IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI N O. 2014-CP-01107-COA WILLIE LEE MADDEN, JR. A/K/A WILLIE L. MADDEN, JR. A/K/A WILLIE LEE MADDEN APPELLANT

v. STATE OF MISSISSIPPI APPELLEE DATE OF JUDGMENT: 07/21/2014 TRIAL JUDGE: HON. MICHAEL H. W ARD COURT FROM W HICH APPEALED HARRISON COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: W I LLIE LEE MADDEN JR. (PRO SE) ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE: OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BY: LISA L. BLOUNT NATURE OF THE CASE: CIVIL - POST-CONVICTION COLLATERAL RELIEF TRIAL COURT DISPOSITION: DENIED MOTION FOR POSTCONVICTION COLLATERAL RELIEF DISPOSITION: AFFIRMED: 02/09/2016 MOTION FOR REHEARING FILED: MANDATE ISSUED: EN BANC. GRIFFIS, P.J., FOR THE COURT: ¶1. W i llie Lee Madden Jr. appeals the denial of his f if th m otio n f

or post-conviction collateral relief (PCCR). Madden req u e s t e d a reduction o f his s entence based o n recent

am endm ents to the s e ntencing requirem ents in Mississippi Code Annotated section 41-29- 139. The circuit court denied the m otion. W e f ind no error and af

f irm

. ¶2. In 2004, Madden pleaded guilty to the charge of

transf er of a controlled substance. The Court sentenced M a dden as a h abitual o f f ender to f i f teen y ears t o serve day -f

or-day

. See Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-81 (Rev. 2015). Madden has subsequently f iled m ultiple PCCRm otions bef ore this Court. 1 Each has been denied or dism issed. ¶3. Wh e n “ r e v iewing a trial c ourt’s d ism issal of [ a PCCR m o tion],

. . . [ w]e will n ot disturb the trial court’s f

a ctual f indings unless t hey a re f

o und to be clearly erroneous.” Mann

v. State , 2 So. 3d 743, 745 ( ¶5) ( M iss. Ct. App. 2 009). “[ W ]here q uestions of law are raised, the applicable standard of review is de novo.” Id. ¶4. The Court notes t hat Madden’s PCCR m otion w a s untim ely f i l e d a n d constitutes a successive writ. See Miss. Code Ann. § 99-39-23(6) (Rev. 2015). D espite these p rocedural bars, the Court will address Madden’s claim

. ¶5. In the m otion now bef ore us, Mad d e n seeks a reduction in his sentence based on House Bill 585, a 2014 Legislative ame n d me n t to the sentencing requirem ents f ound in section 41-29-139. The penalty f or the transf

er o f a controlled substance was am ended to “not m ore than eight y e ars.” Miss. Code Ann. § 4 1-29-139(b)(1) ( Supp. 2015). Madden is currently serving f

if teen y ears under the f

orm er version of the statute. S ee Miss. Code Ann. § 41-29-139(b)(1) (Supp. 2004). ¶6. The Mississippi Supreme C o u r t h as held t hat when sentencing occurs bef ore a statutory am endm ent, the statute that existed at the t im e of the s e ntencing applies. Lampley

v. State , 308 So. 2d 87, 90 (Miss. 1975). If the Legislature chooses to apply an am endm ent
t o t h e s e n tencing requirem ents retroactively , i t m a y provide such an instruction in the

1 S ee M a d d en v. S ta te ,1 7 6 S o . 3 d 3 5 (M iss. C t

. A p p . 2 0 1 4 ); M a d d en v. S ta te , 7 5 S o . 3 d 1 1 3 0 (M iss. C t. A p p . 2 0 1 1 ); M a d d en v. S t a te , 5 2 S o . 3 d 4 1 1 (M iss C t. A p p . 2 0 1 0 ); M a d d en v. S ta te , 9 9 1 S o . 2 d 1 2 3 1 (M iss. C t . A p p . 2 0 0 8 ). 2language o f the am endm ent. I d. The 2014 am endm ents provide no such instruction. Thus, Madden is not entitled to a reduction in his sentence. W e f ind no error and af

f irm

. ¶7. THE JUDGMENT O F T H E CIRCUIT COURT OF HARRISON COUNTY DENYING THE MOTION F OR POST-CONVICTION COLLATERAL RELIEF IS AFFIRMED. ALL COSTS OF TH I S A P P E A L ARE ASSESSED TO HARRISON COUNTY. LEE, C.J., IRVING, P.J., BARNES, ISHEE, C ARLTON, FAIR, JAMES AND WILSON, JJ., CONCUR. GREENLEE, J., NOT PARTICIPATING.

3