State v. Kern

On February 3, 1988, Phillip Kern entered a Moses Lake building and stole several objects. On July 22, he entered a plea of guilty to burglary in the second degree in Grant County. The standard sentencing range was 22 to 29 months. The court imposed the top of the range and ordered the sentence to run consecutively with an unrelated May 17 Benton County sentence of 40 months for first degree burglary. Mr. Kern appeals that portion of the order mandating a consecutive sentence.

The sole issue is whether the court committed error by failing to set forth substantial and compelling reasons when it…