Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.023 — MO Code / Chapter 577 / Section 577.023
577.023 Aggravated, chronic, persistent and prior offenders, when — trial ...
Status: in_force

577.023. Aggravated, chronic, persistent and prior offenders, when — trial procedures — sentencing information. — 1. A court shall find the defendant to be a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender if:

(1) The indictment or information, original or amended, or the information in lieu of an indictment pleads all essential facts warranting a finding that the defendant is a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender; and

(2) Evidence is introduced that establishes sufficient facts pleaded to warrant a finding beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant is a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender; and

(3) The court makes findings of fact that warrant a finding beyond a reasonable doubt by the court that the defendant is a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender.

2. In a jury trial, the defendant's status as a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender shall be found prior to submission to the jury outside of its hearing.

3. In a trial without a jury or upon a plea of guilty, a determination of the defendant's status as a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender may be made by the court at any time prior to sentencing.

4. Evidence offered as proof of the defendant's status as a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender or habitual boating offender shall include but not be limited to evidence of findings of guilt received by a search of the records of the Missouri uniform law enforcement system, including criminal history records from the central repository or records from the driving while intoxicated tracking system (DWITS) maintained by the Missouri state highway patrol, or the certified driving record maintained by the Missouri department of revenue. Any findings of guilt used to establish the defendant's status as a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender or habitual boating offender shall be prior to the date of commission of the present offense.

5. The defendant shall be accorded full rights of confrontation and cross-examination, with the opportunity to present evidence, at such hearings.

6. The defendant may waive proof of the facts used to prove his or her status as a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender.

7. If a court finds the defendant to be a prior offender, prior boating offender, persistent offender, persistent boating offender, aggravated offender, aggravated boating offender, chronic offender, chronic boating offender, habitual offender, or habitual boating offender, the court shall not instruct the jury as to the range of punishment or allow the jury, upon a finding of guilt, to assess and declare the punishment as part of its verdict.

8. At sentencing, all parties shall be permitted to present additional information bearing on the issue of the sentence. Nothing in this section shall prevent the use of presentence investigations, sentencing advisory reports or commitments.

(L. 1982 S.B. 513, A.L. 1983 S.B. 318 & 135, A.L. 1991 S.B. 125 & 341, A.L. 1993 S.B. 167 merged with S.B. 180, A.L. 1998 S.B. 634, A.L. 2001 H.B. 302 & 38, A.L. 2005 H.B. 353 merged with H.B. 972 and S.B. 37, et al. merged with H.B. 353, A.L. 2005 1st Ex. Sess. H.B. 2, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1715, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1715 merged with S.B. 930 & 947, A.L. 2009 H.B. 62, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1695, et al., A.L. 2011 H.B. 199, A.L. 2012 S.B. 480, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491) Effective 1-01-17 (1984) Sentence enhancement provisions do not violate constitutional proscription against ex post facto laws. (Mo.banc) State v. Acton, 665 S.W.2d 618. (1991) Where defendant was convicted of intoxication-related traffic offenses in violation of laws of other states, such convictions may be used for enhancement purposes as persistent offender. Phrase "in violation of state law" bars use of municipal ordinance convictions for enhancement. State v. Ryan, 813 S.W.2d 898 (Mo. App.S.D.). (1997) Intoxication-related traffic offense includes a guilty plea to a DWI in violation of a municipal ordinance with a suspended imposition of sentence. State v. Meggs, 950 S.W.2d 608 (Mo.App.S.D.). (1997) A blood alcohol content conviction pursuant to municipal ordinance can be used as evidence to enhance punishment. State v. Haskins, 950 S.W.2d 613 (Mo.App.S.D.).