State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, No. 12369

CourtSupreme Court of West Virginia
Writing for the CourtCALHOUN
Citation139 S.E.2d 263,149 W.Va. 181
PartiesSTATE ex rel. Delbert BROWNING v. Otto C. BOLES, Warden, etc.
Decision Date15 December 1964
Docket NumberNo. 12369

Page 263

139 S.E.2d 263
149 W.Va. 181
STATE ex rel. Delbert BROWNING
v.
Otto C. BOLES, Warden, etc.
No. 12369.
Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
Submitted Nov. 10, 1964.
Decided Dec. 15, 1964.

Page 264

Syllabus by the Court

1. 'The right of one accused of a crime to the assistance of counsel is a fundamental right, essential to a fair trial; therefore the safeguard of counsel, provided by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, is made obligatory upon the states by virtue of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.' Point 1 Syllabus, State ex rel. May v. Boles, Warden, etc., W.Va. [139 S.E.2d 177.]

2. 'Courts indulge every reasonable presumption against waiver of a fundamental constitutional right and will not presume acquiescence in the loss of such fundamental right.' Point 2 Syllabus, State ex rel. May v. Boles, Warden, etc., W.Va. [139 S.E.2d 177.]

3. 'The right to the assistance of counsel, being a fundamental right, will not be presumed to have been waived by the failure of the accused to request counsel, by his entry of a guilty plea or by reason of a record silent on the matter of counsel.' Point 3 Syllabus, State ex rel. May v. Boles, Warden, etc., W.Va. [139 S.E.2d 177.]

4. 'The general rule which presumes the regularity of court proceedings is subject to the qualification that, where the record is silent on the question, it can not be presumed that the accused waived his right to the assistance of counsel.' Point 4 Syllabus, State ex rel. May v. Boles, Warden, ect., W.Va. [139 S.E.2d 177.]

5. 'One accused of a crime may waive his right to the assistance of counsel but such waiver must be made intelligently and understandingly.' Point 5 Syllabus, State ex rel. May v. Boles, Warden, etc., W.Va. [139 S.E.2d 177.]

Timothy N. Barber, St. Albans, for relator.

[149 W.Va. 182] C. Donald Robertson, Atty. Gen., and George H. Mitchell, Asst. Atty. Gen., Charleston, for respondent.

CALHOUN, Judge.

In this original proceeding in habeas corpus Delbert Browning seeks to be released from confinement in the state penitentiary under an indeterminate sentence of from one to ten years imposed by the Circuit Court of Logan County upon his plea of guilty to an indictment charging the offense commonly referred to as breaking and entering.

The prisoner alleges that his conviction on his plea of guilty and the sentence imposed pursuant to that conviction are void on the ground that he was denied his...

To continue reading

Request your trial
18 practice notes
  • State v. Thomas, No. 13358
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • March 19, 1974
    ...W.Va. 163, 139 S.E.2d 182 (1964); State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259 (1964); State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 (1964); State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370 (1964). Since Gideon, this Court has never wavered in ......
  • State ex rel. Smith v. Boles, No. 12485
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • January 12, 1966
    ...W.Va. 324, 141 S.E.2d 70; State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370; State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 148 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263; State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259; State ex rel. Hicklin v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 163, 139 S.E.2d 182; State ex rel......
  • State v. Jackson, No. 15419
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • December 15, 1982
    ...458, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938); Syllabus, State v. Mollohan, 166 W.Va. 60, 272 S .E.2d 454 (1980), citing Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 We agree with those courts that hold that a defendant may be compelled to participate in a psychiatric examination for compete......
  • Cuppett v. Duckworth, No. 89-1896
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (7th Circuit)
    • October 8, 1993
    ...W.Va. 264, 140 S.E.2d 463 (1965); State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370 (1964); State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 (1964); State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259 (1964); State ex rel. Hicklin v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 163,......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
18 cases
  • State v. Thomas, No. 13358
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • March 19, 1974
    ...W.Va. 163, 139 S.E.2d 182 (1964); State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259 (1964); State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 (1964); State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370 (1964). Since Gideon, this Court has never wavered in ......
  • State ex rel. Smith v. Boles, No. 12485
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • January 12, 1966
    ...W.Va. 324, 141 S.E.2d 70; State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370; State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 148 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263; State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259; State ex rel. Hicklin v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 163, 139 S.E.2d 182; State ex rel......
  • State v. Jackson, No. 15419
    • United States
    • Supreme Court of West Virginia
    • December 15, 1982
    ...458, 58 S.Ct. 1019, 82 L.Ed. 1461 (1938); Syllabus, State v. Mollohan, 166 W.Va. 60, 272 S .E.2d 454 (1980), citing Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 We agree with those courts that hold that a defendant may be compelled to participate in a psychiatric examination for compete......
  • Cuppett v. Duckworth, No. 89-1896
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (7th Circuit)
    • October 8, 1993
    ...W.Va. 264, 140 S.E.2d 463 (1965); State ex rel. Arbraugh v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 193, 139 S.E.2d 370 (1964); State ex rel. Browning v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 181, 139 S.E.2d 263 (1964); State ex rel. Stumbo v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 174, 139 S.E.2d 259 (1964); State ex rel. Hicklin v. Boles, 149 W.Va. 163,......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT