Court Opinion

ID: 9729541
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:41:41.37939+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:59.347470
License: Public Domain

*97DeBRULER, Justice,
dissenting.
The defendant cannot challenge the validity of his prior convictions in a habitual offender proceeding. He therefore cannot challenge their validity in any appeal from a determination that he is a habitual offender. He can do so only in a post-conviction proceeding. Collins v. State (1987), Ind., 509 N.E.2d 827. The policy behind this prohibition is that the second stage of the criminal trial on a habitual offender count, following the determination of guilt, should not be extended and complex, but should be summary in nature and as brief as possible to ease the burden on juries. Edwards v. State (1985), Ind., 479 N.E.2d 541. With this prohibition in place, post-conviction proceedings to set aside prior convictions used as predicates for the finding of habitual offender status and later related post-conviction proceedings seeking to set aside the finding of habitual offender status itself are but a continuation of the initial habitual offender proceedings. In determining whether the retrial on habitual offender status in the case now before us on appeal was permissible under the Double Jeopardy Clause, all of the evidence heard at the initial habitual offender proceeding and the post-conviction proceedings should be considered as a whole. When that is done, it is evident that had the attack upon the validity of the prior conviction been permitted and made at the initial habitual offender proceeding, it would have been successful. Upon this analysis, I find that I can no longer hold to my former position in Denton v. State (1986), Ind., 496 N.E.2d 576, and would order the habitual offender finding vacated.