Opinion ID: 1786819
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: whether the circuit court's sentence of 30 years was proper

Text: ¶ 11. Braxton maintains that his sentence of 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections is excessive, cruel and unusual. This Court disagrees and finds that the circuit court did not err in sentencing Braxton to 30 years. ¶ 12. Braxton was convicted under Miss.Code Ann. § 41-29-139 and received the maximum sentence of 30 years. Thus, Braxton's sentence was within the statutory guidelines prescribed by the Legislature. We have long held that a sentence which does not exceed statutory guidelines is not cruel or unusual punishment. Baker v. State, 394 So.2d 1376, 1378 (Miss.1981). Furthermore, We have never found a maximum penalty in a drug case even if the sentences were to run consecutively-to be cruel and unusual punishment. Herring v. State, 691 So.2d 948, 958 (Miss.1997). It is within the legislative purview to define crimes and to assign punishment. Weaver v. State, 713 So.2d 860, 863 (Miss.1997). Therefore, the circuit court did not err in sentencing Braxton to 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. We find this issue to be without merit.