Holsclaw v. State
Decision Date | 29 January 1979 |
Docket Number | No. 478S66,478S66 |
Citation | 384 N.E.2d 1026,270 Ind. 256 |
Parties | Gordon L. HOLSCLAW, Appellant (Defendant below), v. STATE of Indiana, Appellee (Plaintiff below). |
Court | Indiana Supreme Court |
Harriette Bailey Conn, Public Defender, Susan K. Carpenter, Deputy Public Defender, Indianapolis, for appellant.
Theodore L. Sendak, Atty. Gen., Elmer Lloyd Whitmer, Deputy Atty. Gen., Indianapolis, for appellee.
Petitioner (Appellant) is before this Court appealing the denial of his petition for post conviction relief under Post Conviction Remedy Rule 1, with respect to his sentencing on November 24, 1976, upon a guilty plea entered on October 26, 1976, with respect to two charges filed February 11, 1976, for offenses committed November 24 and December 8, 1975. He was sentenced to the Indiana Department of Corrections for a period of twelve (12) years on each count, the sentences to run concurrently. He presents the following issues for our review:
(1) Whether the court erred in holding that the petitioner's guilty pleas were voluntarily and intelligently entered.
(2) Whether the sentence imposed for unlawful dealing in marijuana was excessive.
The petitioner was originally charged in a three count indictment with unlawful dealing in marijuana, unlawful dealing in a controlled substance and with being an habitual offender. Four days prior to the start of his trial, the petitioner was presented with a plea offer whereby he would plead guilty to the two counts of unlawful dealing, in exchange for the dismissal of the habitual criminality count. In view of the life sentence provision of the habitual criminal statute, the petitioner advised his retained counsel that he desired to obtain the opinion of a second attorney as to whether or not to accept the offer, but at no time did he express any dissatisfaction with the representation that he had been receiving.
On the morning that the trial was scheduled to begin, the attorney orally moved for a continuance, in order to enable the petitioner to retain additional counsel. The The petitioner, by his post conviction petition sought to set aside his guilty plea, as involuntary, in that it was made in reliance upon his counsel's erroneous advice that the supposed error of the trial court, in denying the motion for a continuance, would be reviewable, notwithstanding the guilty plea.
motion was denied. Petitioner was then given the opportunity to and did discuss the proposed bargain further with his counsel, after which time he withdrew his plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty, according to the terms of the agreement.
In a post conviction hearing, the burden of proof rests with the petitioner to establish his grounds for relief by a preponderance of the evidence. Post Conviction Remedy Rule 1, § 5. The trial judge is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight of the evidence. His determination will be set aside only where it can be shown that the evidence is without conflict and leads unerringly to a result other than that reached by the trial court. Carroll v. State, (1976) Ind., 355 N.E.2d 408.
Petitioner's trial attorney testified at the post conviction hearing with regard to the circumstances surrounding the entry of the plea. The following exchange took place.
When asked at the post conviction hearing what advice had been given to him by his attorney, petitioner stated:
Petitioner further testified at the hearing that he elected to accept the plea agreement rather than to risk the consequences Petitioner relies upon the case of United States ex rel. Healey v. Cannon, Warden, (7th Cir. 1977) 553 F.2d 1052, wherein the decision of the District Court vacating Healey's guilty plea previously entered in the state trial court was affirmed. The court concluded that his plea had not been intelligently and voluntarily given because it was found that he had relied upon erroneous advice of his counsel regarding his feasible options. The erroneous advice there given was, in essence, the same as that which the petitioner here alleges his counsel gave to him, i. e. that the guilty plea would not waive the right of appeal as to prior errors. The case before us, however, is readily distinguishable from the Healey case. In that case it was clear that Healey had relied upon counsel's grossly erroneous advice. His plea was given toward the close of the trial and following two adverse rulings by the trial judge which were crucial to the defense. These rulings would have formed the basis for appellate review and were the subject of counsel's mis-advice. Three times during the conference that lead to the guilty plea, counsel assured Healey and his father...
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Collins v. State
...We acknowledge that, in general, "the law in effect at the time that the crime was committed is controlling." Holsclaw v. State, 270 Ind. 256, 261, 384 N.E.2d 1026, 1030 (1979). But an "exception to this rule exists for remedial statutes, which are statutes intended to cure a defect or misc......
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Walsman v. State
...341 (Ind.Ct.App.2006). In general, "the law in effect at the time that the crime was committed is controlling." Holsclaw v. State, 270 Ind. 256, 384 N.E.2d 1026, 1030 (1979). But an "exception to this rule exists for remedial statutes, which are statutes intended to cure a defect or mischie......
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People v. Miller
...penalty[182 MICHAPP 486] should apply, serves no purpose other than a "desire for vindictive justice." Holsclaw v. Indiana, 270 Ind. 256, 261, 384 N.E.2d 1026 (1979). In those limited circumstances where sentencing is conducted after the effective date of amending legislation, we hold that ......
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Sickels v. State , 20A03–1102–CR–66.
...1999. “The general rule ... is that the law in effect at the time that the crime was committed is controlling.” Holsclaw v. State, 270 Ind. 256, 261, 384 N.E.2d 1026, 1030 (1979). According to the statute in effect at the time of Sickels' crimes: A person who knowingly or intentionally fail......