Opinion ID: 1748630
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sufficiency of the Evidence: Persistent Felony Offender Conviction

Text: Stewart next argues that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction of being a persistent felony offender in the first degree. He does not challenge the validity of his prior convictions, but merely the Commonwealth's explanation of one of the prior convictions to the jury. As part of its proof during the PFO stage of the trial, the Commonwealth's Attorney was permitted to read from court records. These records were introduced as exhibits, but not published to the jury, due to prejudicial information contained therein. In referring to the records, the Commonwealth's Attorney stated: In case number 00-CR-369 of the Fayette Circuit Court [inaudible] the defendant Kelly M. Stewart charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia first degree. Date of offense was December 28th of 1999. He was convicted on June 13th of 2000. He received a sentence of five years probated for five years. Stewart argues this evidence was insufficient because the prosecutor did not expressly state that he was convicted of both charges, only that he was convicted on June 13, 2000. Stewart argues that it was unclear whether he was convicted of one or both of these charges. This issue is not preserved for appellate review and we review the claim solely for palpable error. RCr 10.26; Schoenbachler v. Commonwealth, 95 S.W.3d 830, 836-37 (Ky.2003). [T]he standard of review required by the Due Process Clause with respect to the sufficiency of the evidence to support a criminal conviction ... is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. Potts v. Commonwealth, 172 S.W.3d 345, 349 (Ky.2005) (citing Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 318-19, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979)). Applying this standard, the evidence here is sufficient to establish the fact of Stewart's prior felony conviction for drug trafficking in 2000. When considered in context, the Commonwealth Attorney's remarks are reasonably understood to mean that Stewart was previously charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia and was convicted of both offenses. The prior judgment, which was introduced as an exhibit, confirms this fact. It was not clearly unreasonable for the jury to find Stewart was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in 2000. Accordingly, there was no manifest injustice warranting reversal. RCr 10.26.