Skinner v. State

987 So. 2d 1172, 2006 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 175, 2006 WL 2457527
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedAugust 25, 2006
DocketCR-05-0919
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 987 So. 2d 1172 (Skinner v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Skinner v. State, 987 So. 2d 1172, 2006 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 175, 2006 WL 2457527 (Ala. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

COBB, Judge.

On November 17, 2000, Dee Cee Skinner was convicted of attempted unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. On December 13, 2000, the trial court sentenced him, as a habitual offender with two prior felonies, to 20 years in prison. See § 13A-[1174]*11745 — 9(b)(2), Ala.Code 1975. It also enhanced his sentence by five years because the attempted sale took place within three miles of a school and an additional five years because the attempted sale took place within three miles of a public housing project. See §§ 18A-12-250 and 13A-12-270, Ala.Code 1975. His conviction was affirmed on direct appeal. See Skinner v. State, 843 So.2d 820 (Ala.Crim.App.2002). The certificate of judgment was issued on August 30, 2002. On March 19, 2003, Skinner filed his first Rule 32, Ala. R.Crim. P., petition, challenging his conviction. The circuit court’s summary dismissal of that petition was affirmed on appeal, by an unpublished memorandum. See Skinner v. State (CR-02-1927, November 21, 2003), 897 So.2d 1253 (Ala.Crim.App.2003)(table).

Skinner filed a second petition on December 8, 2003. On April 22, 2005, this Court released an unpublished memorandum affirming the circuit court’s denial of the petition. See Skinner v. State (No. CR-03-1882, April 22, 2005), 926 So.2d 1081 (Ala.Crim.App.2005)(table). Skinner claimed in his second petition that the trial court did not have jurisdiction to impose sentence under the Habitual Felony Offender Act (“the HFOA”), because two prior California felony convictions — burglary in the first degree, superior court1 no. 237523, and burglary in the second degree, superior court case no. 238385— used to enhance his sentence were invalid for sentence-enhancement purposes, and thus, that his sentence as a habitual felon with two prior convictions was illegal. This Court determined that the first-degree-burglary conviction was valid for use under the HFOA. This Court determined that the second-degree-burglary conviction was invalid for sentence-enhancement purposes under the HFOA because it had been reversed in an unpublished California appellate court memorandum. People v. Skinner, (No. F011958, February 27, 1990). Nevertheless, this Court affirmed the circuit court’s denial of the second Rule 32 petition because the record on direct appeal disclosed that the sentencing court also had before it at sentencing evidence of a conviction for receiving stolen property — also case no. 238385. The sentencing court commented after hearing arguments and after reviewing the documents that Skinner would be sentenced as a habitual felon with two prior felonies because, according to the sentencing court, Skinner had “at least” two prior felonies. (Record on direct appeal R. 190.) Thus, this Court affirmed the circuit court’s denial of relief.

In the instant petition, Skinner’s third, filed on December 15, 2005, Skinner claims as a jurisdictional defect exempt from procedural bars, that his sentence is beyond the maximum legal sentence allowed by law. According to Skinner, the State used an invalid California conviction, receiving stolen property case no. 238385, to enhance his sentence pursuant to the HFOA. Skinner claims that this conviction could not be used to enhance his sentence because his conduct underlying that conviction would constitute a mere misdemeanor2 under Alabama law. Skinner specifically asserts that the conduct forming the basis for that offense was the possession of stolen property valued at less than $100, which constituted a misdemeanor in Alabama in 1988.3 Moreover, [1175]*1175he claims that at his sentencing hearing, he did not realize, as this Court surmised in its April 22, 2005, memorandum addressing Skinner’s second Rule 32 petition, that the trial court had relied on the receiving-stolen-property conviction to enhance his sentence. He claimed that had he understood that the sentencing court was using that conviction he would have objected and argued that the offense underlying that conviction was not a felony in Alabama.

After receipt of the State’s motion to dismiss, the circuit court entered a written order denying relief on the grounds that this was a successive petition, Rule 32.2(b), Ala.Code 1975, and finding that this court had discussed the receiving-stolen-property conviction “at length” in its April 22, 2005, unpublished memorandum. (CR. 52.)

Skinner appeals from that ruling, reiterating the claim raised in his petition.

In reviewing the circuit court’s denial of Skinner’s petition, we will affirm the judgement of the circuit court “[i]f the circuit court is correct for any reason, even though it may not be the stated rea-son_ See Roberts v. State, 516 So.2d 936 (Ala.Cr.App.1987).” Reed v. State, 748 So.2d 231, 233 (Ala.Crim.App.1999); see also Ex parte City of Fairhope, 739 So.2d 35, 39 (Ala.1999).

This Court’s memorandum of April 22, 2005, did not address the issue now before the Court. Moreover, this is a jurisdictional challenge exempt from the bar against successive petitions. Jurisdictional claims are “not precluded by the limitations period or by the rule against successive petitions.” Jones v. State, 724 So.2d 75, 76 (Ala.Crim.App.1998). A challenge to the use of a prior conviction from another jurisdiction to enhance a sentence under the HFOA on the grounds that the prior conviction arose from conduct that was not a felony in Alabama is a jurisdictional issue challenging the legality of the sentence. Carter v. State, 853 So.2d 1040 (Ala.Crim.App.2002); Bell v. State, 845 So.2d 856 (Ala.Crim.App.2002). “ ‘Matters concerning unauthorized sentences are jurisdictional.’ ” Foster v. State, 844 So.2d 625, 626 ' (Ala.Crim.App.2002)(quoting Hunt v. State, 659 So.2d '998, 999 (Ala.Crim.App.1994)). Skinner has sufficiently pleaded a jurisdictional challenge, “ ‘which, if true, entitle[s] the petitioner to relief.’ ” Boyd v. State, 913 So.2d 1113, 1125 (Ala.Crim.App.2003)(quoting Lancaster v. State, 638 So.2d 1370, 1373 (Ala.Crim.App. 1993)). Skinner’s claim was not refuted by the State. “‘“When the State does not respond to a petitioner’s allegations, the unrefuted statement of facts must be taken as true.” ’ ” Saffo v. State,i 892 So.2d 992, 993 (Ala.Crim.App.2004)(quoting Bates v. State, 620 So.2d 745, 746 (Ala.Crim.App. 1992), quoting in turn Smith v. State, 581 So.2d 1283,1284 (Ala.Crim.App.1991)).

“It is well settled that ‘[i]n determining whether an out-of-state conviction will be used to enhance punishment pursuant to the HFOA, the conduct upon which the foreign conviction is based must be considered and not the foreign jurisdiction’s treatment of that conduct.’ Daniels v. State, 621 So.2d 335, 342 (Ala. Crim.App.1992). However, ... whether the conduct upon which the foreign conviction was based constituted a felony in Alabama at the time the conduct occurred is irrelevant. Rather, pursuant to Rule 26.6(b)(3)(iv), Ala.R.Crim.P., the proper inquiry is whether the conduct [1176]*1176upon which the foreign conviction was based would have been a felony in Alabama had it been committed on or after January 1, 1980. Rule 26.6(b)(3)(iv) specifically provides:
“ ‘Any conviction in any jurisdiction, including Alabama, shall be considered and determined to be a felony conviction if the conduct made the basis of that conviction constitutes a felony under Act 607, § 130(4), Acts of Alabama 1977, p.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
987 So. 2d 1172, 2006 Ala. Crim. App. LEXIS 175, 2006 WL 2457527, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/skinner-v-state-alacrimapp-2006.