Brown v. State

19 S.W.3d 190, 2000 Mo. App. LEXIS 884, 2000 WL 726458
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 7, 2000
DocketNo. 23252
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 19 S.W.3d 190 (Brown v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Brown v. State, 19 S.W.3d 190, 2000 Mo. App. LEXIS 884, 2000 WL 726458 (Mo. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinion

CROW, Presiding Judge.

George Brown, Jr. (“Movant”) appeals from a judgment dismissing his pro se motion for post-conviction relief under Rule 24.0S5.1 The motion court dismissed Movant’s motion because it was filed more than ninety days after Movant was delivered to the Department of Corrections.

Movant’s sole point relied on is:

“The motion court clearly erred in dismissing Mr. Brown’s Rule 24.035 motion as untimely filed because the absolute deadline imposed by Rule 24.035(b) arbitrarily denied Mr. Brown due process of law. See U.S. Const., Amends. V and XIV; Mo. Const., Art. I, § 10. The Rule sets a reasonable limit of 90 days in which persons convicted of felonies may seek post-conviction relief. But by failing to provide for the late filing of a post-conviction motion in those rare instances when good cause exists for the movant’s failure to file within the 90 day time limit, however, the Rule acts to arbitrarily abrogate the right of post-conviction review. If given the chance, Mr. Brown can establish good cause for failing to file his pro se motion by the April 29, 1999, deadline, i.e., his plea attorney mislead him to believe that she would file the motion to vacate for him.”

The following chronology is pertinent to Movant’s claim of error.

June 23, 1998. Movant and his lawyer (“Plea Counsel”) appear in trial court in case number CR298-328F (“case 328”). Pursuant to a plea agreement, Movant pleads guilty to class C felony of receiving stolen property. Consistent with agreement, trial court sentences Movant to three years’ imprisonment, suspends execution of sentence, and places Movant on supervised probation for three years.

October 13, 1998. Movant and Plea Counsel appear in trial court in case number CR298-548F (“case 548”). Pursuant to a plea agreement, Movant pleads guilty to class C felony of receiving stolen property.2 Consistent with agreement, tidal court: (a) revokes Movant’s probation in case 328 and orders sentence in that case — three years’ imprisonment — executed; (b) sentences Movant to six years’ imprisonment in case 548; (c) orders sentence in case 548 to run concurrently with sentence in case 328.

Plea agreement further provides Movant will be “considered for probation during the first 120 days of incarceration.”3 Trial court announces:

[192]*192“As to each of these two case files, the Court will request that the Department of Corrections and Board of Probation and Parole provide this Court with a progress report and a recommendation relative to a 120-day release pursuant to Chapter 559.115 Revised Statutes of Missouri, and upon the Court receiving a favorable recommendation, the Court will exercise its discretionary review authority in these two case files and place Mr. Brown back on supervised probation.”

The final element in the plea agreement is that Movant will “remain free” until 8:00 a.m., January 2, 1999, at which time he must report to New Madrid County sheriffs office for delivery to Department of Corrections.

January 2, 1999. Movant fails to report to sheriffs office. Trial court subsequently issues warrant for Movant’s arrest.

January 26, 1999. Movant appears in trial court. Court announces:

“The Court will rescind its order for 120-day release consideration, purchase [sic] to Chapter 559.115.”

January 29, 1999. Sheriff of New Madrid County delivers Movant to Department of Corrections.

April 26, 1999. Trial court’s docket sheet in case 328 and trial court’s docket sheet in case 548 show filing of “Motion Challenging Validity of Guilty Plea.”4 Motion pleads, inter alia:

“4. Defendant did not understand at the time of his guilty plea that a failure to report as directed would cause [the trial court] to rescind defendant’s placement into the 120 day shock incarceration program.
5. Had defendant understood that the 120 day shock incarceration could be rescinded, he would not have entered his plea of guilty.
6. Under these circumstances, it would be manifestly unjust not to permit defendant to withdraw his guilty plea.”

Motion bears Plea Counsel’s signature; it is henceforth referred to as “Plea Counsel Motion.”

May 12, 1999. Trial court denies Plea Counsel Motion in both cases.

June 14, 1999. Movant files motion referred to in first sentence of this opinion. Motion attacks conviction and sentence in each case.5 Motion is henceforth referred to as “Pro Se Motion.”

July 8, 1999. Motion court issues order stating court must determine whether Pro Se Motion “was timely filed.” Order grants parties time to file memorandum on that issue.

August 12, 1999. A Public Defender (“Motion Counsel”) files motion on Mov-ant’s behalf; it is henceforth referred to as “Motion Counsel Motion.” It concedes Pro Se Motion was untimely under Rule 24.035(b), as Pro Se Motion was filed more than ninety days after Movant’s delivery to Department of Corrections.6 Motion Counsel Motion avers, inter alia:

[193]*193“Movant asserts that his untimely [Pro Se Motion] was the result of [Plea Counsel] telling him she would file a motion to vacate on his behalf. As the Court’s file shows, [Plea Counsel] did, on April 26, 1999, file a motion challenging the validity of movant’s guilty plea. Movant’s failure to timely file a Form 40[7] was accordingly based on counsel’s mis-advice.”

Motion Counsel Motion prays motion court to “either find that [the Pro Se Motion] should be treated as timely filed on the basis of counsel’s erroneous representation, or alternatively, treat the [Plea Counsel Motion] filed April 26, 1999 as sufficing for a timely filed pro se motion under Rule 24.035.”

August 16, 1999. Motion court enters judgment accompanied by findings of fact and conclusions of law. Court finds, inter alia, that Pro Se Motion was not filed within the time allowed by Rule 24.035(b), as it was filed more than ninety days after Movant’s delivery to Department of Corrections. Motion court concludes: “A Rule 24.035 motion that is not timely filed must be dismissed; it cannot be considered on the merits.” Consistent therewith, judgment dismisses Pro Se Motion.

Movant brings this appeal from that judgment.

Movant’s point relied on, quoted earlier, challenges the constitutionality of the deadline in Rule 24.035(b). Movant’s hypothesis, as this court grasps it, is that the deadline is unconstitutional as applied to him in the motion court because it provides no exception for late filing in instances where “good cause” exists for failure to file within the ninety-day limit.

This court has searched the record to see whether the constitutional challenge in Movant’s point relied on was presented to the motion court. This court finds no such challenge in the Pro Se Motion or the Motion Counsel Motion.8

According to the record, the only other pleading presented to the motion court between June 14, 1999 (the date the Pro Se

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Related

Brown v. State
68 S.W.3d 622 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2002)
Valdez v. State
35 S.W.3d 877 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2001)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
19 S.W.3d 190, 2000 Mo. App. LEXIS 884, 2000 WL 726458, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/brown-v-state-moctapp-2000.