Court Opinion

ID: 9610180
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:37:35.654861+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:02:57.080257
License: Public Domain

OPINION ON REHEARING
BRETT, Judge:
Appellant, Robert Eugene Snyder, a/k/a, Eugene Robert Snyder, was charged and subsequently found not guilty of the crime of Shooting With Intent to Kill, After Former Conviction of Two or More Felonies, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp.1981, § 652, and 21 O.S.Supp.1985, § 51, in Case No. CRF-85-292, in the District Court of Stephens County. He was also charged and convicted of Possession of a Firearm After Conviction of a Felony, in violation of 21 O.S.Supp. 1983, § 1283, After Former Conviction of Two or More Felonies and sentenced to twenty (20) years imprisonment. From this judgment and sentence, the appellant perfected his appeal to this Court.
In his direct appeal, the appellant claimed in his sole assignment of error that his sentence was improperly enhanced under the Habitual Offender Act, 21 O.S. Supp.1985, § 51, because one of the previous convictions used to enhance his sentence was an element of the present offense. In the original opinion, we noted that although Section 51 had never been used to enhance a conviction under Section 1283, such is not necessarily precluded by statute or case law. We also analogized the present case to escape cases wherein this Court has found that Section 51 cannot be used to enhance where a previous felony conviction is presumptively an integral part of the offense. However, a 1988 amendment to escape statute 21 O.S.Supp.1981, § 443, allows enhancement where there are prior offenses in excess of the one that is an element of the present offense. We noted in the original opinion that the same public policy principle should be applicable to enhancement of convictions under Sec*655tion 1283.1 Thus, under this analysis, and based upon the belief that the appellant had only two prior convictions, one of which was the felony conviction underlying the present offense, we found merit in the appellant’s assignment of error and we modified his sentence to ten (10) years imprisonment.
Subsequently, the State petitioned this Court for rehearing on this case based upon the fact that the appellant actually had three prior convictions rather than two. This third conviction was not taken into account when the case was originally decided by this Court. Thus, in light of the foregoing analysis, we find that the decision to modify the appellant’s sentence was incorrect and the trial court’s sentence should stand as imposed.
We therefore find that the original Judgment and Sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment should be AFFIRMED.
LANE, P.J., LUMPKIN, V.P.J., and PARKS and JOHNSON, JJ., concur.

. The argument that an interpretation of Section 1283 consistent with the public policy set forth in the 1988 amendment to 21 O.S.1981, § 443 is an ex post facto violation is misplaced. Our reference to that amendment is as an analogy only. Thus, the interpretation of Section 1283 consistent with Section 443 does not constitute an ex post facto violation.