Hargett v. State

864 So. 2d 283, 2003 WL 21741577
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedJuly 29, 2003
Docket2002-CP-00545-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 864 So. 2d 283 (Hargett v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hargett v. State, 864 So. 2d 283, 2003 WL 21741577 (Mich. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

864 So.2d 283 (2003)

Rodrequiz W. HARGETT, Appellant,
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2002-CP-00545-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

July 29, 2003.
Rehearing Denied October 7, 2003.
Certiorari Denied January 22, 2004.

Rodrequiz W. Hargett (Pro Se), for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General, By: W. Glenn Watts, attorney for appellee.

Before KING, P.J., THOMAS and CHANDLER, JJ.

THOMAS, J., for the court.

¶ 1. Rodrequiz W. Hargett, pro se, appeals an order of the Circuit Court of Harrison County, Mississippi denying his petition for post-conviction relief. Aggrieved, Hargett asserts the following issues on appeal:

I. THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO ADVISE APPELLANT SUFFICIENTLY OF THE MANDATORY SENTENCE REQUIRED BY STATUTE.

*284 II. THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN DENYING APPELLANT'S MOTION TO VACATE GUILTY PLEA BECAUSE IT WAS NOT KNOWINGLY, VOLUNTARILY, AND INTELLIGENTLY ENTERED INTO FOR FAILURE TO FULLY AND ADEQUATELY ADVISE OF NATURE AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE GUILTY PLEA.

III. THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN DENYING APPELLANT'S MOTION TO VACATE GUILTY PLEA WHERE APPELLANT HAS BEEN DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY WITHOUT FULL DUE PROCESS BY PROSECUTING OFFICERS' USE OF PERJURED TESTIMONY AND STATES FAILURE TO PROVIDE CORRECTIVE JUDICIAL PROCESS.

IV. THE CIRCUIT COURT ERRED IN DENYING APPELLANT'S MOTION TO VACATE GUILTY PLEA BECAUSE APPELLANT WAS DENIED EFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL FOR PROVIDING APPELLANT WITH CLEARLY ERRONEOUS INFORMATION.

Finding no error, we affirm.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY AND FACTS

¶ 2. Rodrequiz W. Hargett pled guilty to transfer of a controlled substance as a habitual offender with the advice and assistance of counsel on May 9, 2000. The trial court sentenced Hargett to ten years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Hargett filed a motion for post-conviction relief on March 1, 2001, which the trial court summarily denied. Hargett then perfected an appeal to this Court.

ANALYSIS

¶ 3. In his original motion for post-conviction relief, Hargett complained that his guilty plea was not knowingly, intelligently, freely and voluntarily given and that he did not receive effective assistance of counsel. Hargett also now argues on appeal that he was given an illegally lenient sentence.

I. VOLUNTARINESS OF GUILTY PLEA

¶ 4. Hargett asserts that his guilty plea was not knowingly, intelligently, freely, and voluntarily given because he allegedly was not informed of the mandatory minimum sentence that he could receive for his guilty plea. The standard of review pertaining to voluntariness of guilty pleas is well settled: "this Court will not set aside findings of a trial court sitting without a jury unless such findings are clearly erroneous." Weatherspoon v. State, 736 So.2d 419, 421(¶ 5) (Miss.Ct.App.1999). The burden of proving that a guilty plea was involuntary is on the defendant and must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. Id. at 422(¶ 8) (superceded by Miss.Code Ann. §§ 99-39-23 (Rev.2000)); Terry v. State, 839 So.2d 543, 545(¶ 7) (Miss.Ct.App.2002). A plea is considered "voluntary and intelligent" if the defendant is advised about the nature of the charge against him and the consequences of the entry of the plea. Alexander v. State, 605 So.2d 1170,1172 (Miss.1992).

¶ 5. Hargett signed a sworn statement which acknowledged that he was pleading guilty as a habitual offender and that acknowledged the maximum and minimum sentences as well as the maximum and minimum fine he could receive. Hargett's claims in his motion for post-conviction relief were unsupported by affidavits or any other evidence, and they contradict his sworn statements given before the court in his guilty plea. "Great weight is given to statements made under oath and in open court during sentencing." Gable v. State, 748 So.2d 703, 706(¶ 11) (Miss.1999) (quoting *285 Young v. State, 731 So.2d 1120, 1123(¶ 12) (Miss.1994)). This issue is without merit.

II. EFFECTIVENESS OF COUNSEL

¶ 6. Hargett argues that he was denied effective assistance of counsel because he did not actually commit the offense to which he pled guilty, perjured testimony was used against him, and he was not properly advised that he was pleading guilty as a habitual offender. Hargett provided no affidavits or proposed testimony in support of his argument, alleging that his witnesses could not be located or were in prison. According to Campbell v. State, 611 So.2d 209, 210 (Miss.1992), "such mere allegation is insufficient to require the trial court to grant an evidentiary hearing."

¶ 7. In order to be successful in a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, the defendant is required to make both a showing of deficient performance and that, but for the deficient performance, a different result would likely have resulted. Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 686, 104 S.Ct. 2052, 80 L.Ed.2d 674 (1984); Donnelly v. State, 841 So.2d 207, 211(¶ 8) (Miss. Ct.App.2003). In order for Hargett to prove the ineffective assistance of counsel claim, under Miss.Code Ann. §§ 99-39-11(2) (Rev.2000), the allegation must be alleged with specificity. "[H]e must specifically allege facts showing that effective assistance of counsel was not in fact rendered, and he must allege with specificity the fact that but for such purported actions by ineffective counsel, the results of the trial court decision would have been different." Smith v. State, 434 So.2d 212, 219 (Miss.1983). See also Miss.Code Ann. §§ 99-39-9(1)(c) (Rev.2000); Terry v. State, 839 So.2d 543, 546(¶ 14) (Miss.Ct. App.2002). "On review, we look with deference upon counsel's performance, considering the totality of the circumstances to determine whether it was both deficient and prejudicial." Conner v. State, 684 So.2d 608, 610 (Miss.1996).

¶ 8. "In a case involving post-conviction relief, the Mississippi Supreme Court has held, `that where a party offers only his affidavit, then his ineffective assistance of counsel claim is without merit.'" Lindsay v. State, 720 So.2d 182, 184(¶ 6) (Miss. 1998). We hold that Hargett has failed to meet his statutory burden of proof required to establish a prima facie showing. Hargett is required to show that counsel's performance was deficient and that the defendant was prejudiced by counsel's mistakes. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 686-87, 104 S.Ct. 2052. Having failed to do so, this issue is without merit.

III. LEGALITY OF SENTENCE

¶ 9. Hargett claims for the first time on appeal that the trial court imposed an illegal sentence when it ordered him to serve ten years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections without benefit of probation or parole pursuant to Section 99-19-81. He argues now that the trial court should have imposed the maximum sentence of thirty years without parole. In what can only be classified as a tongue in cheek argument, Hargett argues not that he be re-sentenced to the full maximum sentence but that his plea and sentence be totally vacated when considered in conjunction with his claims of ineffective assistance and voluntariness of guilty plea.

¶ 10.

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Bluebook (online)
864 So. 2d 283, 2003 WL 21741577, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hargett-v-state-missctapp-2003.