2018 District of Columbia Code
Title 22 - Criminal Offenses and Penalties.
Chapter 18 - General Offenses.
§ 22–1804a. Penalty for felony after at least 2 prior felony convictions.

(a)(1) If a person is convicted in the District of Columbia of a felony, having previously been convicted of 2 prior felonies not committed on the same occasion, the court may, in lieu of any sentence authorized, impose such greater term of imprisonment as it deems necessary, up to, and including, 30 years.

(2) If a person is convicted in the District of Columbia of a crime of violence as defined by § 22-4501, having previously been convicted of 2 prior crimes of violence not committed on the same occasion, the court, in lieu of the term of imprisonment authorized, shall impose a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years and may impose such greater term of imprisonment as it deems necessary up to, and including, life without possibility of release.

(3) For purposes of imprisonment following revocation of release authorized by § 24-403.01, the third or subsequent felony committed by a person who had previously been convicted of 2 prior felonies not committed on the same occasion and the third or subsequent crime of violence committed by a person who had previously been convicted of 2 prior crimes of violence not committed on the same occasion are Class A felonies.

(b) For the purposes of this section:

(1) A person shall be considered as having been convicted of a felony if the person was convicted of a felony by a court of the District of Columbia, any state, or the United States or its territories; and

(2) A person shall be considered as having been convicted of a crime of violence if the person was convicted of a crime of violence as defined by § 22-4501, by a court of the District of Columbia, any state, or the United States or its territories.

(c)(1) A person shall be considered as having been convicted of 2 felonies if the person has been convicted of a felony twice before on separate occasions by courts of the District of Columbia, any state, or the United States or its territories.

(2) A person shall be considered as having been convicted of 2 crimes of violence if the person has twice before on separate occasions been convicted of a crime of violence as defined by § 22-4501, by courts of the District of Columbia, any states, or the United States or its territories.

(d) No conviction or plea of guilty with respect to which a person has been pardoned shall be taken into account in applying this section.

(e) In addition to any other penalty provided under this section, a person may be fined an amount not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01.

(Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 854, § 907a; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 599, Pub. L. 91-358, title II, § 201(b); May 21, 1994, D.C. Law 10-119, § 2(b), 41 DCR 1639; Oct. 7, 1994, D.C. Law 10-194, § 2, 41 DCR 4283; May 16, 1995, D.C. Law 10-255, § 15, 41 DCR 5193; June 3, 1997, D.C. Law 11-275, § 2, 44 DCR 1408; June 8, 2001, D.C. Law 13-302, § 4(h), 47 DCR 7249; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 208, 56 DCR 7413; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 303(t), 60 DCR 2064.)

1981 Ed., § 22-104a.

1973 Ed., § 22-104a.

This section is referenced in § 16-710 and § 24-403.01.

D.C. Law 13-302, in subsec. (a), in par. (1), substituted “30 years” for “life”; in par. (2), substituted “such greater term of imprisonment as it deems necessary up to, and including, life without possibility of release” for “a term of imprisonment of life without possibility of parole”; and added par. (3).

D.C. Law 18-88, in subsec. (a)(2), substituted “the court, in lieu of the term of imprisonment authorized, shall impose a term of imprisonment of not less than 15 years and may impose” for “the court may in lieu of any sentence authorized, impose”.

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 added (e).

Proceedings to establish previous convictions, see § 23-111.

For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 4(h) of the Sentencing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Act 13-410, August 11, 2000, 47 DCR 7271).

For temporary (90-day) amendment of section, see § 4(h) of the Sentencing Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 2000 (D.C. Act 13-462, November 7, 2000, 47 DCR 9443).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4(h) of Sentencing Reform Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-2, February 2, 2001, 48 DCR 2239).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4(h) of Sentencing Reform Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-51, May 2, 2001, 48 DCR 4370).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 202 of Crime Bill Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-129, June 29, 2009, 56 DCR 5495).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 303(t) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.