Opinion ID: 1677631
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: the trial court properly allowed the state to amend the habitual offender information.

Text: SDCL 22-7-11 requires that a habitual offender information must be filed as a separate information at the time of, or before arraignment. The purpose of this section is to insure that a defendant is fully aware of the consequences of a conviction on the principal felony count. State v. Gardner, 429 N.W.2d 60, 61 (S.D.1988). The amendments in this case were done in a timely fashion prior to conviction. Moeller does not seriously suggest that he was in any way prejudiced by the amendments. In the absence of evidence of that, [Moeller's] claim of error is without merit. Id. Amendments to a habitual offender information are allowed providing the defendant is not prejudiced. In this case there is not prejudice, claimed or otherwise. State v. Layton, 337 N.W.2d 809, 814 (S.D.1983).