Opinion ID: 2251275
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Proof of Habitual Offender Status

Text: Petitioner argues that the State did not prove that he had accumulated two prior unrelated felonies. At the guilty plea hearing defendant pleaded guilty to the habitual offender charge after the trial court read the information. The information showed the date, place and offense involved in the prior convictions. The trial prosecutor gave a detailed verbal description of the documents that he had in hand to substantive the predicate felonies. The record does not show however that they were viewed by the court and they were never introduced into evidence. However, since a defendant may plead guilty to an habitual offender charge, Neeley v. State (1983), Ind., 457 N.E.2d 532, the State is relieved of its burden of proof on that charge just as a plea of guilty eliminates the need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the commission of the pending felony. We note, however, that the trial court did not specify which of the two predicate felonies was being enhanced by virtue of the habitual offender determination. The cause is therefore remanded and the trial court is ordered to specify whether the robbery conviction or the attempted robbery conviction is to be enhanced by the thirty year sentence imposed for the habitual offender finding. We remand to the trial court for correction of sentence. Otherwise, the judgment is affirmed.