Opinion ID: 1793265
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: subsequent offense enhancement.

Text: The penalty phase instructions described each August 3, 2001, offense as a second offense and instructed the jury on subsequent offense penalty ranges for each offense. Thus, instead of imposing Class B felony penalties for manufacturing methamphetamine and possessing anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, the jury imposed Class A felony penalties for those offenses; and instead of imposing a Class A misdemeanor penalty for possession of drug paraphernalia, the jury imposed a Class D felony penalty. KRS 218A.010(25) provides: [F]or purposes of this chapter an offense is considered as a second or subsequent offense, if, prior to his conviction of the offense, the offender has at any time been convicted under this chapter, or under any statute of the United States, or of any state relating to substances classified as controlled substances or counterfeit substances.... (Emphasis added.) Thus, enhancement is not premised upon an offense-to-offense sequence but upon a conviction-to-conviction sequence. The chapter on controlled substances specifically defines a subsequent offense as a conviction occurring after a prior conviction, thus codifying the Ball/Royalty[Commonwealth v. Ball, Ky., 691 S.W.2d 207, 210 (1985); Royalty v. Commonwealth, Ky.App., 749 S.W.2d 700 (1988)] interpretation for purposes of those statutes. 1 Cooper, Kentucky Instructions to Juries (Criminal) § 12.25, cmt., at 757 (4th ed. rev.1999). Compare KRS 500.080(11) which provides that, for purposes of the Kentucky Penal Code, `[o]ffense' means conduct for which a sentence to a term of imprisonment or to a fine is provided by law.... (Emphasis added.) The offense of possession of anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine is defined in neither the Controlled Substances Act nor the Kentucky Penal Code. KRS 250.991(2) refers to an enhanced penalty for a subsequent offense without defining it. In that circumstance, we have always interpreted such language to require a conviction-to-offense sequence, i.e., the second offense must occur after conviction of the first offense. See e.g., Denham v. Commonwealth, 311 Ky. 320, 224 S.W.2d 180, 182 (1949) (interpreting KRS 242.990(1), local option law); Coleman v. Commonwealth, 276 Ky. 802, 125 S.W.2d 728, 729 (1939) (interpreting former KRS 431.190, Habitual Offender Act, repealed 1974 Ky. Acts, ch. 406, § 336, eff. Jan. 1, 1975). [3] The rationale behind this interpretation is that [a]fter punishment is imposed for the commission of a crime, the double penalty is held in terrorem over the criminal, for the purpose of effecting his reformation, and preventing further and subsequent offenses by him. Brown v. Commonwealth, 100 Ky. 127, 37 S.W. 496, 496 (1896). We adopt this interpretation for subsequent offenses prosecuted under KRS 250.991(2). Since Indictments No. 01-CR-157 and 01-CR-179 were tried jointly, Appellant could not have been previously convicted of the July 24, 2001, Controlled Substances Act offenses at the time he was convicted of the August 3, 2001, Controlled Substances Act offenses. Nor was he convicted of the July 24, 2001, anhydrous ammonia offense before he committed the August 3, 2001, anhydrous ammonia offense. Thus, he is entitled to new penalty phase trials with respect to his convictions of possession of anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia at which there shall be no subsequent offense penalty enhancement. If, upon retrial, Appellant is again convicted of two counts of manufacturing methamphetamine, the conviction under Indictment No. 01-CR-179 shall not be subject to enhancement as a second or subsequent offense. Accordingly, Appellant's convictions of manufacturing methamphetamine are reversed and remanded for a new trial; his conviction of possession on July 24, 2001, of anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container with intent to manufacture methamphetamine and the sentence imposed therefor are affirmed, but his conviction of possession on August 3, 2001, of anhydrous ammonia in an unapproved container with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine and the sentence imposed therefor are reversed and remanded for a new trial; his convictions of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia on July 24, 2001, and the sentences imposed for those offenses are affirmed; and his conviction of possession of drug paraphernalia on August 3, 2001, is affirmed but the sentence imposed therefor is vacated and remanded for a new sentencing phase. Any convictions obtained under Indictment No. 01-CR-179 shall not be subject to subsequent offense enhancement. LAMBERT, C.J.; JOHNSTONE, KELLER, and STUMBO, JJ., concur. GRAVES, J., dissents by separate opinion, with WINTERSHEIMER, J., joining that dissenting opinion.