State v. Burton

Respondent was convicted of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, first offense, and was committed to the custody of the Youthful Offender Division of the Department of Corrections for an indeterminate period of time, not to exceed six (6) years, pursuant to the Youthful Offender Act (YOA). The State has appealed, alleging that the YOA sentence was improper. We disagree.

Any person between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five at the time of conviction is a youthful offender. S.C. Code Ann. § 24-19-10(d) (1989). A conviction, for purposes of the YOA, is a guilty verdict or plea…