IN T H E C O U R T O F A P P E A L S O F T H E S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I

N O . 2 0 1 6 -C P -0 0 9 1 3 -C O A

J A M E S H IL L I A R D A /K /A J A M E S S T E P H E N H IL L A R D A P P E L L A N T

v .

S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I A P P E L L E E

D A T E O F JU D G M E N T : 0 5 /2 3 /2 0 1 6 T R IA L JU D G E : H O N

. A N D R E W K . H O WO R T H C O U R T F R O M WH IC H A P P E A L E D : L A F A Y E T T E C O U N T Y C IR C U IT C O U R T A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L A N T : JA M E S H IL L I A R D (P R O S E ) A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L E E : O F F IC E O F T H E A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L B Y : S C O T T S T U A R T N A T U R E O F T H E C A S E : C IV IL - P O S T -C O N V IC T I O N R E L IE F D I S P O S IT IO N : A F F IR M E D - 0 9 /2 6 /2 0 1 7 M O T IO N F O R

R E H E A R IN G F IL E D : M A N D A T E IS S U E D :

B E F O R E L E E , C .J ., B A R N E S A N D C A R L T O N , J J

.

B A R N E S , J ., F O R T H E C O U R T :
¶1

. Jam es H illiard
, a

p p earin g p ro se, ap p eals t h e L af ay ette C o u n ty C ircu it C o u rt’s d en ial

o f h is m o tio n f

o r p o st-co n v i ctio n relief

(P C R ). F in d in g n o erro r, w e af f irm

.

S T A T E M E N T O F F A C T S A N D P R O C E D U R A L H I S T O R Y

¶2

. In F eb ru ary 2 0 1 1
, H illiard w as in d icted f o r o n e co u n t o f co n sp iracy t o sell co cain e,

an d o n e co u n t o f p o ssessio n o f co cain e w i th in ten t to sell. In Ju ly 2 0 1 2
, th e S tate f iled a

m o tio n to am en d H illiard ’s in d ictm en t to in clu d e h a b i tu al-o f f en d er statu s d u e to p rio r f

elo n y

co n v ictio n s in C a lif

o r n ia f o r p o ssessio n o f a co n tro lled su b stan ce. T h e trial co u r t g ran ted

th e m o t io n

.¶3

. O n O cto b er 8
, 2 0 1 2
, H illiard p lead ed g u ilty to co n sp i racy to s ell co cain e. A s a resu lt

o f t h e S tate’s reco m m e n d atio n an d th e p lea ag r e e m e n t , th e trial co u rt d ism issed th e co u n t

o f p o ssessio n o f co c ain e w ith in ten t to sell. A t H illiard ’s p lea h earin g , th e S tate ex p lain ed

th at it h a d tw o m o tio n s t o am en d th e in d ictm en t. O n e m o t io n w as to s en ten ce H i lliard as a

su b seq u en t o f

f en d e r, w h ich t h e S tate w ith d rew d u e t o th e p l ea ag reem en t. T h e o th er o re

ten u s mo t i o n w as to en h an c e h is sen ten ce as a h ab itu al o f f en d er u n d er M ississip p i C o d e

A n n o t a t ed s ectio n 9 9 -1 9 -8 1 (R ev

. 2 0 1 5 ). T h e S t ate p o i n ted to tw o p rio r c o n v ictio n s in

C a lif o rn ia, b o th f

o r f elo n y p o ssessio n o f a co n tro l led su b sta n c e in 1 9 9 8 an d 2 0 0 0
,

resp ectiv ely

. H i lliard d id n o t o b j e c t t o th e en h a n c em en t, a s it w as p a r t o f th e p lea

a gr e e m e nt. T h e trial co u rt f o u n d H illiard q u alif

ied f o r h ab itu a l-o f

f en d er s tatu s u n d er sect i on

9 9 -1 9 -8 1

. H e w as s en t en ced to sev en teen y ears f o r t h e co n sp iracy ch arg e, w ith f o u r y ears

su sp en d ed an d th irteen to serv e as a h ab itu al o f f en d er. 1

¶4

. O n M ay 3
, 2 0 1 6
, H illiard f iled an u n tim e ly P C R m o tio n , claim in g t h at h is en h an ced

sen ten ce as a h ab itu a l o f

f e n d e r w as im

p r o p er b ecau se o n e o f h is f e lo n y co n v ictio n s f

ro m

C a lif o rn ia w as su b seq u en tly red esig n ated as a m isd em ean o r. H e claim s h is s en ten ce a s a

h ab itu al o f

f en d er i s n o w i n v a l id an d req u ires h im to b e resen ten ced as a n o n h ab itu al

1 T h e trial co u rt o rd e red H illiard ’s in d ictm en t am en d ed t o h ab itu al statu s u n d er M ississip p i C o d e A n n o tated s ectio n 9 9 -1 9 -8 3 (R e v

. 2 0 1 5 ), m an d atin g a l if e sen ten ce f

o r

v io len t o f f en d ers, in su p p o sed resp o n se to th e S tate’s m o tio n o f Ju l y 1 2
, 2 0 1 2 ; h o w ev er, th is

m o tio n i s n o t in c lu d ed in th e reco r d o n ap p e al. O b v io u sly
, sin c e H illiard d i d n o t co m m it an y
v io len t f elo n ies, h e w o u l d n o t b e elig ib le f o r th is en h an cem en t

. H o w ev er , at th e p lea h earin g , t h e S t ate m o v ed to am en d th e in d ictm en t u n d e r th e p ro p er sectio n 9 9 -1 9

- 8 1

. U n d er th is sectio n , H illiard s h o u ld h av e b een sen ten ced to th e m ax im u m p riso n term , tw en ty y ears. A s h e w as o n ly sen ten ced t o sev en teen y ears an d f o u r y ears su sp en d e d
, H illiard ap p aren tly receiv ed an illeg ally len ien t sen ten ce. T h i s, o f co u rse, is n o b asis f o r h im to co m

p lain

. C h a m b liss v

. S ta te , 1 8 8 S o

. 3 d 1 2 6 2
, 1 2 6 6 (¶1 7 ) (M iss. C t

. A p p

. 2 0 1 6 ) (citatio n s o m itted ).

2o f

f en d er. T h e trial co u rt su m m arily d en ied h is P C R m o tio n , an d H i lliard tim ely ap p ealed

.

A N A L Y S IS

¶5

. H i l l i a r d s e e k s t o b e resen ten ced as a n o n h a b itu al o f f en d er. H e arg u es th at h i s

s e n t e n c e a s a h ab itu al o f f en d er u n d er h is p lea ag reem en t sh o u l d b e s et a sid e a f t er a p rio r

f elo n y c o n v ictio n f

ro m C alif o rn ia w as am en d e d to a m isd e m ean o r

. T h is issu e is a q u estio n

o f law
, w h ich i s rev iew ed d e n o v o

. S ee D o ss v. S ta te , 1 9 S o

. 3 d 6 9 0
, 6 9 4 (¶5 ) (M i ss. 2 0 0 9 ).

¶6

. F irst, th is P C R m o t io n is u n time l y a n d t h u s p ro ced u rally b arred

. A P C R m o tio n

ch allen g in g a g u ilty p lea m u st b e f i l e d w i th in th ree y ears o f th e en t ry o f th e j u d g m en t o f

co n v ictio n

. M iss. C o d e A n n

. § 9 9 -3 9 -5 (2 ) (R e v

. 2 0 1 5 )

. H illiard p lead ed g u i lty in Ju ly

2 0 1 2
, a n d h is P C R m o tio n w as f iled in M ay 2 0 1 6
, n early o n e y ear late. F u rth er, n o

ex cep tio n to th e th ree-y e ar statu te o f lim itatio n s ap p lies.

¶7

. S eco n d
, H i lliard ’s arg u m en t f o r resen ten cin g is w ith o u t m e rit. H illiard ref eren ces a

p ro ced u re u n d er C alif

o rn ia statu te w h ereb y certain f elo n y co n v ictio n s m ay b e reclassif ied

an d resen ten ced as m i sd em ean o rs. T h e p ertin en t statu te, C a lif o rn ia P en al C o d e sectio n

1 1 7 0 .1 8
, 2 b ecam e ef

f ectiv e o n N o v e m

b er 5 , 2 0 1 4
, ap p ro x im ately tw o y ears a f t er H illiard

p lead ed g u ilty to th e in stan t ch a rg e. In F eb ru ary 2 0 1 6
, H illiard req u e sted th e S u p e rio r C o u rt

2 T h e statu te read s in p a rt:

A p erso n w h o , o n N o v em b er 5 , 2 0 1 4
, w a s serv in g a sen ten ce f o r a co n v ictio n , w h eth er b y trial o r p l ea, o f a f elo n y o r f elo n i es w h o w o u ld h av e b een g u ilty

o f a m i sd em ean o r u n d er th e act th a t ad d ed th is sectio n (“th is act”) h ad th i s act b een in ef

f ect at th e tim e o f th e o f

f en se m ay p etitio n f o r a recall o f sen ten ce b ef o re th e trial co u rt th at en tered th e j u d g m en t o f co n v ictio n in h is o r h er c ase to req u est resen ten cin g

. . . .

C a l. P en al C o d e § 1 1 7 0

. 1 8 (a).

3o f S an ta C lara C o u n ty , C alif o r n ia, to red esig n ate an d resen ten ce h is p rio r f elo n y in 1 9 9 8 as

a m isd em ean o r. In M arch 2 0 1 6
, th e c o u rt g ran ted th e r eq u est, tw o m o n t h s b ef o r e H illiard

f iled h is P C R m o tio n . H illiard claim s t h at d u e to th e red esig n atio n o f o n e o f h i s f elo n ies,

h e is n o lo n g er elig ib le to b e sen ten ced in M ississip p i as a h ab itu al o f f en d er u n d er sectio n

9 9 -1 9 -8 1

. 3 We d isag ree.
¶8

. T h e U n ited S tates C o u r t o f A p p eals f

o r t h e N in th C ircu it h as c aref u l ly an aly zed an d

rej ected th is arg u m e n t. In U n ited S ta tes v. D ia z , 8 3 8 F .3 d 9 6 8 (9 t h C ir. 2 0 1 6 ), th e d ef en d an t

receiv ed a lif

e sen ten ce m a n d ated b y f ed eral statu te 4 f

o r th o se d ef

en d an t s w h o h av e tw o o r

m o re f elo n y d ru g o f

f e n ses. T h e d ef

en d an t su ccessf

u lly p etitio n ed th e L o s A n g eles C o u n ty

S u p e r i o r C o u rt th at h is t w o p rio r d ru g co n v ictio n s b e reclassif ied a s m i sd em ean o rs u n d e r

sectio n 1 1 7 0 .1 8

. T h e d ef en d an t th e n a p p ealed h is f ed eral lif e sen ten ce, arg u i n g th at h is

f ed eral en h an cem en t sh o u ld b e in v alid a ted b ecau s e o f th e p o st-co n v i ctio n reclassif icatio n

o f h is tw o p rio r d r

u g -related f

elo n ies. T h e co u rt o f ap p eals af f irm ed , h o ld in g th at sectio n

1 1 7 0 .1 8 “d o es n o t c h an g e t h e h isto rical f act th at [ t h e d ef

en d an t ] h a d v io lated sectio n 8 4 1

af ter t w o o r m o r e p rio r co n v ictio n s f o r f elo n y d ru g o f

f en ses h ad b eco m e f

in al.” Id

. at 9 7 1

.

3 S ectio n 9 9 -1 9 -8 1 read s:

E v ery p erso n c o n v icted i n th is state o f a f elo n y w h o s h all h av e b een co n v icted tw ice p rev io u s l y o f an y f elo n y o r f

e d eral crim e u p o n ch a rg es sep arately b ro u g h t an d arisin g o u t o f sep a rate in cid en ts a t d if f eren t t im es an d w h o sh all h av e b een sen ten ced t o s ep arate term s o f o n e (1 ) y ear o r m o re in a n y s t a te

an d /o r f ed eral p en al in stitu tio n , w h eth er i n th is state o r elsew h e re, sh all b e
sen ten c ed t o th e m ax im

u m term o f im

p riso n m en t p rescrib ed f

o r su ch f elo n y , an d su ch sen ten ce sh a ll n o t b e red u c e d o r su sp en d e d n o r sh all su ch p erso n b e elig ib le f o r p aro le o r p ro b a tio n

.

4 S ee 2 1 U .S .C . § 8 4 1 (b ) (1 )(A ) (2 0 1 2 ).

4T h e co u rt co n tin u ed t h at, e v en i f a state w ere to erad icate f u lly a co n v i ctio n b y d ism issin g

o r ex p u n g in g it

– a m

u ch m o re d rastic ch an g e th an m erely reclassif y in g it as a m isd em ean o r

– th e d ef en d an t s till w o u l d h a v e co m m itted th e f

e d eral c r i me “ a f

t e r a p rio r state f

elo n y

co n v ictio n ” h ad b eco m e f in al. T h u s, u n d er th e p lain s tatu to ry l an g u ag e o f sectio n 8 4 1
,

en h an cem en t w o u ld b e ap p r o p riate. Id

. at 9 7 4 (citatio n o m itted ).

¶9

. W e f

in d th e situ atio n h ere an alo g o u s. H illiard ’s recla s s i f i c a t i o n o f o n e p r i o r

C a lif o rn ia f elo n y to a m i sd em ean o r d o es n o t ch an g e “ t h e h isto rical f a ct” th at h e w as

co n v icted o f tw o f

elo n ies in th e p ast, f

o r p u r p o ses o f sectio n 9 9 -1 9 -8 1 ’ s sen ten ce

en h an cem en t. F u rth e r, u n d er th e p lain statu to ry lan g u ag e o f sectio n 9 9 -1 9 -8 1
, H illiard
, at

th e tim e o f h is co n v ictio n an d sen ten ce, h ad b een “co n v icted tw ice p rev io u sly o f an y f elo n y

. . . an d

. . . s en ten ced to sep arate ter ms o f o n e ( 1 ) y ear o r m o re.” A t th e p lea h earin g ,

H i lliard to ld th e co u rt th at h e u n d ersto o d an d stip u lated to tw o p rio r f elo n y co n v ictio n s in

C a lif o rn ia, w h ich q u alif

ied h im f o r h ab itu al-o f

f en d er statu s. H e stated th at h e u n d ersto o d

th at h is p l ea ag r eem en t w o u ld resu lt in h is b ein g sen te n c e d a s a h ab itu a l o f f en d er. T h e

su b seq u en t am en d m en t t o C alif o rn ia’s sen ten cin g sch em e d o es n o t ch an g e H illiard ’s

q u alif icatio n f o r h ab itu al-o f

f en d e r statu s. We f

in d th is arg u m e n t

w i th o u t m e rit.

¶1 0

. T h e j u d g m en t o f

th e circu it co u rt d en y i n g H illiard ’s P C R m o tio n is af

f irm ed

. ¶1 1

. A F F IR M E D

.

L E E , C

. J ., IR VIN G A N D G R IF F I S , P

. J J ., C A R L T O N , F A IR , W I L S O N , G R E E N L E E A N D W E S T B R O O K S , J J ., C O N C U R

.

5