Kiser v. Commonwealth

829 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Ky. App. LEXIS 98, 1992 WL 92045
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kentucky
DecidedMay 8, 1992
Docket91-CA-166-MR, 91-CA-217-MR
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 829 S.W.2d 432 (Kiser v. Commonwealth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kentucky primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kiser v. Commonwealth, 829 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Ky. App. LEXIS 98, 1992 WL 92045 (Ky. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

WILHOIT, Judge.

Daniel Boyd Kiser appeals from a judgment of the Jefferson Circuit Court which denied his motion to vacate his sentence pursuant to RCr 11.42 and CR 60.02.

The appellant was indicted for theft by unlawful taking over $100 on November 10, 1982. On December 1, 1983, the appellant withdrew his original plea of “not guilty” and entered a plea of “guilty.” He received a sentence of five years, which was probated. On May 14, 1985, the appellant was convicted of rape and being a persistent felony offender. The Commonwealth then moved to revoke his probation on the original conviction. The order revoking that probation was not entered until December 4, 1985. It provided that the five-year sentence would run consecutively to the 20-year sentence for the 1985 conviction.

The appellant argues that the trial court erred in finding that his December 1, 1983, guilty plea under Indictment No. 82-CR-1679 was constitutionally valid and, based on that finding, in denying his motion to vacate. The appellant contends that his plea was not made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently in violation of his state and federal constitutional rights. He argues that neither his attorney nor the court explained to him exactly what elements the prosecution would be required to prove in order to gain a conviction, and that counsel was ineffective in not informing him of the prosecution’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

To sustain an allegation that counsel’s assistance was ineffective in enabling a defendant to intelligently weigh his legal alternatives in deciding to plead guilty, the defendant must prove the following:

(1) that counsel made errors so serious that counsel’s performance fell outside the wide range of professionally competent assistance; and (2) that the deficient performance so seriously affected the outcome of the plea process that, but for the errors of counsel, there is a reasonable probability that the defendant would not have pleaded guilty, but would have insisted on going to trial.

Sparks v. Commonwealth, Ky.App., 721 S.W.2d 726, 727-28 (1986), citing Hill v. Lockhart, 474 U.S. 52, 57, 106 S.Ct. 366, 88 L.Ed.2d 203 (1985). The record contains a transcript of proceedings on defendant’s plea of guilty, as well as a printed “Plea of Guilty” form and a “Certificate of Counsel.” The transcript shows that the defendant was expressly informed of the rights guaranteed under Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969), and questioned individually regarding his understanding of the ramifications of waiving each of these rights. The “Plea of Guilty” form, which enumerated the appellant’s rights including those addressed in Boykin, supra, had been completed and signed by the defendant. The Certificate of Counsel, stating that counsel had fully explained to the appellant the allegations contained in the indictment and his constitutional rights and that in counsel’s opinion the plea of guilty was voluntarily and understanding^ made, was completed and signed by counsel. Further, in response to *434 the court’s oral questions regarding whether counsel had explained to the appellant his rights and the nature of the alleged offense, counsel answered affirmatively. The appellant stated that he had conferred with his attorney about the case and that he was satisfied with counsel’s services. There has been no showing sufficient to meet the test cited in Sparks that counsel’s assistance was ineffective.

Clearly a guilty plea is valid only if it represents a voluntary and intelligent choice among the alternative courses of action open to a defendant. North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S.Ct. 160, 27 L.Ed.2d 162 (1970). A particular plea’s validity is determined from the totality of the circumstances surrounding its making, not by reference to some magic incantation recited at the time it was taken. Kotas v. Commonwealth, Ky., 565 S.W.2d 445, 447 (1978). A review of the record indicates that the requirements of Boykin, supra, were satisfied by the procedure as described above. See Commonwealth v. Crawford, Ky., 789 S.W.2d 779 (1990). We conclude that the appellant intelligently and knowingly pleaded guilty.

On cross-appeal, the Commonwealth contends that the court erred in vacating the December 4, 1985, revocation of the appellant’s probation. That order was based on the finding that the revoking court was without jurisdiction to so act under the provisions of KRS 533.040(3) because the grounds for the revocation came to the attention of the Corrections Cabinet not later than May 15, 1985, and the order was entered more than 90 days later. KRS 533.040(3) provides as follows:

A sentence of probation or conditional discharge shall run concurrently with any federal or state jail, prison or parole term for another offense to which the defendant is or becomes subject during the period, unless such sentence of probation or conditional discharge is revoked. Such revocation must take place prior to parole under or expiration of the sentence of imprisonment or within ninety days after the grounds for revocation come to the attention of the corrections cabinet, whichever occurs first.

The court found the 90-day period during which revocation must occur pursuant to this statue began on May 15, 1985. It noted that although the prosecution’s motion for revocation was timely filed, the revocation hearing and order of revocation did not take place until well beyond the statutory deadline. Thus it concluded that the court was without jurisdiction to revoke the appellant’s probation when it acted to do so on December 4, 1985. In its order vacating the revocation the court stated the following:

Where words in a statute are clear and unambiguous and express legislative intent, there is no room for construction, and, the statute must be accepted as it is written. Manning v. Kentucky Board of Dentistry, Ky.App., 657 S.W.2d 584 (1983). Since [the appellant’s] revocation of probation was contrary to the plain language of the statute, the December 4, 1985, order of revocation must be vacated. The clear and unambiguous language of KRS 533.040(3), provided that unless the specified time limits therein are satisfied, a sentence of probation may not be revoked, even if a defendant commits a subsequent offense while on probation.

(Emphasis added.)

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Bluebook (online)
829 S.W.2d 432, 1992 Ky. App. LEXIS 98, 1992 WL 92045, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kiser-v-commonwealth-kyctapp-1992.