State v. Dickens
| Decision Date | 08 January 1980 |
| Docket Number | No. 72,72 |
| Parties | STATE of North Carolina v. Herman Lee DICKENS. |
| Court | North Carolina Supreme Court |
Rufus L. Edmisten, Atty. Gen., William W. Melvin, Deputy Atty. Gen., by Mary I. Murrill, Asst. Atty. Gen., Raleigh, for the State.
Ralph G. Willey, III, Spring Hope, for defendant-appellant.
Did the Court of Appeals err in upholding the trial court's denial of defendant's motion for leave to withdraw his guilty pleas? Answer to that question will dispose of this appeal. We treat the motion as a motion for appropriate relief.
We note initially that G.S. 15A-1444(e) provides in pertinent part that "except when a motion to withdraw a plea of guilty or no contest has been denied, the defendant is not entitled to appellate review as a matter of right when he has entered a plea of guilty or no contest to a criminal charge in the superior court, but he may petition the appellate division for review by writ of certiorari." When the language of the quoted statute is read conversely, it provides that when a motion to withdraw a plea of guilty or no contest has been denied, the defendant is entitled to appellate review as a matter of right when he has entered a plea of guilty or no contest to a criminal charge in the superior court. It follows that the defendant in this case is entitled to appeal as a matter of right since his motion to withdraw his pleas of guilty, made during the term and on the day following pronouncement of judgment, was denied.
A plea of guilty or no contest is improperly accepted unless the trial judge has first determined that there is a Factual basis for the plea. "The judge may not accept a plea of guilty or no contest without first determining that there is a factual basis for the plea. This determination may be based upon information including but not limited to:
(1) A statement of the facts by the prosecutor.
(2) A written statement of the defendant.
(3) An examination of the presentence report.
(4) Sworn testimony, which may include reliable hearsay.
(5) A statement of facts by the defense counsel."
The quoted statute does not require the trial judge to elicit evidence from each, any or all of the enumerated sources. Those sources are not exclusive because the statute specifically so provides. The trial judge may consider any information properly brought to his attention in determining whether there is a factual basis for a plea of guilty or no contest. Moreover, "a written statement of the defendant" ordinarily consists of defendant's written answers to the questions contained in a document entitled "Transcript of Plea." The Transcript of Plea in this case reads as follows:
The defendant, having tendered a plea of guilty and being first duly sworn, makes the following answers to the questions asked by the presiding judge:
1. Are you able to hear and understand me?
Answer: Yes.
2. Do you understand that you have the right to remain silent and that any statement you make may be used against you?
Answer: Yes.
3. Are you now under the influence of alcohol, drugs, medicines, pills, or any other intoxicants?
Answer: No.
4. Have you discussed your case fully with your lawyer and are you satisfied with his services?
Answer: Yes.
5. Do you understand that you are pleading (guilty) (no contest) to the felonies of __________ misdemeanors of worthless check (8 counts)?
Answer: Yes.
6. Have the charges been explained to you by your attorney and do you understand the nature of the charges? Answer: Yes.
7. Do you understand that upon your plea you could be imprisoned for a maximum of 2 years 4 months (and that the mandatory minimum sentence is ______)?
Answer: __________
8. Do you understand that you have the right to plead not guilty and be tried by a jury and be confronted by the witnesses against you, and by this plea you give up these and your other constitutional rights relating to trial by jury?
Answer: Yes.
9. Do you now plead guilty?
Answer: Yes.
Answer: Yes.
Answer: N/A.
10. Have you agreed to plead as a part of a plea bargain? Before you answer, I advise you that the courts have approved plea bargaining and if there is one, you may advise me truthfully without fear of incurring my disapproval.
11. (If applicable) The District Attorney and your counsel have informed the court that these are all the terms and conditions of your plea: ___
(a) Is this correct? Answer: ___
(b) Do you accept this arrangement?
Answer: ___
12. (Other than what I have just said) has anyone made you any promises or threatened you in any way to cause you to enter this plea?
Answer: No.
13. Do you enter this plea of your own free will, understanding what you are doing?
Answer: Yes.
14. Do you have any questions about what I have just said to you?
Answer: No.
I am 39 years of age and completed the 10th grade of school.
I have read or have heard read all of these questions and understand them. The answers shown are the ones I gave in open court and they are true and accurate. Neither my lawyer nor anyone else has told me to give false answers in order to have the court accept my plea in this case. The conditions of the plea as stated on the reverse hereof, if any, are accurate.
s/ HERMAN DICKENS
Defendant
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
27 day of November, 1978.
s/ MARY J. MATTHEWS
As Attorney for the defendant, Herman Dickens, I hereby certify that the conditions stated on the reverse hereof, if any, upon which the defendant's plea was entered are correct and they are agreed to by the defendant and myself upon which the defendant's plea was entered. I further certify that I have fully explained to the defendant the nature and elements of the charges to which he is pleading.
Date
s/ ROBERT A. EVANS
As prosecutor for the 7th Judicial District, I hereby certify that the conditions stated on the reverse hereof, if any, are the terms agreed to by the defendant and his counsel and myself for the entry of the plea by the defendant to the charge in this case.
Date
s/ J. M. HESTER, JR.
The record in this case reveals that defendant had been convicted on all eight charges in the district court after trial upon his pleas of not guilty, and he thereupon appealed to the superior court for trial De novo. Additionally, the Transcript of Plea reveals that defendant, by his answer to Question 9, said he was actually guilty of the charges. Thus there was an abundance of information before the trial judge to constitute a factual basis for the pleas of guilty and to support their acceptance. Defendant's contentions to the contrary are meritless.
Even so, defendant's motion to withdraw his pleas of guilty is based on his assertion that he was told by his attorney Mr. Evans that he would be allowed to make restitution in lieu of a prison sentence. He explains his contradictory answers to various questions contained in the written Transcript of Plea by asserting that his counsel had told him to answer "no" to certain questions asked him by the trial judge. Defendant's contention is supported by his failure to give a written answer to Question 10 in the Transcript of Plea which reads: There is no explanation in the record for defendant's apparent failure to give a written answer to this question. And the same is true with respect to Question 7 which was unanswered. Nor does the record indicate whether defendant, defendant's trial attorney or the prosecutor ever stated, in response to mandatory inquiries from the trial court prior to the taking of the guilty pleas, that no plea bargains had been made or discussed with defendant. See G.S. 15A-1022(b). Given the deficient state of the record on appeal, we must conclude that a question of fact exists as to whether defendant's guilty pleas were tendered under the impression that a plea bargain had been made and had to be concealed in order for defendant to benefit from it. Accordingly, we hold that prior to ruling on defendant's motion to withdraw his pleas of guilty, the trial court should have held a hearing, received evidence under oath from defendant personally and from his trial counsel Robert A. Evans, together with any other relevant evidence, and then made findings of fact as to whether or not defendant entered the guilty pleas under the misapprehension that he had a plea bargain with respect to sentence. See G.S. 15A-1420(c)(4).
We are cognizant that the recent major revisions in our plea bargaining procedures are designed to minimize the possibility that a defendant might enter a plea of guilty in the mistaken belief that a plea bargain had been made but must be concealed from the judge in order to benefit from it. See G.S. 15A-1021, Et seq. and Official Commentary. Accord, Blackledge v. Allison, 431 U.S. 63, 79, 97 S.Ct. 1621, 1631, 52 L.Ed.2d 136, 150 (1977). The new procedures expressly legitimize plea bargaining. G.S. 15A-1021. The trial judge is required to make specific inquiries of defendant, his counsel and the prosecutor as to whether a plea bargain has been discussed or entered into. G.S. 15A-1022...
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