State of Iowa v. Goble
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The Supreme Court of Iowa upheld the decision of the Iowa Court of Appeals and the district court that sentenced a recidivist drug offender, Jacob Lee Goble, to an indeterminate prison sentence of up to five years. Goble, who had pleaded guilty to a class "D" felony, appealed on the grounds that the sentencing court improperly considered parole as a factor in determining his sentence. The court mentioned parole once in the context of Goble's need for a structured setting for his rehabilitation and protection of the community.
The Supreme Court of Iowa, however, found that the mention of parole in this context was not inappropriate. The court stated that the district court did nothing to circumvent the parole board’s discretion in determining the release date, and its reference to parole is authorized by statute. Goble’s sentence was therefore affirmed, and his claim that the sentencing court relied on an improper factor by mentioning parole was rejected.
The court also differentiated this case from precedent where it was held impermissible for the district court to impose a longer prison sentence for the purpose of delaying the defendant’s release on parole. In this case, the district court’s choice was limited to imposing a five-year indeterminate sentence with immediate parole eligibility or suspending that sentence and placing Goble on probation. The court concluded that the district court did not impose a longer sentence to circumvent the parole board’s discretion.
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