Chloe Marks was sentenced Monday to a minimum of four years imprisonment and a maximum indeterminate sentence of 11 years by 2nd District Judge Michelle Evans at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.
Marks, of Lewiston, had pleaded guilty in December to attempted first-degree murder. Marks, who was 14 at the time, was accused of taking part in a shooting in February 2022 in the Lewiston Orchards with Triston Arnzen, also 14 at the time, in which Arnzen’s stepfather, George Hamblin Jr., and stepsister, Macayla Hamblin, were both shot. Marks was only charged with the shooting of George Hamblin Jr.
Marks, now 15, will serve out her sentence in joint custody through the Idaho Department of Correction and Juvenile Detention until Evans issues an order terminating her custody. Marks could also get released if the correction department receives jurisdiction of the case and determines she is eligible for release, or until she turns 21.
Evans also gave Marks credit for 379 days she has already served, which means she has three years left of the minimum sentence. After the total four years are completed her case can be reviewed for early release or she will remain in juvenile detention until she is 21. If she is released early, she will serve out the rest of her sentence on probation.
During the sentencing, Marks apologized and took responsibility for her actions, saying what she did was “morally and lawfully wrong.”
“I regret my actions with all my heart,” Marks said. “I will do whatever it takes to make this wrong right.”
Marks said that she knows her apology to George Hamblin Jr. doesn’t fix her actions, but she hoped that by pleading guilty it showed her remorse and regret knowing that her decision caused “pain and suffering.”
She said she wasn’t in the right state of mind and was “pressured into doing something I wouldn’t have done if I was clearheaded.”
At one point she paused and became emotional. When she continued, she said she didn’t think about how her actions would affect others and she was afraid Arnzen would have hurt her if she said no.
Public defender Rick Cuddihy noted that Marks is a young person and was acting immaturely when the shooting took place.
“When young people get into adult situations they don’t have the tools of knowing how to handle them,” Cuddihy said. “Sometimes you make bad decisions or have bad decisions made for you.”
Cuddihy also noted that Marks disagreed with some statements in the police report, conflating statements made by Arnzen as by Marks.
“(Marks is) sorry for what happened and wishes she could take that back, your honor, and that’s not spelled out in the police report,” Cuddihy said.
There were about 20 people in the courtroom during the sentencing including the victim, George Hamblin Jr., and members of Marks’ family. Hamblin didn’t present a victim impact statement to the court.
The sentencing was part of a Rule 11 plea agreement, which is binding by the court and if the court doesn’t follow the agreement the defendant can take back their guilty plea. Nez Perce County Deputy Prosecutor April Smith and Cuddihy both asked Evans to follow the agreement and said it came out of a mediated plea that involved the prosecution, defense and the victim.
Marks also had a sentencing enhancement because the attempted murder involved a firearm but that was dismissed in the agreement.
Evans took time during the sentencing to make sure that Marks understood the plea agreement and the sentencing.
“What do you think is going to happen to you if I accept this?” Evans said.
Marks responded that she would go to juvenile corrections for four years and Evans asked if she was aware that it could be longer and Marks said she understood. Evans also told Marks that the total sentence could be 15 years and Marks responded that she understood.
Evans agreed that the sentence in the plea agreement was appropriate, but she noted to Marks the severity of the attempted first-degree murder charge.
“(The charge is) one of the most serious crimes you can be charged with in the state of Idaho,” Evans said.
While Evans highlighted some concerns mentioned in the pre-sentencing investigation involving some rule-breaking by Marks, Evans said that could be attributed to Marks’ age and lack of life experience. The rest of the document, Evans said, worked in Marks’ favor showing that she accepted responsibility, had a family support system and was doing well in school. Those elements, Evans said, “shows promise for your future.”
In addition to the imprisonment, Evans also ordered a civil judgment payment of $5,000 to be paid to George Hamblin Jr. and $245.50 in court costs as well as a restitution amount to be determined at a later time with Arnzen. Evans also ordered a no-contact order between Marks and Hamblin.
Arnzen, 15, of Lewiston, was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder for the alleged shooting of George Hamblin Jr. and Macayla Hamblin. Arnzen has a status conference hearing March 23 and his attorney, Payden Ard has been seeking mediation for the case, according to a December hearing.
