Three Strikes and Habitual Offender Laws in New Mexico

New Mexico has two repeat-offender laws. Habitual offender: a person convicted of a noncapital felony with one prior felony conviction has the basic sentence increased by one year (which may be suspended only if both felonies were nonviolent and the court makes specific findings); with two prior felonies, by four years; and with three or more, by eight years, which cannot be suspended or deferred. A prior counts only if less than ten years have passed since the person finished the sentence, probation or parole for it, and felony DWI convictions do not count. 'Three strikes': a person convicted of a third violent felony (first- or second-degree murder; shooting at or from a vehicle, kidnapping or armed robbery causing great bodily harm; or listed criminal sexual penetration offenses), each from a separate occurrence, must receive life imprisonment, with parole possible; felonies committed before age 18 do not count.