Carroll v. Cupp

621 P.2d 72, 49 Or. App. 773, 1980 Ore. App. LEXIS 4001
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedDecember 15, 1980
DocketNo. 114,981, CA 17914
StatusPublished

This text of 621 P.2d 72 (Carroll v. Cupp) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carroll v. Cupp, 621 P.2d 72, 49 Or. App. 773, 1980 Ore. App. LEXIS 4001 (Or. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

GILLETTE, P. J.

This is a post-conviction relief proceeding in which petitioner seeks release from incarceration or, in the alternative, withdrawal of his plea of guilty on the ground that he has been denied effective assistance of counsel. The trial court granted the petition and remanded the case to the original trial court for the purpose of allowing petitioner to either affirm or withdraw his previously entered plea of guilty. The state appeals, pursuant to ORS 138.650.1 We reverse in part.

On September 1, 1976, petitioner executed a Petition to Enter Plea of Guilty in Multnomah County, which stated that he wished to plead guilty to charges of Robbery in the First Degree and Ex-Convict in Possession of a Firearm. The petition reflected his understanding that he faced a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment and a $2,500 fine and that his actual sentence would be decided by the trial court. In it petitioner agreed that a Deputy District Attorney would recommend 12 years incarceration, but would not prosecute petitioner for a second robbery. The document also contained information that petitioner had been convicted of homicide in California in 1963, of rape in California in 1961, and that he was under the influence of heroin at the time of the robbery to which he was pleading guilty.

On the date the plea was entered, the sentencing court and defense counsel had the following colloquy:

"THE COURT: Okay. I will accept your plea of 'guilty’ to the two charges, Mr. Carroll.
"You have a right to wait two days before sentence is imposed, Mr. Carroll, or you may waive that waiting period.
"[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Your Honor, I think a pre-sentence report on this case is pretty much called for. This is an Impact case that normally should be run through the [776]*776Diagnostic Center, due to his past record and the gravity of his past record and the relative lightness of the District Attorney’s recommendation for incarceration. I think the Court should have some more information present.
"Additionally, there are three or four civilian people that would put input into the Court before sentencing.
"Accordingly, I would request a presentence report and we would not, in any event, waive the two days. If the Court — what I am saying is — if the Court is thinking of not requiring a presentence report, I need the two days to get the people here.
"THE COURT: Oh, I will tell you what, [Counsel]. If you want a presentence report, I will get one. They are up there working all the time, anyway, but—
"[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: I think we need one.
"THE COURT: I say this based upon Mr. Carroll’s petition. It appeared to me the District Attorney has made an extremely mild recommendation. I will get one, though.
"[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Fine.
'THE COURT: I would like to make it clear to you that there may be material submitted that would make me feel that I don’t want to follow his recommendation. "(Emphasis supplied).

At the sentencing hearing petitioner presented four witnesses, the combined effect of whose testimony was to indicate that some members of the community, in spite of petitioner’s history, believed he would rehabilitate himself. During argument on sentencing, petitioner’s counsel noted that, "On paper, the man looks a lot worse that he is as an individual” and requested release to Freedom House, a drug rehabilitation program. Petitioner made a long and articulate plea for clemency. The sentencing court sentenced petitioner to 20 years on the robbery charge with a five-year concurrent sentence for ex-convict in possession.

On September 25, 1979, petitioner filed a Petition for Post-Conviction Relief, later amended to allege, inter alia, that he had been denied effective assistance of counsel and due process. A hearing was held June 30,1980, and on April 18, 1980, the post-conviction court, by letter, ruled for the petitioner:

"Having considered the testimony presented, the exhibits offered and admitted into evidence, and being advised by counsel for the respective parties as to their [777]*777positions in summation, this Court finds that no reasonably qualified defense attorney would have conducted petitioner’s case in the manner in which defense counsel conducted it [and] that said conduct amounted to incompetency of defense counsel, producing results which were preju-dicially harmful to petitioner. As a consequence, this Court finds that petitioner was denied his right to counsel, as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and Article I, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of Oregon.”

The state assigns this ruling as error.

The criteria for determing whether effective assistance of counsel has been rendered is outlined in Rook v. Cupp, 18 Or App 608, 612-613, 526 P2d 605 (1974):

"In Beasley v. United States, 491 F2d 687 (6th Cir 1974), the Sixth Circuit Court adopted the standard defined by the Fifth in West v. State of Louisiana, 478 F2d 1026 (5th Cir 1973):

" We hold that the assistance of counsel required under the Sixth Amendment is counsel reasonably likely to render and rendering reasonably effective assistance. * * * Defense counsel must investigate all apparently substantial defenses available to the defendant and must assert them in a proper and timely manner. [Citing authorities.]
" '* * * If, however, action that appears erroneous from hindsight was taken for reasons that would appear sound to a competent criminal attorney, the assistance of counsel has not been constitutionally defective. McMann v. Richardson, 397 U.S. 759, 90 S. Ct. 1441, 25 L. Ed. 2d. 763 (1970).’ 491 F2d at 696.

"The Third Circuit Court in Moore v. United States, 432 F2d 730 (3rd Cir 1970), said:

" '* * * [T]he standard of adequacy of legal services as in other professions is the exercise of the customary skill and knowledge which normally prevails at the time and place.' (Footnote omitted.) 432 F2d at 736.
"Finally, the Supreme Court of West Virginia said:
" Where a counsel’s performance, attacked as ineffective, arises from arguable courses of action, his conduct will be deemed effectively assistive of his client’s interests, unless no reasonably qualified defense attorney would have so acted in the defense of an accused.’ State v. Thomas, 203 SE2d 445, 461 (W Va 1974).
[778]*778"This brings into consideration counsel’s skills as a lawyer and applies a test of reasonableness under the circumstances. We adopt that test. It does not change the rule that a petitioner has the burden of producing evidence supporting the claim of incompetence— Benson v. Gladden, 242 Or 132, 407 P2d 634 (1965), cert denied 384 US 908 (1966); Storms v. Cupp, supra; Cole v. Cupp, 3 Or App 616, 475 P2d 428, Sup Ct

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Related

McMann v. Richardson
397 U.S. 759 (Supreme Court, 1970)
Benson v. Gladden
407 P.2d 634 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1965)
State v. Thomas
203 S.E.2d 445 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 1974)
Cole v. Cupp
475 P.2d 428 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1970)
Ball v. Gladden
443 P.2d 621 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1968)
Rook v. Cupp
526 P.2d 605 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1974)
State v. Goddard
485 P.2d 650 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
621 P.2d 72, 49 Or. App. 773, 1980 Ore. App. LEXIS 4001, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carroll-v-cupp-orctapp-1980.