Clark v. State

2012 WY 61, 275 P.3d 488, 2012 WL 1353073, 2012 Wyo. LEXIS 65
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedApril 19, 2012
DocketS-11-0123
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2012 WY 61 (Clark v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Clark v. State, 2012 WY 61, 275 P.3d 488, 2012 WL 1353073, 2012 Wyo. LEXIS 65 (Wyo. 2012).

Opinion

KITE, Chief Justice.

[T1] Pursuant to a plea agreement, Christina Clark pled guilty to two counts of third degree sexual abuse of a minor. The district court sentenced her to two concurrent terms of six to ten years in prison. She appealed from the judgment and sentence, claiming her guilty pleas were not voluntary and she is entitled to a new sentencing hearing because the district court failed to mention probation in the written judgment and sentence. We affirm but remand for entry of an amended judgment.

ISSUES

[T2] Ms. Clark presents the following issues for this Court's determination:

I. Did the district court err in accepting appellant's guilty plea, as there was not an adequate foundation established to ensure that it was a voluntarily and informed decision?
IL Is reversal for a new sentencing required under the rule mandated in *490 Trumbull v. State, 2009 WY 103, 214 P.3d 978 (Wyo.2009)?

[T3] The State asserts the district court properly accepted Ms. Clark's guilty pleas after receiving sufficient information to ensure they were the product of a voluntary and informed decision. The State also contends the district court appropriately considered probation as an alternative sentence as required by Trumbull and its failure to so state in the written judgment was merely a clerical error requiring remand to correct the omission.

FACTS

[T4] In May of 2010, Ms. Clark was charged with six counts of third degree sexual abuse of a minor in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-316(a)il) (LexisNexis 2011). The information alleged that on May 11, 2010, Ms. Clark, then age 34, engaged in sexual activity with a 16 year old female while in a position of authority over the victim. The probable cause affidavit alleged that Ms. Clark was the victim's legal guardian.

[T5] After her arrest, Ms. Clark's attorney filed a motion requesting the district court to order her to be evaluated at the Wyoming State Hospital pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-11-803 (LexisNexis 2009) to determine whether she suffered from a mental illness or deficiency. 1 The district court granted the motion and Ms. Clark was transported to the Wyoming State Hospital. The forensic psychologist who evaluated Ms. Clark concluded she was competent. Before the court and counsel were aware of the finding, Ms. Clark entered pleas of not guilty by reason of mental illness. The parties subsequently reached a plea agreement pursuant to which Ms. Clark agreed to plead guilty to two counts and the State agreed to dismiss the other four counts and accept the sentencing recommendations contained in the pre-sentence investigation report (PSI). The district court sentenced Ms. Clark to six to ten years in prison. Although the district court considered and rejected probation at the sentencing hearing, the judgment and sentence does not reflect that it did so as required by W.R.Cr.P. 82.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

[T6] We review claims concerning the voluntariness of a guilty plea de movo. Sena v. State, 2010 WY 93, ¶ 9, 233 P.3d 993, 996 (Wyo.2010). We also review de novo the question of whether a district court's judgment and sentence comply with the requirements of W.R.Cr.P. 82. Washington v. State, 2011 WY 132, ¶ 12, 261 P.3d 717, 721 (Wyo.2011).

DISCUSSION

1. Voluntariness of Plea

[T7] Ms. Clark contends that during her change of plea hearing, the district court did not obtain sufficient information to ensure that her guilty pleas were informed and voluntary. W.R.Cr.P. 11 sets forth the procedures for courts to follow in determining whether a defendant's plea is voluntary and entered with an understanding of the charges and penalties, his or her rights and the consequences of pleading guilty. The Rule provides in relevant part:

(b) Advice to defendant.-... before accepting a plea of guilty ... to a felony ... the court must address the defendant personally in open court and, unless the defendant has been previously advised by the court on the record and in the presence of counsel, inform the defendant of, and determine that the defendant understands, the following:
(1) The nature of the charge to which the plea is offered, the mandatory minimum penalty provided by law, if any, and the maximum possible penalty provided by law and other sanctions which could attend a conviction....
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*491 (2) The defendant has the right to be represented by an attorney at every stage of the proceeding and, if necessary, one will be appointed to represent the defendant;
(3) The defendant has the right to plead not guilty or to persist in that plea if it has already been made, the right to be tried by a Jury and at that trial the right to the assistance of counsel, the right to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses, the right to court process to obtain the testimony of other witnesses, and the right against compelled self-incrimination;
(4) If a plea of guilty ... is accepted by the court there will not be a further trial of any kind, so that by pleading guilty ... the defendant waives the right to a trial; and
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(d) Insuring that plea is voluntary.-The court shall not accept a plea of guilty ... without first, by addressing the defendant personally in open court, determining that the plea is voluntary and not the result of force or threats or of promises apart from a plea agreement. The court shall also inquire as to whether the defendant's willingness to plead guilty ... results from prior discussions between the attorney for the state and the defendant or the defendant's attorney.
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(f) Determining accuracy of plea.-Notwithstanding the acceptance of a plea of guilty, the court should not enter a judgment upon such plea without making such inquiry as shall satisfy it that there is a factual basis for the plea.

[T8] The general purpose of the rule is to assist the district court in making the constitutionally required determination that a defendant's guilty plea is truly voluntary. Sena, ¶ 9, 233 P.3d at 996. We examine as a whole the procedure a district court followed before accepting a guilty plea to determine if it "sufficiently described the nature of the charges, including the possible penalties; informed the defendant of the right to representation; informed the defendant of the rights waived by a guilty plea; and obtained a factual basis for the plea." Id., quoting Van Haele v. State, 2004 WY 59, ¶ 12, 90 P.3d 708, 711 (Wyo.2004). These procedural requirements are intended to assure that the defendant is not misled into an unintentional waiver of substantial rights. Sena, ¶ 9, 233 P.3d at 996, citing Reyna v. State, 2001 WY 105, ¶ 9, 33 P.3d 1129, 1132 (Wyo.2001). A guilty plea will stand when the totality of the cireumstances demonstrates the defendant made a voluntary and intelligent choice to plead guilty from alternative choices available and understood the consequences of a guilty plea.

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Related

Starrett v. State
2012 WY 133 (Wyoming Supreme Court, 2012)

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Bluebook (online)
2012 WY 61, 275 P.3d 488, 2012 WL 1353073, 2012 Wyo. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clark-v-state-wyo-2012.