Opinion ID: 1955212
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendant Lindsey

Text: Defendant Lindsey argues that his life sentence is unconstitutionally excessive because his prior convictions, i.e. attempted simple burglary, attempted burglary, and simple burglary, did not involve crimes of violence. However, as the Fourth Circuit recognized, his fourth conviction, for simple robbery, did involve a crime of violence under La. R.S. 14:2(13) and thus was a sufficient basis for the imposition of a life sentence under La. R.S. 15:529.1. Defendant Lindsey argues that while simple robbery under other circumstances would not be out of proportion with a life sentence, as applied to him, it is excessive because he engaged in the simple robbery as an impulse, in a moment of anger, over an employment problem. Further, he argues that over five years had elapsed since his last conviction, no weapon was involved, and the victim received only minor injuries. Defendant Lindsey argues that these factors are important based on the United States Supreme Court's holding in Solem v. Helm, 463 U.S. 277, 103 S.Ct. 3001, 77 L.Ed.2d 637 (1983). In Solem, the Court considered a mandatory life term under South Dakota's recidivist law, imposed upon defendant after he was found guilty of uttering a no account check for $100, his seventh felony conviction. The Court agreed with a lower federal court that the sentence was grossly disproportionate under the Eighth Amendment. Id., 463 U.S. at 283-284, 103 S.Ct. at 3006. The Court announced as a matter of principle, that a criminal sentence must be proportionate to the crime for which the defendant has been convicted. Id., 463 U.S. at 290-291, 103 S.Ct. at 3009-3010. While agreeing that a State is justified in punishing a recidivist more severely than it punishes a first offender, nevertheless, the Court explained that the defendant's status [] cannot be considered in the abstract, noting that his prior convictions all were nonviolent, relatively minor and that they didn't involve crimes against the person. Id., 463 U.S. at 296-297, 103 S.Ct. at 3013. [2] However, Lindsey's prior criminal history does not put him on par with the offender in Solem, because his instant conviction for simple robbery was a crime of violence and because the victim suffered injuries to her person. Further, as the appellate opinion indicates, the trial court apparently found that Lindsey's self-serving characterization of the events as an impulsive action of a disgruntled employee fail to distinguish him as that rare and atypical case for whom the Legislature's enactment of R.S. 15:529.1(A)(1)(b)(ii) should not apply. We agree with the lower courts that Lindsey's sentence was not excessive. He has not carried his burden under Johnson. In fact, he is exactly the type of offender that the Habitual Offender Statute intends to punish so severely. He is sentenced to life imprisonment because he continues to commit felony after felony. The fact that his last felony was the only violent crime against a person is not an unusual circumstance that would support a downward departure. A person with three prior non-violent felony convictions who then proceeds to commit a felony involving violence against a person has shown that his criminal conduct is becoming worse. The goals of the Habitual Offender Statute, to deter and punish recidivism, are satisfied by imposing a life sentence against such a person. Therefore, for all the above reasons, we affirm his conviction and sentence. [3]