Opinion ID: 1426884
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The habitual criminal sentences

Text: McGervey contends that the district court erred in imposing the habitual criminal sentences of former NRS 207.010(2) rather than former NRS 207.010(1) and, alternatively, that the district court abused its discretion in imposing the sentences because McGervey's previous convictions were stale and because his present convictions are for relatively minor, nonviolent felonies. McGervey's two previous felony convictions, as considered by the district court, were for possession of cocaine for sale and for kidnapping and robbery. Both were California convictions, occurring in 1988 and 1990, respectively. In the amended information by which McGervey was charged with each of the offenses underlying his present convictions, the State charged McGervey with being a habitual criminal as defined by NRS 207.010. Following the jury's verdict, the district court imposed four concurrent life sentences based on its finding that McGervey is a habitual offender pursuant to NRS 205.010(2). As NRS 205.010 relates to arson rather than habituality, and as the information referred to NRS 207.010, we conclude that the district court's intended reference was to former NRS 207.010(2). Former NRS 207.010(2) [1] provided, in pertinent part: Every person convicted in this state of . . . any felony, who has previously been three times convicted, whether in this state or elsewhere, of any crime which under the laws of the situs of the crime or of this state would amount to a felony . . . shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life with or without possibility of parole. If the penalty fixed by the court is life imprisonment with the possibility of parole, eligibility for parole begins when a minimum of 10 years has been served. (Emphasis added.) McGervey argues that, because the State presented only two prior felony convictions upon which to base a habitual criminal sentence, the district court erred in applying former NRS 207.010(2). McGervey contends that the appropriate sentencing provision was former NRS 207.010(1), which, with similar language, specified a sentence range of ten to twenty years for habitual criminals with two prior felony convictions. Although McGervey presented this argument at his sentencing, the State argued that, based on the operation of [NRS] 173.095, the present offense could be counted as a prior felony conviction under former NRS 207.010, and, therefore, former NRS 207.010(2) was the appropriate provision. The district court accepted the State's argument that one of the present convictions could be counted as McGervey's third prior felony, invoking former NRS 207.010(2). We conclude that the district court erred in accepting the State's construction of NRS 173.095. NRS 173.095 addresses amendment of an indictment and provides, in pertinent part, that [t]he court may permit an indictment or information to be amended at any time before verdict, and [i]f an indictment is found charging a primary offense upon which a charge of habitual criminality may be based, the prosecuting attorney may file a notice of habitual criminality with the court. This language should not be read to conflict with the clear language of former NRS 207.010(2), requiring that a defendant must have previously been three times convicted for the statute to apply. See Schneider v. State, 97 Nev. 573, 574, 635 P.2d 304, 305 (1981) (A person having three previous felony convictions is subject to a criminal enhancement sentence of life imprisonment upon conviction of a fourth felony.). Rather, NRS 173.095 simply allows a prosecutor to add a habitual criminal charge to an indictment or information if the prosecutor discovers sufficient prior convictions to warrant a habitual criminal sentence based on the current charge. In order for a primary offense to be one upon which a charge of habitual criminality may be based, the prior convictions requirement of former NRS 207.010 must already have been satisfied. McGervey next argues that the district court abused its discretion in sentencing him as a habitual criminal because his prior convictions were stale and because the present convictions are for relatively minor, nonviolent felonies. McGervey relies on Sessions v. State, 106 Nev. 186, 789 P.2d 1242 (1990), in which the defendant was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for being a habitual criminal, following two drug-related convictions. This court found that the district court abused its discretion in imposing a habitual criminal sentence in that case because Sessions' previous convictions were both over twenty years old and were for trivial offenses. Under former NRS 207.010(4), the district court had discretion to dismiss counts brought under the habitual criminal statute. The purpose of this section is to permit dismissal `when the prior offenses are stale or trivial, or in other circumstances where an adjudication of habitual criminality would not serve the purposes of the statute or the interests of justice.' Id. at 190, 789 P.2d at 1244 (quoting French v. State, 98 Nev. 235, 237, 645 P.2d 440, 441 (1982)). McGervey was convicted of possession of cocaine for sale in 1988 and of kidnapping and robbery in 1990. We conclude that, unlike Sessions, McGervey's prior convictions were neither remote nor trivial. McGervey argues that the relatively minor nature of his present offenses should also be considered; however, he provides no authority for the suggestion that the offense triggering the habitual criminal statute must meet some threshold other than felony status. Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing him as a habitual criminal pursuant to former NRS 207.010. In conclusion, we believe that, although the district court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing McGervey as a habitual criminal, the district court erred in imposing life sentences with the possibility of parole pursuant to former NRS 207.010(2). Because McGervey had only two prior felony convictions, former NRS 207.010(1), which addressed defendants who have previously been twice convicted, was the appropriate provision. Under former NRS 207.010(1), habitual criminals may be sentenced to terms of ten to twenty years. Accordingly, we reverse the marijuana-related conviction for possession of a controlled substance, affirm the remaining convictions, and remand this case to the district court with instructions to resentence appellant to terms of ten to twenty years as specified by former NRS 207.010(1).