State v. Griffith

Jerry Griffith pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. 1 The district court sentenced him to a determinate term of fifteen years in the custody of the Board of Correction, the maximum punishment allowed for the crime. The sole issue on appeal is whether the fifteen-year determinate term imposed was excessive and represents an abuse of sentencing discretion by the district court. We affirm.

For guidance, we turn to State v. Beltran, 109 Idaho 196, 197, 706 P.2d 85, 86 (Ct.App.1985). Like Griffith, Beltran was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to the statutory maximum sentence of…