5-34-1. INCREASED PENALTIES FOR PERSONS WITH PRIOR CONVICTION.

In any criminal prosecution under this Code where it appears that the Defendant has been previously convicted by this Court under the same statute one or more times previously within the last one (1) year, the penalty for the crime charged shall be increased to the next class which is more severe, one class for each prior conviction, which has been established. An example of what is intended here would be as follows: If a Defendant was charged under a section which was a Class C crime, and the evidence established that the same person had been convicted of the same offense one time previously within the last one (1) year then such event the penalty for the violation of that section would be increased by one class and the Defendant upon conviction would thereby be punished as for a Class B crime.