Likens v. State

378 N.E.2d 24, 177 Ind. App. 101, 1978 Ind. App. LEXIS 966
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 12, 1978
Docket3-1076A238
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 378 N.E.2d 24 (Likens v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Likens v. State, 378 N.E.2d 24, 177 Ind. App. 101, 1978 Ind. App. LEXIS 966 (Ind. Ct. App. 1978).

Opinions

Garrard, J.

As the result óf a plea bargain appellant Likens pleaded guilty to charges of rape and robbery.1 In return a count for commission of a felony while armed and a separate robbery charge were dismissed. Likens was sentenced to 2 to 21 years imprisonment on the charge of rape and to 10 to 25 years on the robbery charge. Three months later he petitioned for post conviction relief. This is a belated appeal from the denial of his PC 1 petition.

I. Motions for default and summary judgment

During the course of the post-conviction hearing it was discovered that the state had not filed an answer to Likens’ petition as prescribed by PC 1, § 4(1). Thereupon the state moved for permission to file an answer in denial, either orally or in writing. Likens, on the other hand, moved for default and for summary disposition under § 4(6). The court permitted the state to orally deny the petition, precluded it from asserting any new matters and denied both of Likens’ motions. These denials are assigned as error.

PC 1, § 4(1) requires the state to respond to a PC 1 petition within thirty days or such further reasonable time as the court may fix. In addition, “[t]he court may make appropriate orders for amendment of the petition or answer, for filing further pleadings or motions, or for extending the time of filing any pleading.”

Granting a default is a matter within the sound discretion of the court and is reviewable only for abuse. Payne v. Doss (1976), 170 Ind. App. 652, 354 N.E.2d 346; Green v. Karol (1976), 168 Ind. App. 467, 344 N.E.2d 106. Likens asserts no surprise from the state’s position or the evidence produced. In fact it appears that his counsel and the prosecutor had conferred for three hours before the hearing and both were prepared to proceed. The absence of a written answer was not even noticed until the hearing was under way. It ap[104]*104pears that the purpose of requiring an answer, i.e., to advise the petitioner of the state’s position regarding his claims, was satisfied. Compare State v. Kolb (1974), 162 Ind. App. 115, 318 N.E.2d 382, where the state was precluded from asserting the procedural sufficiency of a petition by failing to assert it by answer.

We find that Likens has failed to demonstrate that the court abused its discretion in refusing a default. Moreover, there was no error in refusing summary disposition. Since there was no default granted, Likens was not entitled to have the allegations of his petition taken as true. Because the proceeding challenged a sentence imposed following a guilty plea, the court was required to make the transcript of the arraignment a part of the record. PC 1, § 4(4). There were genuine issues of material fact which precluded judgment as a matter of law. King v. State (1974), 161 Ind. App. 196, 314 N.E.2d 805.

II. Advisement of constitutional rights

Likens asserts that the court failed to adequately advise him of the rights he would waive in entering a plea of guilty. He alleges that he was not told he was waiving his privilege against self-incrimination or the right to confront his accusers.

The arraignment record at the proceeding when the plea was accepted2 discloses the court advised Likens of the following:

“At a trial and during this trial, one of your fundamental constitutional rights is, that you may not be compelled to testify or give any evidence against yourself.”
“You are giving up your right to face the witnesses here in court .... And you are also giving up your right to have your attorney cross-examine the witnesses.”

The court then inquired, “Do you understand those things that you are giving up.” Likens responded that he did.

Likens’ assertions are meritless.

[105]*105 III. Assertion of innocence

Likens next asserts that his guilty plea should not have been accepted because at sentencing he asserted his innocence. In support he cites Harshman v. State (1953), 232 Ind. 618, 115 N.E.2d 501.

We first note that neither at sentencing nor at any other time did Likens assert he was innocent of any of the crimes charged. What he did do at the sentencing hearing was assert no memory of committing the offense.3 In Harshman a guilty plea was set aside where the defendant at the guilty plea proceeding asserted no memory of committing the offense on the ground of intoxication. However, several factors distinguish the acceptance of Likens’ plea from that in Harshman.

[106]*106[105]*105The basic rule guiding us in the acceptance of guilty pleas is that they must be made knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently. One of the re[106]*106quirements we have imposed is that there exist a factual basis for the plea. This requirement responds to the justice function of the courts. In part it is designed to assure the court that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a crime was in fact committed and the accused participated. It also serves as evidence that the proffered plea is being offered intelligently, i.e., with an understanding that the facts are such as may support a conviction if the accused is subjected to trial. Where the question before the court is not merely whether the accused is willing to plead guilty to the crime with which he is charged, these two purposes tend to diverge. With judicial recognition of plea bargaining arrangements, that divergence may result in separately identifiable issues because the element of intelligence in entering the proffered pleas may be found in the quid pro quo for the particular plea rather than the factual basis which would support a conviction on the pleaded-to offense. See, e.g., North Carolinav. Alford, (1970), 400 U.S. 25, 91 S. Ct. 160, 27 L. Ed. 2d 162; Campbell v. State (1975), 262 Ind. 594, 321 N.E.2d 560; Boles v. State (1973), 261 Ind. 354, 303 N.E.2d 645; King v. State, supra.

In Harshman the accused was not represented by counsel, who presumably would have discussed with him the nature of the charges and their relation to the facts. From the opinion it does not appear that a plea bargain was involved. No evidence was produced to establish a factual basis for the plea. On those facts coupled with the accused’s statement that he had no memory of the events, the Supreme Court held the record inadequate to establish that the plea was intelligently and understandingly made.

By contrast Likens was represented by counsel when the plea was tendered and had been represented since the inception of the proceedings.

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Likens v. State
378 N.E.2d 24 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
378 N.E.2d 24, 177 Ind. App. 101, 1978 Ind. App. LEXIS 966, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/likens-v-state-indctapp-1978.