STATE v. WILLIAMS (2018)

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE FIRST CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE

Granted in part. Defendant was found guilty as charged of armed robbery with a firearm, La. R.S. 14:64 and 14:64.3, second degree kidnapping, La. R.S. 14:44.1, and attempted second degree murder, La. R.S. 14:27 and 14:30.1. He was adjudicated as a third-felony offender, and his armed robbery sentence was enhanced under the Habitual Offender law. La. R.S. 15:529.1. Defendant's appeal was pending when the Legislature amended the Habitual Offender law with 2017 La. Acts 282. The amendment substantially reduced the sentencing range for a third-felony offender like defendant and further provided, “This Act shall become effective November 1, 2017, and shall have prospective application only to offenders whose convictions became final on or after November 1, 2017.” Defendant seeks to be resentenced under the amendment, and the State concedes defendant is entitled to be resentenced in accordance with it because his conviction will become final after November 1, 2017. Accordingly, we grant defendant's application in part to vacate his enhanced recidivist sentence for armed robbery, and we remand for resentencing for this offense in accordance with 2017 La. Acts 282. The application is otherwise denied.

PER CURIAM: