Opinion ID: 2535625
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Burden of Proof Under Mississippi Code Section 99-19-83

Text: ¶ 35. The State must prove habitual-offender status beyond a reasonable doubt. Dalgo v. State, 435 So.2d 628, 630-31 (Miss.1983). The State charged Gilbert as a habitual offender under Section 99-19-83, which reads as follows: Every person convicted in this state of a felony who shall have been convicted twice previously of any felony or federal crime upon charges separately brought and arising out of separate incidents at different times and who shall have been sentenced to and served separate terms of one (1) year or more in any state and/or federal penal institution, whether in this state or elsewhere, and where any one (1) of such felonies shall have been a crime of violence shall be sentenced to life imprisonment, and such sentence shall not be reduced or suspended nor shall such person be eligible for parole or probation. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-83 (Rev.2007). ¶ 36. Gilbert claims that the State did not meet its burden of proof because it speculated as to the meaning of abbreviations in certain documents used to enhance the sentence under the habitual-offender statute. The trial court and the prosecutor discussed the meaning of some abbreviations contained in these documents during the sentencing hearing. Specifically, the trial court and prosecutor discussed whether int. meant intentional, if cond. meant conditional, and if inj. meant injury. ¶ 37. The trial court stated that it was satisfied that the State had met its burden of proof concerning the requirements of Section 99-19-83 such that Gilbert should be sentenced to life without parole as a Section 99-19-83 habitual offender. The trial court found that Gilbert previously had been convicted of at least two felonies, intimidation of a witness and reckless endangerment; that Gilbert had served one year or more for each crime; and that reckless endangerment was a crime of violence. The trial court's judgment of conviction and sentence stated that Gilbert had been: convicted at least twice previously of felony crimes in the State of Wisconsin, upon charges separately brought and arising out of separate incidents at different times, and on each said previous conviction the defendant was sentenced to and served separate terms of one (1) year or more in the State of Wisconsin penal institutions, at least one of such prior felonies also being a crime of violence. ¶ 38. We find from the record before us that the trial court did not err in finding that the State had presented sufficient evidence showing that Gilbert had met the requirements of Section 99-19-83. The discussion between the State and the trial court as to the meanings of some abbreviations in the sentencing documentation did not show that the State had failed to meet its burden of proof. As to Gilbert's conviction of first-degree reckless endangerment, the Wisconsin documents clearly reveal that Gilbert was convicted of [r]eckless endanger 1st Deg; Use of Weapon in Crime. Therefore, the trial court did not err in sentencing Gilbert as a habitual offender under Section 99-19-83. ¶ 39. Based on our discussion on this issue, we find no merit in this assignment of error.