Gowins v. State

ALTENBERND, Judge.

Deon Gowins appeals his convictions and sentences for a first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm that occurred on January 9, 1998. We affirm his convictions and his first-degree murder sentence without discussion, but reverse his sentence for robbery with a firearm.

Immediately after the return of the jury, the trial court sentenced Gowins to life imprisonment for first-degree murder. This was a mandatory sentence and there was no reason for the trial court to delay sentencing. At the same time, the trial court sentenced Gowins to a concurrent life sentence for the…