Opinion ID: 2084481
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Habitual Criminal Determination

Text: Nebraska's habitual criminal statutes provide for enhanced mandatory minimum and maximum sentences for a convicted defendant who has been twice convicted of [a] crime, sentenced, and committed to prison, in this or any other state . . . for terms of not less than one year. § 29-2221(1). The statutes further provide: At the hearing of any person charged with being a habitual criminal, a duly authenticated copy of the former judgment and commitment, from any court in which such judgment and commitment was had, for any such crimes formerly committed by the party so charged, shall be competent and prima facie evidence of such former judgment and commitment. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2222 (Reissue 1995). [17-20] In a proceeding to enhance a punishment because of prior convictions, the State has the burden to prove such prior convictions. Thomas I. When using a prior conviction to enhance a sentence, the State need show only that at the time of the prior conviction, the defendant had, or waived, counsel. Id. The existence of a prior conviction and the identity of the accused as the person convicted may be shown by any competent evidence, including the oral testimony of the accused and duly authenticated records maintained by the courts or penal and custodial authorities. State v. Luna, 211 Neb. 630, 319 N.W.2d 737 (1982). In reviewing criminal enhancement proceedings, `[a] judicial record of this state, or of any federal court of the United States, may be proved by the production of the original, or by a copy thereof, certified by the clerk or the person having the legal custody thereof, authenticated by his seal of office, if he has one.' State v. Addison, 197 Neb. 482, 487, 249 N.W.2d 746, 749 (1977), quoting State v. Micek, 193 Neb. 379, 227 N.W.2d 409 (1975). Thomas mounts a two-pronged attack on the sufficiency of the evidence offered by the State at the enhancement hearing conducted pursuant to our remand and directions in Thomas I. First, relying upon State v. Linn, 248 Neb. 809, 539 N.W.2d 435 (1995), he argues that the evidence of prior convictions was insufficient because it did not include the signature of the judge(s) who entered the judgments of conviction. Second, he argues that the State failed to prove that he was the defendant in the two prior criminal proceedings which were reflected in the State's evidence. [21] In Linn, which involved a sentence enhancement for driving under the influence of alcohol, the State sought to prove two prior convictions by evidence consisting of copies of the complaints and certified copies of the county court's checklist showing that the defendant appeared with counsel, was advised of her rights, and entered a plea of guilty. However, the checklist relating to one of the convictions was not signed by the judge. This court held that in order to prove an earlier conviction for the purpose of sentence enhancement, the evidence must, with some trustworthiness, reflect a court's act of rendering judgment. 248 Neb. at 812, 539 N.W.2d at 438. We concluded that an unsigned checklist failed to prove that a judgment had been rendered on the complaint despite the clerk's certification. In State v. Fletcher, 8 Neb. App. 498, 596 N.W.2d 717 (1999), the Nebraska Court of Appeals considered a Linn challenge to the State's proof of prior convictions in a habitual criminal enhancement proceeding. The court did not interpret Linn to require as a matter of law that a judge's signature must appear on a judgment of conviction offered for purposes of enhancement. Rather, the court framed the dispositive issue as whether the State's evidence . . . was sufficient to establish with some trustworthiness a district court's act of rendering at least two prior judgments. Fletcher, 8 Neb. App. at 511, 596 N.W.2d at 726. See, also, State v. Coffman, 227 Neb. 149, 416 N.W.2d 243 (1987) (concluding that State substantially complied with required proof of commitment in criminal enhancement proceeding). We agree with this formulation of the standard and apply it to this case. We note that while a district judge's signature is now required to render a judgment, see Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1301(2) (Cum. Supp. 2002), a signature was not required at the time of Thomas' prior convictions. While it is likewise true that a county court judge's signature was not required at the time that Linn was decided, an unsigned checklist and a copy of a complaint were the only evidence supporting the prior conviction in Linn. That is not the case here. The State submitted certified copies of journal entries of two prior judgments convicting and committing Thomas to terms of incarceration over 1 year in length. Although unsigned, each journal entry has the judge's name typed on the judgment, and the certification contains the clerk's seal and attestation that the copy is the same as the judgment that appears in the court's records. The State also submitted certified trial docket entries, initialed by the judge, showing that Thomas was represented by counsel who was present with Thomas when he was convicted and sentenced in both of the prior criminal cases. Compare State v. Louthan, 257 Neb. 174, 595 N.W.2d 917 (1999) (recognizing that initialed checklist is sufficient to show compliance with all requirements to establish prior, valid plea-based conviction). In addition, the State submitted certified copies of records maintained by the Department of Correctional Services showing Thomas' dates of commitment for each prior conviction and sentence. This evidence was sufficient to establish with the requisite trustworthiness the rendering of two prior judgments of conviction, each carrying prison sentences of 1 year or more. [22] As to the issue of identity, we have held that an authenticated record establishing a prior conviction of a defendant with the same name is prima facie evidence sufficient to establish identity for the purpose of enhancing punishment and, in the absence of any denial or contradictory evidence, is sufficient to support a finding by the court that the accused has been convicted prior thereto. State v. Sardeson, 231 Neb. 586, 437 N.W.2d 473 (1989). The documents offered by the State in this case meet this requirement. In addition, the documents offered included photographs of the incarcerated person named L. T. Thomas and reflect his date of birth as 7-24-65, the same date of birth reflected in the presentence investigation report prepared prior to Thomas' original sentencing in this case. At the commencement of the enhancement hearing, Thomas acknowledged that he was L. T. Thomas. His counsel did not deny that Thomas was the person referred to in the prior conviction records but argued that the State had not met its burden to prove that he was. We conclude that the State's evidence was sufficient to meet its prima facie burden of proof that Thomas had been convicted of two prior offenses carrying prison sentences of 1 year or more and that because that evidence was not controverted, it was sufficient to support the finding of the court that Thomas was a habitual criminal.