Hampton v. State

OPINION

GRANT, Justice.

Ira Lee Hampton appeals from his conviction for felony driving while intoxicated. He was convicted by a jury, which assessed his punishment at twenty-six years’ imprisonment. 1 Hampton contends in a single issue that the trial court erred by overruling his motion to stipulate evidence (his two prior convictions for DWI, one misdemeanor and one felony). 2 He argues that the court should have permitted him to stipulate to those convictions so that it would be unnecessary to inform the jury about the prior convictions at the guilt/innocence stage of the proceeding.

Hampton’s…