Opinion ID: 1115806
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: was the appellant erroneously sentenced as an habitual offender?

Text: Watts contends that the indictment in the record shows that he was not indicted under the habitual offender act. He cites Rule 6.04 of the Uniform Criminal Rules of Circuit Court Practice, which does require that the indictment must include both the principal charge and a charge of previous convictions, and must allege with particularity concerning the previous convictions. The indictment in the original record does not make any reference to previous convictions. However, a suggestion of diminution of record was granted by this Court on July 10, 1985. The record was completed by a certified copy of the indictment with the habitual offender portion attached thereto. This complies with Rule 6.04(1). From the record it is clear that both Watts and his attorney were aware that he had been indicted as an habitual offender. Furthermore, Watts did not object to being sentenced as an habitual offender, and he did not raise this ground in any of his post-trial motions. For the first time, in his reply brief, Watts argues that, if the court sustained the suggestion of diminution of record, the sentencing was erroneous anyway because it failed to comply with the requirements set forth in Debussi v. State, 453 So.2d 1030 (Miss. 1984). New matters cannot be raised for the first time in a reply brief. Overstreet v. Allstate Ins. Co., 474 So.2d 572, 577 (Miss. 1985). Furthermore, Watts is procedurally barred from raising this issue on appeal, since it was not listed as grounds in his motion for j.n.o.v. or a new trial. Pool v. State, 483 So.2d 331, 336 (Miss. 1986). Nor did he object at trial when the evidence was introduced; this also waives the objection. Sumner v. State, 316 So.2d 926 (Miss. 1975). There is no merit to this assignment of error. The conviction of murder and sentence of life imprisonment as an habitual offender are affirmed. AFFIRMED. WALKER, C.J., ROY NOBLE LEE and HAWKINS, P.JJ., and DAN M. LEE, PRATHER, ROBERTSON, ANDERSON and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur.