Opinion ID: 2301242
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Habitual Criminal Status

Text: Walker was sentenced as an habitual criminal to life in prison without parole pursuant to title 11, section 4214(b) of the Delaware Code. Walker argues that the Superior Court's decision to sentence him as an habitual criminal was not supported by substantial evidence in the record. At Walker's status hearing, the State presented evidence to establish that Walker had been convicted of more than three prior predicate felonies. To prove Walker's predicate felonies, the State introduced into evidence: eight certified Superior Court dockets providing the procedural history of Walker's prior prosecutions in the Superior Court, including certified dockets for his prior Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana and Trafficking Cocaine convictions; six arrest cards prepared by the arresting agency upon Walker's prior arrests, including arrests that led to convictions for Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana and Trafficking Cocaine; five file cards from the Attorney General's office pertaining to his prior Superior Court prosecutions; an inked impression of Walker's right thumbprint taken at the May 10, 2000 Hearing; and a copy of Walker's criminal history contained in the presentence report. The State traced Walker's prior felony convictions by comparing notations and identification numbers on the arrest cards, the Attorney General's file cards and the certified Superior Court dockets. The State, through a fingerprint expert employed by the State Bureau of Identification, offered testimony that the thumbprint on Walker's six arrest cards matched the right thumbprint taken at the May 10, 2000 Hearing. Upon this evidence, the Superior Court found that the State had established beyond a reasonable doubt that Walker was convicted of four predicate felonies in 1985, 1989, 1991, and 1992. Together with the Attempted Rape in the Second Degree conviction, Walker had at least five felony convictions to satisfy the requirements of section 4214(a). The Superior Court determined Walker also satisfied section 4214(b), since the Attempted Rape in the Second Degree conviction with his prior 1989 Possession with Intent to Deliver Marijuana and 1992 Trafficking in Cocaine convictions constituted the third conviction of a crime of the type set forth in the statute. Since section 4214(b) imposes a mandatory life sentence when applicable, the Superior Court sentenced Walker to life without parole under this section. The Superior Court's determination that the defendant is an habitual criminal must be supported by substantial evidence in the record and be free from legal error and abuse of discretion. [25] The State presented substantial evidence at the status hearing to prove that Walker was in fact the defendant who had committed the prior predicate felonies. The Superior Court properly admitted the Attorney General's file cards under Delaware Uniform Rule of Evidence 803(6) [26] and also properly admitted the remainder of the State's evidence. From this evidence, the Superior Court carefully compared arrest reports, the Attorney General's records and certified court transcripts [27] for each offense to ensure that the arrest and conviction corresponded. Where the certified court transcript did not clearly reflect the exact criminal offense, the Superior Court referred to the defendant's criminal history record contained in the presentence report. [28] The Superior Court's habitual offender determination was supported by substantial evidence and free from legal error. Accordingly, the Superior Court properly concluded that Walker was an habitual criminal under sections 4214(a) and 4214(b).