Hooper v. State

232 So. 2d 257, 1970 Fla. App. LEXIS 6802
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedFebruary 27, 1970
DocketNo. 69-470
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 232 So. 2d 257 (Hooper v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hooper v. State, 232 So. 2d 257, 1970 Fla. App. LEXIS 6802 (Fla. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

PIERCE, Judge.

This is an appeal by Ronald David Hooper, defendant below, from an order entered by the lower Court on July 28, 1969, denying his application for post-conviction relief.

The history of the litigation is not particularly salutary but it is interesting as pointing up a classic factual situation as to which the post-conviction Rule was never intended to be utilized. On March 19, 1969, information was filed in the Highlands County Circuit Court charging Hooper with the second degree murder of one William Morrison by hitting him with “a piece of pipe”. On April 14, 1969, after due inquiry under oath in open Court, Hooper was adjudged insolvent and a local Public Defender was appointed to represent him. On April 21, 1969, Hooper was arraigned upon the information, and upon his plea of not guilty his trial began before a jury on April 24, 1969. Four witnesses testified for the State, whereupon the State rested. Motion for directed verdict by the defendant was denied and defendant Hooper thereupon testified in his own behalf. The defense then rested and the State announced there would be no rebuttal.

After a recess for lunch the proceedings resumed in the Court room, and before summations to the jury began Hooper and his counsel announced to the Court that he desired to withdraw his .plea of not guilty and enter a plea of guilty to manslaughter, which was agreeable to the State. Extended discussion ensued on the part of the defendant, the Court, and respective counsel. Finally, the Court granted the defendant’s said motion, adjudged him guilty of manslaughter, and entered judgment and sentence accordingly.

No direct appeal was taken, but on July 8, 1969, 'Hooper filed in the trial Court his post-conviction motion under CrPR 1.850, 33 F.S.A., alleging in substance that during a recess of his trial he was “taken aside by his Court appointed counsel” and advised that “it would be to his best interest if he changed his plea to guilty”, that “if found guilty by a jury he would receive the maximum sentence prescribed by law of life imprisonment”, that it was “under the influence of this advice” that he entered the guilty plea to manslaughter, and that such plea of guilty was thereupon “entered due to the influence and coercion of his Court-appointed counsel.” Upon denial of said motion, Hooper has appealed to this Court and contends here that such order of denial should be reversed in that the record of the trial proceedings does not show that the entry of the guilty plea [259]*259to manslaughter was voluntary and was knowingly and intelligently made.

Because the record of the proceedings in open Court at the time the plea was entered so clearly and convincingly refutes Hooper’s contention, we deem it appropriate to here set forth the essential excerpts therefrom, occurring immediately after the trial convened in open Court after lunch and in the absence of the jury, as follows:

“MR. MACBETH (Asst. State Attorney) : Your Honor, the Defendant has indicated a willingness to withdraw his plea of not guilty and enter a plea of guilty to the lesser included offense of manslaughter and the State’s position on this thing is at this point there has been so much conversation with him during the course of the trial about this, I know Mr. Sprott talked to him. I am not sure whether any of the other Public Defenders talked to him at all, but I wouldn’t want to be in the position where he could say everybody was talking him into it. I know his relatives have been with him and each time he — he indicated before, I understand, that he was not guilty and wouldn’t plead guilty.
THE COURT: I wouldn’t worry about that at all in view of the questions he would have to answer before it is over. The point is we have the evidence in the case to back it up. It is not like where nobody had testified in this case. The Court heard the testimony.
MR. MACBETH: I would have no objections to it, then.
THE COURT: If he pleads he will get 20 years.
MR. SPROTT (Asst. Public Defender): I made that clear to him.
THE COURT: Then I think the State will be agreeable. It is a mutual proposal. I think it is fair on both sides.
MR. SPROTT: Comes now the Defendant and moves to be allowed to withdraw his plea of not guilty to the charge of second degree murder and permitted to enter a plea of guilty to the lesser included offense of manslaughter.
THE COURT: All right. Come up here.
Be sure and don’t let the Jury come out during this. If he changes his mind, I will not let anything interfere with the trial proceeding.
Now, Ronald David Hooper, you have just heard the announcement made by your attorney Mr. Kingswood Sprott, who is present today along with the Public Defender himself, Mr. Horton, from Lake Wales. You have been in conference with both the Public Defender and the Assistant Public Defender about this matter.
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Is it your sister that is with you today?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir, and brother-in-law.
THE COURT: Have you been in conference too with them about this matter ?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: With reference to your entering the plea of guilty to manslaughter?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Now, it is going to be necessary for the Court to ask you certain questions and you must make truthful answers to all these questions.
Do you understand that you have a right to trial by a Jury or by the Court without a Jury of this case, you understand that, don’t you ?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: In fact, we are in progress of the trial now so you know you have the right of trial by Jury.
And you know you are charged with second degree murder. In other words, [260]*260you are charged with killing William Morrison with a deadly weapon but without premeditation. You know that, don’t you? The charge has been explained to you over and over by the Public Defender’s Office, isn’t that right?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
THE COURT: Manslaughter is a lesser included offense coming under the charge of second degree murder.
Now, how do you plead to this offense of second degree murder, first.
I asked how does he plead to this information and it is expected he will plead guilty to the lesser included offense. How does he plead to the second degree murder information ?
MR. SPROTT: The second degree murder charge, not guilty.
THE DEFENDANT: Not guilty.
THE COURT: First, there has been a Motion made to permit the Defendant to withdraw his not guilty plea to the second degree murder charge. That Motion is granted.
Do you plead guilty to the offense of manslaughter, a lesser included offense?

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
232 So. 2d 257, 1970 Fla. App. LEXIS 6802, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hooper-v-state-fladistctapp-1970.