Section 12.55.120. Appeal of sentence.

   (a) A sentence of imprisonment lawfully imposed by the superior court for a term or for aggregate terms exceeding two years of unsuspended incarceration for a felony offense or exceeding 120 days for a misdemeanor offense may be appealed to the court of appeals by the defendant on the ground that the sentence is excessive, unless the sentence was imposed in accordance with a plea agreement under the applicable Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure and that agreement provided for imposition of a specific sentence or a sentence equal to or less than a specified maximum sentence. If the superior court imposed a sentence in accordance with a plea agreement that provided for a minimum sentence, the defendant may appeal only that portion of the sentence that exceeds the minimum sentence provided for in the plea agreement and that exceeds two years of unsuspended incarceration for a felony offense or 120 days of unsuspended incarceration for a misdemeanor offense. By appealing a sentence under this section, the defendant waives the right to plead that by a revision of the sentence resulting from the appeal the defendant has been twice placed in jeopardy for the same offense.
   (b) A sentence of imprisonment lawfully imposed by the superior court may be appealed to the court of appeals by the state on the ground that the sentence is too lenient; however, when a sentence is appealed by the state and the defendant has not appealed the sentence, the court is not authorized to increase the sentence but may express its approval or disapproval of the sentence and its reasons in a written opinion.
   (c) A sentence appeal under this section does not confer or enlarge the right to bail pending appeal. When the defendant, in the prosecution of a regular appeal, urges excessiveness of the sentence as an additional ground for appeal, the defendant's right to bail pending appeal is governed by the relevant statutes and the rules of the court.
   (d) A sentence of imprisonment lawfully imposed by the district court for a term or for aggregate terms exceeding 120 days of unsuspended incarceration may be appealed to the superior court by the defendant on the ground that the sentence is excessive, unless the sentence was imposed in accordance with a plea agreement under the applicable Alaska Rules of Criminal Procedure and that agreement provided for imposition of a specific sentence or a sentence equal to or less than a specified maximum sentence. If the district court imposed a sentence in accordance with a plea agreement that provided for a minimum sentence, the defendant may appeal only that portion of the sentence that exceeds the minimum sentence provided for in the plea agreement and that exceeds 120 days of unsuspended incarceration. By appealing a sentence under this section, the defendant waives the right to plead that by a revision of the sentence resulting from the appeal the defendant has been twice placed in jeopardy for the same offense. A sentence of imprisonment lawfully imposed by the district court may be appealed to the superior court by the state on the ground that the sentence is too lenient; however, when a sentence is appealed by the state, the court may not increase the sentence but may express its approval or disapproval of the sentence and its reasons in a written opinion.
   (e) A sentence within an applicable presumptive range set out in AS 12.55.125 or a consecutive or partially consecutive sentence imposed in accordance with the minimum sentences set out in AS 12.55.127 may not be appealed to the court of appeals under this section or AS 22.07.020 on the ground that the sentence is excessive. However, the sentence may be reviewed by an appellate court on the ground that it is excessive through a petition filed under rules adopted by the supreme court.
   (f) The victim of the crime for which a defendant has been convicted and sentenced may file a petition for review in an appellate court of a sentence that is below the sentencing range for the crime.

Authorities

22.07.020;26.05.645

Notes

References

AS 22.07.020 Jurisdiction.
AS 26.05.645 Review by civilian court.

History

(Sec. 4 ch 117 SLA 1969; am Sec. 29 - 31 ch 12 SLA 1980; am Sec. 7, 8 ch 79 SLA 1995; am Sec. 7 ch 2 SLA 2005; am Sec. 4 ch 65 SLA 2005)