Opinion ID: 1985150
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Issue 2 Sufficiency of Habitual Offender Evidence

Text: Defendant contends that the evidence presented during the habitual offender phase of the trial was insufficient, particularly in view of the alleged failure of the trial court to properly instruct the jury as to the meaning of the phrase two prior unrelated felony convictions. Defendant's claim of insufficient evidence is based upon his claim that the alleged prior convictions were not shown by any properly certified records from the trial courts from which these prior convictions purported arose. The State responds, first, that because the defendant took the stand and admitted the prior convictions, sufficient evidence was thereby established. The State further correctly alleges that certified copies of prison records including commitment orders may be used to establish a defendant's prior felony convictions. Smith v. State (1985), Ind., 477 N.E.2d 857; Harmer v. State (1983), Ind., 455 N.E.2d 1139; Underhill v. State (1981), Ind., 428 N.E.2d 759. The State introduced certified copies from the Ohio Department of Corrections containing a copy of a fingerprint card and copy of an entry and information from the Court of Common Pleas for Ross County, Ohio, showing a charge, a finding of guilt, and a sentencing for robbery in 1975, the sentence to be not less than four (4) years and not more than fifteen (15) years. A similar set of certified documents from the Chillicothe Correctional Institute included a fingerprint card, a copy of an entry and information from the Court of Common Pleas for Franklin County, Ohio, showing a charge, finding of guilt and sentencing for receiving stolen property in 1979, for a sentence of one (1) to five (5) years. Each of these documents identified defendant. A fingerprint expert for the State of Indiana testified that the fingerprints on the cards contained in these documents matched the defendant's fingerprints. Further, defendant testified and admitted he had a prior Ohio conviction for Robbery in 1975 for which he served 2 years, and a prior Ohio conviction for receiving stolen property in 1979 for which he was sentenced to serve 1 to 5 years but served 6 months on a modification. The evidence introduced was sufficient to establish defendant had 2 prior unrelated felony convictions.