Burgess v. Griffin

585 F. Supp. 1564, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16815
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. North Carolina
DecidedMay 10, 1984
DocketC-C-82-715-M
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 585 F. Supp. 1564 (Burgess v. Griffin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burgess v. Griffin, 585 F. Supp. 1564, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16815 (W.D.N.C. 1984).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING HABEAS CORPUS

McMILLAN, District Judge.

On October 12, 1988, this court heard evidence on petitioner’s claim for habeas corpus relief. The parties have submitted additional memoranda in support of their respective positions. Based on the evidence and arguments presented, the court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law:

I.FINDINGS OF FACT-

A. Introduction

1. Petitioner was prosecuted in the Superior Court of Gaston County, North Carolina, for alleged multiple offenses involving sexual activity with numerous young boys. See R.Ex. 1. He pleaded guilty as to some of those acts, in violation of state criminal law, N.C.G.S. § 14-202.1, and was ultimately sentenced to two consecutive ten year terms in prison. P.Exs. 6, 43, 44. He now seeks habeas corpus relief.

B. In September, 1978, assistant District Attorney Stroud questioned petitioner in Stroud’s office after giving the warnings required by Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966).

2. In mid-September, 1978, assistant District Attorney Jay Stroud visited petitioner, unannounced, at petitioner’s house and requested him to accompany Stroud to Stroud’s office in the Gaston County, North Carolina court house. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 15-17; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 83-84.

3. Stroud advised petitioner of his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), before questioning him. Stroud testimony, Tr. p. 84.

4. Prompted by questions from Stroud, petitioner confessed to sexual conduct with young boys. Petitioner supplied Stroud with information about those acts, including the names of many of the boys and the times those incidents occurred. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr. p. 19; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 84-85.

C.Petitioner and Stroud entered into a plea agreement in which Stroud agreed to seek an indictment charging only one offense of the many offenses occurring before September 1978, and Burgess agreed to attend counseling, go to court, waive a defect in the indictment, and plead guilty.

5. At that mid-September 1978 meeting in Stroud’s office, and in the months following that meeting, Stroud (on behalf of the state) and petitioner entered into an agreement under which petitioner would, among other things, plead guilty to one charge, and Stroud would, among other things, request an indictment on only one count which would represent all possible charges against petitioner for acts done before that date. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr'. pp. 21-11; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 63-64; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 88, 95-97, 121.

6. Petitioner’s obligations under the agreement were to attend counseling regularly, to go to court and plead guilty, to waive a defect in the indictment brought against him, and to plead guilty to a single count of taking indecent liberties with an unnamed minor. R.Ex. 1; P.Exs. 45, 46; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 21-24, 27, 41-42; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 63-65, 67-68, 76; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 88-92, 95-97, 121.

7. The state’s obligations under the agreement were to seek an indictment which charged petitioner with a single count of taking indecent liberties with an unnamed minor, and to forego bringing any further charges against petitioner for simi *1567 lar acts committed before September 1978. R.Ex. 1; P.Exs. 45, 46; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 21-24, 27, 41-42; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 63-65, 67-68, 76; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 88-92, 95-97, 121.

8. Neither party contemplated that any obligations under the agreement would continue after petitioner was convicted. Both parties expected that, upon accepting petitioner’s guilty plea, the court would pronounce a sentence consistent with the agreement. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr. p. 27; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 64, 66-67; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 121-122.

9. Petitioner says that Stroud also promised that petitioner would receive only a suspended sentence as punishment. Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 18-19, 22. Stroud denies that he promised any particular sentence; he also says that he did not promise to recommend any particular sentence. Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 89, 92; P.Exs. 45, 46. Stroud did promise, however, to speak favorably of the petitioner when the court considered sentencing petitioner. Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 68-69; Stroud testimony, Tr. p. 92. It is unnecessary to make a finding on this disputed fact.

10. Stroud’s objectives in seeking these terms were to avoid any mention of petitioner’s victims and thereby spare the boys and their families publicity and embarrassment, and to compel petitioner to get professional help for his problem. P.Exs. 45, 46; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 21, 41-42; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 64, 68; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 68-90, 95-96.

11. In seeking these terms, petitioner also hoped to spare the involved young men publicity and embarrassment. Stroud testimony, Tr. p. 88. Petitioner also sought to resolve all charges in one indictment. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 21, 24; Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 64-65.

D. Stroud fully •performed his part of the plea agreement by seeking, obtaining, and prosecuting an indictment which charged petitioner with a single count of taking indecent liberties with an unnamed minor.

12. On November 6, 1978, Stroud sought and obtained from the grand jury an indictment which charged petitioner with a single count of taking indecent liberties with an unnamed minor. P.Exs. 1, 46; Stroud testimony, Tr. p. 91.

13. In November 1978, Stroud secured the appointment of Jesse Caldwell, an attorney in the public defender’s office, to represent petitioner. Caldwell testimony, Tr. pp. 60-61; P.Ex. 46.

14. On numerous occasions between November 6, 1978 and mid-January 1979, Stroud discussed with petitioner and Caldwell the indictment brought by the grand jury. Stroud informed petitioner and Caldwell that he considered the indictment to be defective because it did not mention the name of any victim. All were aware of the defect in the indictment, and all presumed that the defect would be cured if petitioner waived the defect and pleaded guilty to the indictment. R.Ex. 1; Burgess testimony, Tr. pp. 23-24; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 96-97, 121.

15. In January 1979, Stroud brought petitioner’s case in Gaston County superior court before Judge Robert M. Burroughs. Stroud explained to Judge Burroughs the charge against the petitioner and the facts underlying the charge. P.Ex. 46; Stroud testimony, Tr. pp. 92, 122-124; Caldwell testimony, Tr. p. 78. Judge Burroughs accepted petitioner’s guilty plea. P.Ex. 6.

E. Burgess fully performed his part of the plea agreement by attending counseling, by waiving the defect in the indictment, by pleading guilty, and by going to court many times over a period of seven or eight months to be sentenced.

16.

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Bluebook (online)
585 F. Supp. 1564, 1984 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16815, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burgess-v-griffin-ncwd-1984.