motion For Reconsideration of Sentence which was submitted by the Office of the Public' Defender.

In addition to the charge of Reckless Endangerment, the Defendant was also sentenced on January 16, 1987, on the charges of Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Deliver, a Felony, and Manufacture of Marijuana, also a Felony, at No. 267 of 1986. A charge of Aggravated Assault at No. 240 of 1986 was nolle prossed through plea negotiations.

The Defendant was sentenced on January 16, 1987, on the above three charges. The Court properly applied the Deadly Weapons Enhancement pursuant to 303.4 of the Sentencing Guidelines to the Reckless Endangerment charge. There was question during the Sentencing Proceeding whether on a Reckless Endangerment charge, which is a Misdemeanor of the Second Degree, a Sentence exceeding the two-year statutory limit could be imposed because of the Deadly Weapons Enhancement.

By written Sentence entered on the 16th day of January, 1987, the Court sentenced the Defendant in the Aggravated Range of the Sentencing Guidelines to stand committed to Western Diagnostic and Classification Center at Pittsburgh for 12 to 24 months and then imposed a Deadly Weapons Enhancement thereby increasing the Defendant's sentence on Reckless Endangerment to 24 to 48 months. The Commonwealth requests the Court to resentence Defendant to an effective period of 24 months minimum to 24 months maximum in the standard guideline range with the Deadly Weapon Enhancement applied for the following reasons:

A. The Standard guideline Range for a misdemeanor of the Second Degree with a prior record score of 2 is 0-12 months. Therefore, the Court could properly sentence the Defendant within the standard guideline range to 12 months imprisonment and apply a 12 month Deadly Weapons Enhancement for a total of 24 months.

B. Even though the Defendant's enhanced sentence on the maximum range would be 48 months, the sentence should be reduced to a maximum of 24 months. Section 303.1 (i), 204 Pa. Code, of the Guidelines states that:

(i.) When the guideline sentence exceeds that permitted by 18 Pa. C.S. §1103 and 1104 (relating to sentence of imprisonment for felonies and misdemeanors) and 42 Pa. C.S. §9755 (b) and 9756 (b)(relating to sentence of partial and total confinement) or other applicable statute setting maximum term of confinement, then the statutory limit is the guideline sentence.

Thus, any confinement time that exceeds the statutory maximum because of the application of the guidelines is cut off to conform to the statutory maximum. A defendant subject to a Deadly Weapons Enhancement is in a position not significantly distinguishable from other convicted defendants during the sentencing phase.
Com. V. McKeithan, 504 A.2d 294 (Pa. Super. 1986).

Therefore, the Commonwealth would respectfully request that your Honorable Court resentence the Defendant or amend his sentence regarding the Reckless Endangerment charge to a sentence of 12 months in the Standard Range to 24 months and apply the Deadly Weapons Enhancement of 12 months to 24 months, but reduce the maximum sentence to 24 months pursuant to Section 303.1 (i) 204 Pa. Code and Com. v. McKeithan, 504 A.2d 294 (Pa. Super. 1986).

Sincerely,
Juri Trypupenko
Assistant District Attorney

JT/pwp

cc: Public Defender

Feb 17, 1987 AMENDED SENTENCE D
 

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF THE 37th JUDICIAL DISTRICT
OF PENNSYLVANIA
WARREN COUNTY BRANCH                    CRIMINAL      

NNNNN
CONMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA: No. 240 of 1986
: Chg: Reckless endangerment
VS: No. 267 of 1986
GARY D. LAUFFENBERGER: Chg: Poss. with intent to
: deliver
: Manufacture of marijuana
: Plea: Guilty

AMENDED SENTENCE

     AND NOW, to-wit, this 17th day of February, 1987, after argument on the Commonwealth's motion for resentence of the Defendant for the reason the sentence imposed of January 16, 1987, exceeds the maximum statutory sentence permissible in that Defendant was sentenced to total confinement for a minimum period of 24 months to a maximum period of 48 months and pay a fine of $500.00 on the charge of reckless endangerment applying the deadly weapon enhancement period, it is THEREFORE ORDERED that the sentence of January 16, 1987, is partially amended and as amended on the charge of reckless endangerment Defendant shall stand committed to the Western Diagnostic and Classification Center at Pittsburgh for a minimum period of twelve (12) months in the standard range of the sentencing guidelines to a maximum period of twenty-four (24) months and applying the deadly weapons enhancement the Defendant is sentenced in addition thereto to stand committed to said institution for a minimum period of twelve (12) months to a maximum period of twenty-four (24) months, or a total confinement on the charge of reckless endangerment of a minimum of 24 months to a maximum of 48 months, but reduced to a maximum sentence of 24 months pursuant to § 303.1(i) , 204 Pa. Code of the Guidelines and in keeping with COMMONWEALTH vs. McKEITHAN , ___ Pa. Super. ____ , 504 A.2d 294 (1986)

 

The other aspects of the sentence imposed of January 16, 1987, remain unaffected.

BY THE COURT

_______________________(signed)

Robert L. Wolfe, P.J.


 

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