PEOPLE OF MI V CHRISTOPHER LEE GIBSON
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STATE OF MICHIGAN
COURT OF APPEALS
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN,
UNPUBLISHED
January 9, 1998
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v
No. 199129
St. Clair Circuit Court
LC No. 94-002986 FH
CHRISTOPHER LEE GIBSON,
Defendant-Appellant.
Before: Gage, P.J., and Murphy and Reilly, JJ.
MEMORANDUM.
Defendant appeals by right his sentence of 2 ½ to 5 years’ imprisonment for probation violation,
based on an underlying conviction, on plea of guilty, of attempted breaking and entering with intent to
commit larceny, MCL 750.92; MSA 28.287. This appeal is being decided without oral argument
pursuant to MCR 7.214(E).
Defendant’s plea was the product of a bargain, pursuant to which two counts of breaking and
entering with intent to commit larceny and one of larceny over $100 were dismissed, thereby halving the
potential punishment to which defendant was exposed. Defendant’s prior criminal record as reflected in
the presentence report consists of 13 misdemeanors, with no significant time frame in which defendant
failed to commit some criminal offense.
Although defendant refers to the sentence guidelines, those guidelines are completely irrelevant
both to the trial court’s task in sentencing for probation violation and to this Court’s task in reviewing
such sentence. People v Williams, 223 Mich App 409; ___ NW2d ___ (1997). Where the
guidelines do not apply, review is for abuse of sentencing discretion, and such discretion is very broad
and abuse is accordingly very rare. People v Hansford (After Remand), 454 Mich 320; ___ NW2d
___ (1997). Where, as here, defendant has violated the court’s trust as reflected in being placed on
probation initially, has benefited from a plea bargain, and has an extensive prior criminal record, it
cannot be said that “no reasonable sentencer” would have found the actual sentences imposed justified,
and accordingly no abuse of discretion has occurred. People v Merriweather, 447 Mich 799, 807;
527 NW2d 460 (1994).
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Affirmed.
/s/ Hilda R. Gage
/s/ William B. Murphy
/s/ Maureen Pulte Reilly
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