Richardson v. State

In this appeal from an order granting post-conviction relief (PCR) to Sandra Richardson, we hold a trial court has no *484power to suspend a sentence imposed on a person convicted of homicide by child abuse under section 16 — 3—85(A)(1) of the South Carolina Code (2003). We reverse.

I. Facts and Procedural History

Richardson pled guilty to homicide by child abuse under subsection 16-3-85(A)(l), which carries a minimum sentence of twenty years and a maximum of life imprisonment. S.C.Code Ann. § 16-3-85(0(1) (2003). The trial court initially sentenced her to twenty-two years in prison, but Richardson…