People v. Vance

Decision Date10 November 1958
PartiesPEOPLE of the State of New York, Respondent, v. Arlus Brady VANCE, Appellant.
CourtNew York Supreme Court — Appellate Division

Edward F. Donovan, Glens Falls, for appellant.

Robert J. Nolan, Glens Falls, for respondent.

Before FOSTER, P. J., and BERGAN, GIBSON, REYNOLDS and HERLIHY, JJ.

MEMORANDUM DECISION.

This is an appeal from an order of the Supreme Court, Saratoga County, entered in Warren County, which denied without a hearing the appellant's motion in the nature of a writ of error coram nobis to set aside his conviction on a plea of guilty to the crime of murder in the second degree on the ground that he had not been represented by competent counsel.

The appellant was indicted for the crime of murder first degree on October 16, 1948 and arraigned on October 18, 1948 at which time he was assigned counsel. The appellant pleaded guilty to the crime of murder in the second degree on November 19, 1948 and received a sentence of not less than twenty years nor more than life. The appellant's motion below was supported by his own affidavit in which he stated he had not been represented by competent counsel. The District Attorney submitted an affidavit in opposition to the effect that the appellant had been represented by competent and experienced counsel and, in support of this, the affidavit of the assigned counsel was submitted stating the time and effort which he had put forth in the defense of the appellant.

In this court the appellant has dropped the argument that he was not represented by competent counsel and now argues that the conviction should be set aside on the ground that he was informed by his counsel that he would receive a maximum sentence of 20 years, if he pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree.

The remedy of coram nobis is available when there has been an abrogation of the defendant's fundamental constitutional rights which does not appear in the record. Where the defendant is induced by fraud or misrepresentation on the part of the court or the prosecutor to enter a plea of guilty it is clear that the conviction is not based on due process of law. In a situation such as is here presented where the appellant claims he was misled by his assigned counsel into believing, that if he plead guilty, the maximum sentence he would receive was twenty years, when in fact he got 20 years to life, our courts have uniformly held that the remedy of coram nobis is not...

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10 cases
  • People v. Elfe
    • United States
    • New York Court of General Sessions
    • May 7, 1962
    ...district attorney inducing the entry of a guilty plea constitutes a violation of due process of law.' See particularly People v. Vance, 7 A.D.2d 661, 179 N.Y.S.2d 148; People v. Brim, 22 Misc.2d 335, 199 N.Y.S.2d 744. Controlling authority goes so far as to hold that even counsel's resortin......
  • Keenan v. Com.
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts Supreme Court
    • December 5, 1963
    ...in coram nobis proceedings). Keenan also refers to one case which seems consistent with the result which we reach. See People v. Vance, 7 App.Div.2d 661, 179 N.Y.S.2d 148 (competent counsel represented defendant, so coram nobis proceeding not available as 3. Keenan is not now entitled as ma......
  • United States ex rel. Johnson v. Mancusi, 71 Civ. 2426.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • June 10, 1975
    ...counsel, as to what their sentence would be, this would be no basis for the granting of a writ of error coram nobis. (People v. Vance, 7 A.D.2d 661 179 N.Y.S.2d 148)." With respect to the claim that defendants were denied effective assistance of counsel, Judge Carney denied the petition on ......
  • People v. Connolly
    • United States
    • New York Supreme Court — Appellate Division
    • March 9, 1992
    ...concluded that the defendant's allegations in his CPL 440.10 motion did not warrant vacatur of his guilty plea (see, People v. Vance, 7 A.D.2d 661, 179 N.Y.S.2d 148, cert. denied, 361 U.S. 845, 80 S.Ct. 99, 4 L.Ed.2d 84; People v. Walsh, 119 A.D.2d 780, 501 N.Y.S.2d 187; People v. Gale, 130......
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