Bosse v. Warden Ramirez

CourtDistrict Court, D. Idaho
DecidedMarch 4, 2025
Docket1:21-cv-00256
StatusUnknown

This text of Bosse v. Warden Ramirez (Bosse v. Warden Ramirez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Idaho primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bosse v. Warden Ramirez, (D. Idaho 2025).

Opinion

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF IDAHO

MICHAEL E. BOSSE,

Petitioner, Case No. 1:21-cv-00256-AKB

vs. MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER WARDEN TYRELL DAVIS,

Respondent.

In this federal habeas corpus matter, Petitioner Michael E. Bosse (Petitioner) filed an original Petition and a “Second Amended Petition.” (Dkts. 3, 14). Because of Petitioner’s pro se status, the Court construed the pleadings together. (See Dkt. 15 at 1). On January 4, 2023, United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill granted Respondent Warden Tyrell Davis’s partial summary dismissal motion. (Dkt. 45, 26). Judge Winmill determined that Petitioner’s claims were subject to dismissal on procedural default grounds except for Claim 1 in the original Habeas Corpus Petition. Claim 1 alleged that Marco DeAngelo, the second public defender to represent Petitioner, rendered ineffective assistance of counsel when he “refused to file a Motion to Withdraw the Guilty Plea after being requested to do so.” (See State’s Lodging D-1 at 2; Dkt. 3 at 7; Dkt. 14; Dkt. 45 at 9-10.) The Court concluded that Claim 1 had been fully exhausted on state post- conviction review. This claim is now ripe for adjudication.

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER - 1 PRELIMINARY MATTERS At issue is whether Petitioner can rely on new evidence in this proceeding. Petitioner’s state criminal case history is relevant to that question. Petitioner was charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor under age sixteen, for engaging in sexual acts with his eleven-year-old daughter, S.L. Under a plea agreement with the State, he changed his plea to guilty

of a single count with the other three counts to be dismissed. At the change of plea hearing, the state court reviewed with Petitioner the terms of the plea agreement specified in the Guilty Plea Advisory Form (hereafter “Record Plea Form”) (State’s Lodging A-1 at 52-59). (See State’s Lodging A-2 at 5-24). Petitioner testified in detail about the factual basis for the crime and that his plea was voluntary; he was not coerced to plead guilty; he was not made any promises; he understood the terms of the plea agreement; he understood the court was not bound by the State’s recommendations; he knew he could be sentenced up to life in prison; and he knew he could not withdraw his plea if he did not agree with the sentence pronounced. He affirmatively answered that he “read every word contained in this guilty plea form

including any additional writings that [had] been added,” and that he “[understood] every word, sentence, phrase and question contained in the guilty plea form.” (State’s Lodging A-2 at 13-14) (internal page citations). Further, the court asked Petitioner’s first public defender, Ian Thompson, if he had fully discussed with Petitioner all his “rights, defenses, and possible consequences of a plea of guilty”; Mr. Thompson said he had; Petitioner did not disagree. (Id. at 10-11). Among other necessary findings at the hearing, the state court found that “Defendant understood the contents of the guilty plea advisory form. There’s a factual basis for the guilty plea.

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER - 2 The guilty plea was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily made.” (Id. at 22-23). Petitioner was found guilty of Count Two, and the other three counts were dismissed. (Id. at 23). After the change of plea hearing, Mr. Thompson withdrew from representation due to personal health issues. Mr. DeAngelo assumed representation of Petitioner. At the sentencing hearing, the State recommended a term of imprisonment of twelve years fixed with eighteen years

indeterminate. (State’s Lodging A-1 at 30, 34, 37). Mr. DeAngelo recommended a sentence of four years fixed with eleven years indeterminate, with immediate release under a retained jurisdiction scheme. (Id. at 42-43). The Court adopted the State’s recommendation as the sentence. After sentencing, Petitioner seemed to assert both that the parties never came to a plea agreement at all and that they came to a different plea agreement which was not presented to the court. Rather than being contradictory, Petitioner appears to argue that the parties reached a different plea agreement which allowed Petitioner to repudiate the agreement if he was not sentenced to the term he proposed. Petitioner alleges that the parties’ actual agreement was documented on a “Form 11F, State

Plea + Bargain Agreement” (Dkt. 49 at 1-2), which is not a part of the state court record (hereafter “Missing Plea Form”). A Rule 11 plea agreement differs from the Record Plea Form, which is nonbinding on the sentencing court but binding on the parties. In contrast, a Rule 11 agreement is binding on the sentencing court but not binding on the parties: if the sentencing court refuses to adopt the plea agreement terms as the sentence, the defendant is free to withdraw the guilty plea. See Idaho Criminal Rule 11(f)(3)&(4). Petitioner seems to think he agreed to a plea agreement that was binding on the court but not binding on the parties.

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER - 3 Petitioner explains that he told Mr. Thompson just prior to the change of plea hearing: “No Rule 11 agreement with prosecution, it was to be argued in court for 5 years, + 4 counts down to 1, or no deal!” Therefore, Petitioner, reasons, “There never was an agreement to breach . . . . Rule 11 not written, or agreed to by both parties.” (State’s Lodging C-1 at 30) (spelling corrected, internal citation omitted).

Plaintiff states that Mr. Thompson wrote Petitioner’s desired terms on the Missing Plea Form: “we will argue for less than 5 as well, but ultimately we will get our 3 to 5 years medium rate, or go to trial, + rethink plea of guilty + drop to 1 count.” (Dkt. 81 at 17). Mr. Thompson then responded to Petitioner’s terms by saying, “Good, Let’s do this—We have to have our plea accepted at all costs, lie if you have to.” (Id.) (spelling corrected). Petitioner asserts: “This was all done in a 10 minute window, standing handcuffed in front of the court room doors, the day of court, forced decision. No time! I was tricked.” (Id.). Petitioner asserts he lied throughout the plea colloquy in accordance with Mr. Thompson’s advice. (State’s Lodging C-1 at 30). As a result of this new version of facts which surfaced after the sentencing hearing,

Petitioner asked Mr. DeAngelo to file a motion to withdraw Petitioner’s guilty plea. The record reflects that Mr. DeAngelo declined via a letter that recites the high standard of “manifest injustice” for attempts to withdraw a guilty plea after sentencing, stating: “After reviewing the sworn written guilty plea form it appears you acknowledged all of these rights. That you were pleading guilty without coercion or influence. That you also understood the consequences of pleading guilty.” (State’s Lodging C-1 at 90). On post-conviction review, among other claims, Petitioner asserts that Mr. DeAngelo was ineffective for not filing a motion to withdraw Petitioner’s guilty plea. (See id.). The State filed a

MEMORANDUM DECISION AND ORDER - 4 motion for summary dismissal of the post-conviction petition, alleging: the “guilty plea” was written; Petitioner was examined by the court regarding the written guilty plea advisory form when he pleaded guilty; the parties did not enter into a Rule 11 agreement; and Petitioner’s claim was disproven by the record. (Id. at 209). The State referenced the Record Plea Form and the hearing transcripts.

In response, Petitioner’s appointed attorney in the post-conviction matter, Layne Davis, argued that the claims should not be dismissed because Petitioner’s affidavit alone, containing the foregoing factual allegations, provided sufficient facts to warrant an evidentiary hearing. (Id. at 221). No affidavits from defense counsel or the prosecutor were offered. No depositions were taken.

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Bosse v. Warden Ramirez, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bosse-v-warden-ramirez-idd-2025.