Opinion ID: 1149229
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the trial court committed reversible error in entering a nunc pro tunc order amending duplantis' sentence.

Text: ¶ 78. Duplantis was indicted as an habitual offender pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-81 (1972). At a separate hearing, the trial judge entered an order finding that Duplantis was indeed an habitual criminal as indicted. On September 29, 1995, without notice to Duplantis, the trial court entered a nunc pro tunc order changing the habitual section number from § 99-19-81 to § 99-19-83, and sentenced Duplantis to life pursuant to the latter statute. ¶ 79. In Dalgo v. State, 435 So.2d 628, 630 (Miss. 1983), this Court held that if an indictment was sufficient to apprise a defendant that the state was seeking to impose a life sentence without chance for probation or parole, the inclusion of the statutory section number was not essential to the validity of the indictment. The Court noted that the indictment in question listed the principal charge and the previous convictions with the required particularity. Id. ( quoting Osborne v. State, 404 So.2d 545, 548 (Miss. 1981)). ¶ 80. In this case, both § 99-19-81 and § 99-19-83 carry the same punishment of life imprisonment without possibility of probation or parole. Therefore, Duplantis was well aware that the state was seeking to impose a life sentence without the chance for probation or parole. Any error committed by the trial court was harmless. ¶ 81. Accordingly, this assignment of error is lacking in merit.