Opinion ID: 2453006
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Judicial and Legislative Precedent

Text: Section 1.160 provides: No offense committed and no fine, penalty or forfeiture incurred, or prosecution commenced or pending previous to or at the time when any statutory provision is repealed or amended, shall be affected by the repeal or amendment, but the trial and punishment of all such offenses, and the recovery of the fines, penalties or forfeitures shall be had, in all respects, as if the provision had not been repealed or amended, except: (1) That all such proceedings shall be conducted according to existing procedural laws; and (2) That if the penalty or punishment for any offense is reduced or lessened by any alteration of the law creating the offense prior to original sentencing, the penalty or punishment shall be assessed according to the amendatory law. This Court has not applied section 1.160 to the 1994 chapter 566 amendments, but we have applied section 1.160 to prior statutory amendments. See, State v. Whardo, 859 S.W.2d 138 (Mo. banc 1993); State v. Sumlin, 820 S.W.2d 487 (Mo. banc 1991); and State v. Cline, 808 S.W.2d 822 (Mo. banc 1991). In Sumlin , this Court interpreted section 1.160 as authorizing a reduction of sentence if the penalty for the offense is reduced by statutory amendment subsequent to the commission of the offense, but before the conviction becomes final. Sumlin, supra at 492. The defendant in Sumlin was found guilty of violating section 195.200, RSMo 1986, and was sentenced under section 195.200, RSMo 1986. Id. at 488. While the appeal was pending, the legislature repealed and replaced sections 195.020 and 195.200, dealing with possession of controlled substances, with sections 195.202.1, RSMo Supp.1990 and 195.223.2-3, RSMo Supp.1990. While under the 1986 provision, the amount of cocaine possessed was irrelevant, the new provisions created three levels of criminal liability based on the amount of cocaine possessed. Id. at 491. The Court held that section 1.160 applies, vacated the defendant's sentence, and remanded the case for a new sentence. Id. at 494. The Court ordered that the trial court submit the issue of the amount of cocaine possessed by the defendant to a jury and that the trial court, based on the jury's finding, should re-sentence the defendant because the defendant has been found to be a prior offender, requiring a court sentencing. Id. After Sumlin the General Assembly in 1993 amended section 1.160 to specify that it would apply only to statutory alterations that occur prior to the original sentencing. See, Historical and Statutory Notes, section 1.160. The legislature left intact this Court's interpretation of the word offense in section 1.160 as meaning the conduct of the defendant. [3] Id. Thus, we decline the state's invitation to overrule Sumlin on this point since the General Assembly was not inclined to do so in its subsequent amendments to section 1.160. Cline and Whardo also apply to this case. In Cline , the defendant was charged with possession of methamphetamine pursuant to section 195.202, RSMo 1986. Cline, supra at 823. Before trial, this section was amended, reducing the maximum sentence the defendant could receive. Id. at 824. The jury was instructed in accordance with the prior law as to the range of punishment. Id. This Court found plain error in the jury instruction, which overstated the maximum term of imprisonment, and ordered a new trial. Id. The Whardo defendant was convicted by a jury of two separate counts of selling marijuana in violation of section 195.020.1, RSMo 1986. Whardo, supra at 138-139. Before trial, the statute under which defendant was charged, section 195.020.1, RSMo 1986, and the applicable sentencing statute, section 195.200, RSMo Supp.1988, were repealed and replaced with sections 195.211 and 195.222.7, RSMo Supp.1992, which created four degrees of criminal liability for the offense of selling marijuana. Id. at 139. This Court again held that section 1.160 applies and that it was plain error for the trial court not to instruct the jury as to punishment under the new statute. As a result of the error, the defendant was entitled to a new trial because, unlike the defendant in Sumlin , the Whardo defendant was a first time offender entitled to the jury's recommendation of sentence. Id. at 141. The defendant, the Court said, is entitled to a verdict director that not only instructs the jury to determine the amount of marijuana sold but also specifies the corresponding range of punishment. Id.