STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
v
.
Gaston County
Nos. 99CRS35708, 35710
HERMAN LIPSCOMB
Attorney General Roy A. Cooper, III, by Assistant Attorney
General Sue Y. Little, for the State.
Brent D. Ratchford for defendant-appellant.
HUNTER, Judge.
Herman Lipscomb (defendant) appeals from judgments entered
20 February 2002 revoking his probation and activating his
suspended sentences. Finding the appeal frivolous, we affirm the
judgments of the trial court.
On 5 January 2000, defendant pled guilty to one count each of
taking indecent liberties with a minor and disseminating obscenity.
The trial court imposed consecutive suspended sentences of
seventeen to twenty-one months and six to eight months imprisonment
and placed defendant on supervised probation for a period of three
years.
In reports filed in January and July of 2001, defendant was
charged with violating the monetary conditions of his probation,failing to maintain an adequate level of participation in his
sexual offender treatment program, and testing positive for cocaine
use. Finding defendant in violation of these conditions of his
probation, the trial court entered an order on 15 October 2001,
scheduling an additional review after a period of ninety days,
during which time defendant was to be in full compliance with all
conditions of his probation.
Defendant was charged in a report filed 29 November 2001, with
failing to report to his probation officer on two occasions,
violating curfew on five occasions, and twice moving to a new
address without the permission of his probation officer.
Defendant's review hearing was held on 20 February 2002. In
addition to the charged violations, the court heard evidence that
defendant tested positive for cocaine use on two occasions since
the previous hearing. Finding defendant's misconduct willful and
without lawful excuse, the trial court revoked probation and
activated his suspended sentences. Defendant filed timely notice
of appeal from the judgments.
Counsel appointed to represent defendant on appeal has filed
an Anders brief indicating that he is unable to identify an issue
with sufficient merit to support a meaningful argument for relief
on appeal. He asks that this Court conduct its own review of the
record for possible prejudicial error. Counsel has filed
documentation with the Court showing that he has complied with the
requirements of Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 18 L. Ed. 2d
493 (1967), and State v. Kinch, 314 N.C. 99, 331 S.E.2d 665 (1985),by advising defendant of his right to file written arguments with
the Court and providing him with a copy of the documents pertinent
to his appeal. Defendant has filed no additional arguments of his
own with this Court, and a reasonable time for such arguments has
passed.
In accordance with Anders, we have fully examined the record
to determine whether any issues of arguable merit appear therefrom
and whether the appeal is wholly frivolous. We conclude the appeal
is frivolous and affirm the decision of the trial court.
Affirmed.
Judges BRYANT and ELMORE concur.
Report per Rule 30(e).
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