Opinion ID: 880305
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Persistent Felony Offender Status

Text: The appellant argues that the District Court did not gain jurisdiction to designate him a persistent felony offender because the prosecution failed to provide timely notice. The appellant correctly points out that written notice must be given before the case is called for trial, § 46-18-503(1), MCA, and that the requirement is jurisdictional, State v. Madera (1983), 206 Mont. 140, 155, 670 P.2d 552, 560. The appellant fails to note that a second, procedural notice is also required prior to sentencing. § 46-18-503(3), MCA; Madera, 206 Mont. at 155, 670 P.2d at 560. The record in this case clearly shows that the State gave appropriate notice in both prosecutions. In the first case, jurisdictional notice was given on September 3, 1987, and trial began on April 12, 1988. The prosecution gave the second, procedural notice on May 11, 1988, and sentencing took place on May 24, 1988. In the second case, jurisdictional notice was given on September 1, 1988, and trial began on October 11, 1988. The prosecution gave the second, procedural notice on October 17, 1988, and sentencing took place on October 25, 1988. The appellant raises a second objection. Without elaborating on his argument or citing any authority, the appellant asserts that the District Court erred in its second designation of Hawkins as a persistent felony offender because both underlying convictions arose from a single transaction. The fact that both crimes arose out of the same transaction does not in itself bar application of the persistent felony offender designation. A persistent felony offender is defined as, an offender who has previously been convicted of a felony and who is presently being sentenced for a second felony committed on a different occasion than the first. § 46-18-501, MCA. The statute requires that the offender has committed at least two felonies. The test of whether more than one crime results from the same transaction is whether the elements of each charged offense require proof of a fact which the others do not. State v. Gray (1983), 207 Mont. 261, 269, 673 P.2d 1262, 1267. The first jury found Hawkins guilty of felony drug possession which requires the prosecution to prove that the defendant knowingly, purposely, or negligently possessed more than sixty grams of marijuana. § 45-9-102(2), (4), MCA; § 45-2-103(1), MCA. The second jury found Hawkins guilty of felony assault which required proof that he knowingly and purposely caused bodily injury to a peace officer who was responsible for his custody. § 45-5-202(2)(c), MCA. Clearly, these are separate crimes. The statute also requires that the offender must have committed the felonies on different occasions. We have not yet considered what constitutes different occasions for the purposes of the persistent felony offender statute. In interpreting its version of the statute, the Arizona Supreme Court stated, We know of no all-encompassing test to determine whether different crimes fall within the same occasion limitation of the statute. Any analysis of the question must have reference to the time, place, number of victims, and distinct nature of the defendant's acts. In general, however, when different crimes, even though unrelated in nature, are committed at the same place, on the same victim or group of victims, and at the same time or as part of a continuous series of criminal acts, they should be considered as having been committed on the same occasion for purposes of sentence enhancement. State v. Henry (1987), 152 Ariz. 608, 734 P.2d 93, 97. (Citation omitted.) We apply a similar analysis here and hold that Hawkins' two felony crimes occurred on different occasions. The drug possession charge is a crime against the state which occurred prior to Hawkins' arrest in the Kunz driveway. The assault against Deputy Dostal occurred some hours later in the Yellowstone County Courthouse. Though the assault during escape was a result of Hawkins' drug-related arrest, the crimes are sufficiently disparate in time, place, and victim that they cannot be said to have occurred on the same occasion. The second persistent felony offender designation was appropriate.