Opinion ID: 2176137
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery

Text: Henry was convicted of both conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. He received a sentence of life imprisonment for the former and a consecutive ten-year sentence for the latter. The issue of separate sentences for a single conspiracy was fully discussed in Jordan v. State, 323 Md. 151, 591 A.2d 875 (1991) and Tracy v. State, 319 Md. 452, 573 A.2d 38 (1990): It is well settled in Maryland that only one sentence can be imposed for a single common law conspiracy no matter how many criminal acts the conspirators have agreed to commit. The unit of prosecution is the agreement or combination rather than each of its criminal objectives. In Mason v. State, 302 Md. 434, 445, 488 A.2d 955, 960 (1985), we stated that a `conspiracy remains one offense regardless of how many repeated violations of the law may have been the object of the conspiracy.' Tracy, 319 Md. at 459, 573 A.2d at 41, quoted in Jordan, 323 at 161, 591 A.2d at 161. As Henry argues, and the State concedes, the sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery should be vacated. Henry was found to have conspired with others to commit murder and robbery. Of the two, the crime of murder carries the severe penalty. Under Md.Code (1957, 1987 Repl.Vol.) Art. 27, § 38, the severe crime Henry conspired to commit was murder, and thus murder is the guideline offense for sentencing purposes. See Jordan, 323 Md. at 162, 591 A.2d at 880. The sentence for conspiracy to commit robbery must be vacated.