2018 Tennessee Code
Title 40 - Criminal Procedure
Chapter 35 - Tennessee Criminal Sentencing Reform Act of 1989
Part 1 - General Provisions
§ 40-35-106. Multiple offender.
(a) A multiple offender is a defendant who has received:
(1) A minimum of two (2) but not more than four (4) prior felony convictions within the conviction class, a higher class, or within the next two (2) lower felony classes, where applicable; or
(2) One (1) Class A prior felony conviction if the defendant's conviction offense is a Class A or B felony.
(b) In determining the number of prior convictions a defendant has received:
(1) "Prior conviction" means a conviction for an offense occurring prior to the commission of the offense for which the defendant is being sentenced;
(2) All prior felony convictions, including those occurring prior to November 1, 1989, are included;
(3)
(A) A finding or adjudication that a defendant committed an act as a juvenile that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult and that resulted in a transfer of the juvenile to criminal court pursuant to § 37-1-134, or similar statutes of other states or jurisdictions, shall not be considered as a prior conviction for the purposes of this section unless the juvenile was convicted of a felony in a criminal court;
(B) Notwithstanding subdivision (b)(3)(A), a finding or adjudication that a defendant committed an act as a juvenile that would constitute a Class A or Class B felony if committed by an adult shall be considered as a prior conviction for the purposes of this section, regardless of whether the juvenile was transferred to criminal court pursuant to § 37-1-134, or similar statutes of other states or jurisdictions;
(4) Except for convictions for which the statutory elements include serious bodily injury, bodily injury, threatened serious bodily injury or threatened bodily injury to the victim or victims, or convictions for the offense of aggravated burglary under § 39-14-403, convictions for multiple felonies committed within the same twenty-four-hour period constitute one (1) conviction for the purpose of determining prior convictions; and
(5) Prior convictions include convictions under the laws of any other state, government or country that, if committed in this state, would have constituted an offense cognizable by the laws of this state. In the event that a felony from a jurisdiction other than Tennessee is not a named felony in this state, the elements of the offense shall be used by the Tennessee court to determine what classification the offense is given.
(c) A defendant who is found by the court beyond a reasonable doubt to be a multiple offender shall receive a sentence within Range II.
(d) The finding that a defendant is or is not a multiple offender is appealable by either party.
