Opinion ID: 865175
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: conclusion

Text: ¶39. Today, we return the legislatively intended sentencing discretion to our trial courts by clarifying that (1) Miss. Code Ann. Section 47-7-33 prohibits the imposition of a suspended sentence and supervised probation on a prior convicted felon; however, this statute does not prohibit the imposition of a suspended sentence, in whole or in part, upon a prior convicted felon, so long as the sentence does not involve a period of supervised probation and does not exceed the maximum penalty statutorily prescribed for the felony offense committed; (2) when a suspended sentence and supervised probation are properly imposed upon a first-offender under the provisions of Section 47- 7-33, the period of supervision by the Mississippi Department of Corrections is limited to a maximum period of five years; (3) Miss. Code Ann. Section 47-7-34 does not prohibit the imposition of post release supervision upon a prior convicted felon, nor does this statute limit the period of postrelease supervision to a period of five years; but instead, the period of post release supervision is limited only to the number of years, which when added to the total period of incarceration, would not exceed the maximum penalty statutorily prescribed for the felony offense committed; and, (4) importantly, the statutory limitation of five years applies only to that maximum period of post-release supervision which may be served under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. To the extent that our decision in Goss v. State, 721 So.2d 144 (Miss. 1998), is in conflict with today’s decision, Goss is expressly overruled. 30 ¶40. The practical effect of today’s decision on Johnny Lee Johnson is that Circuit Judge R. I. Prichard, III imposed a valid and non-modifiable sentence upon Johnson when Judge Prichard sentenced Johnson, a prior convicted felon, to serve fifteen years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with seven years to be served by actual incarceration, and the remaining eight years to be suspended and served by way of post-release supervision pursuant to the provisions of Miss. Code Ann. Section 47-7-34, with five of the eight years to be served in accordance with “probation-like” terms under the supervision of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. Sections 47-7-34, -35. While the Court of Appeals correctly found that Johnson’s sentence (1) was not vindictive or harsh, (2) was not a denial of due process, and (3) was not disproportionate, the Court of Appeals erred when it modified Judge Prichard’s lawful sentence to a sentence of seven years’ incarceration followed by only five years of post-release supervision. ¶41. For these reasons, the judgment of the Court of Appeals is affirmed, in part, and reversed, in part, and the final judgment of the Circuit Court of Jefferson Davis County is reinstated and affirmed. ¶42. THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF APPEALS IS AFFIRMED IN PART AND REVERSED IN PART, AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT OF JEFFERSON DAVIS COUNTY IS REINSTATED AND AFFIRMED. CONVICTION OF SALE OF A SCHEDULE II CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE (COCAINE- .1 GRAMS) AND SENTENCE OF FIFTEEN (15) YEARS, WITH SEVEN (7) YEARS TO SERVE AND EIGHT (8) YEARS SUSPENDED, WITH CONDITIONS, IN THE CUSTODY OF THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, AFFIRMED. SENTENCE SHALL RUN CONSECUTIVELY TO THE SENTENCE APPELLANT IS NOW SERVING, AND PAY ALL COSTS OF COURT IN THIS CASE AND CASE NOS. K2000-68P AND K2000-69P, WITH PAYMENTS TO BE MADE WHILE ON POST-RELEASE SUPERVISION. SMITH, C.J., WALLER AND COBB, P.JJ., EASLEY, GRAVES, DICKINSON AND RANDOLPH, JJ., CONCUR. DIAZ, J., NOT PARTICIPATING. 31