46-18-401. Consecutive sentences. (1) Unless the judge otherwise orders:

(a) whenever a person serving a term of commitment imposed by a court in this state is committed for another offense, the shorter term or shorter remaining term may not be merged in the other term; and

(b) whenever a person under suspended sentence or on probation for an offense committed in this state is sentenced for another offense, the period still to be served on suspended sentence or probation may not be merged in any new sentence of commitment or probation.

(2) The court, whether or not it merges the sentences, shall immediately furnish each of the other courts and the penal institutions in which the defendant is confined under sentence with authenticated copies of its sentence, which must cite any sentence that is merged.

(3) If an unexpired sentence is merged pursuant to subsection (1), the court that imposed the sentence shall modify it in accordance with the effect of the merger.

(4) Separate sentences for two or more offenses must run consecutively unless the court otherwise orders.