Opinion ID: 1197830
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The separate sentence imposed for habitual criminality.

Text: The jury sentenced Staude to life in prison with the possibility of parole for first degree murder. The district court added a consecutive life sentence with the possibility of parole for being a habitual criminal and a consecutive six year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder. The separate life sentence imposed for habitual criminality was error. See Cohen v. State, 97 Nev. 166, 169, 625 P.2d 1170, 1172 (1981); Lisby v. State, 82 Nev. 183, 189, 414 P.2d 592, 595-96 (1966). The trial court must sentence on the substantive crime charged ..., and then invoke the recidivist statute to determine the penalty. Hollander v. State, 82 Nev. 345, 353, 418 P.2d 802, 807 (1966). Furthermore, in cases such as this one, enhancement of the jury-determined penalty by the trial court is improper. The Legislature has provided in NRS 175.552 that when a jury finds a defendant guilty of first degree murder, the jury shall determine the penalty to be given, absent a written stipulation otherwise by the defendant and both attorneys. In this case, the jury determined that Staude's sentence should be life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. The district court attempted to enhance that sentence by adding a consecutive life sentence for Staude's being a habitual criminal, pursuant to NRS 207.010. We hold that NRS 175.552 precludes habitual criminal enhancement by the court of a penalty for first degree murder imposed by the jury. We note, however, that since a jury should be apprised of relevant prior convictions during the penalty hearing after a first degree murder conviction and since the possible penalties for first degree murder are as severe or even more severe than those for habitual criminality, the inapplicability of habitual criminal enhancement to first degree murder penalties will not prevent juries from imposing appropriate sentences on habitual offenders. Therefore, we vacate the second sentence of life imprisonment imposed in this case for habitual criminality. The lawful sentences, for murder and conspiracy to commit murder, stand.