Opinion ID: 1547174
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: The Double Enhancement Issue and the Enhancement of the Unlawful Possession of a Pistol by a Convicted Felon Conviction

Text: Two other enhancement issues raised by Mr. Brooks should be addressed here. He contends that the trial court erroneously used his 1986 conviction for distribution of PCP in Prince George's County, Maryland to enhance his CPWOL sentence, both under D.C.Code § 22-4504(a) and § 22-1804a. Mr. Brooks correctly points out that we applied the principle of lenity in Henson v. United States, 399 A.2d 16 (D.C.1979), to preclude having a prior felony serve double duty with respect to § 22-4504(a) and § 22-1804a. Id. at 21. In its brief, the government concedes that: It was not harmless error ... for the court to sentence appellant Brooks to fifteen years to life for his CPW[O]L conviction.... in this case, and the appropriate penalty for Mr. Brooks on count 18 should be no more than 10 years. The government also notes, and we agree, that: Appellant Brooks should also be resentenced on count nineteen to a sentence of no more than one year, because unlawful possession of a pistol by a convicted felon is a misdemeanor unless the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of D.C.Code § 22-3203 [§ 4502], and the government did not demonstrate that Mr. Brooks had such a prior conviction.