McMillan v. State

177 So. 2d 68, 1965 Fla. App. LEXIS 3909
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJune 16, 1965
DocketNo. 5413
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 177 So. 2d 68 (McMillan 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
McMillan v. State, 177 So. 2d 68, 1965 Fla. App. LEXIS 3909 (Fla. Ct. App. 1965).

Opinion

ALLEN, Judge.

The defendant below, Archie McMillan, plead guilty to a charge of arson and burning with intent to defraud an insurer. The defendant was sentenced to prison in the State Prison for a term of two years.

The Judge of the Criminal Court, at the time of sentencing the defendant, included the following in his order:

“The Defendant in the above entitled cause having appeared before the Court on this date, having been duly arraigned, and having been advised by the Court of the nature and seriousness of the offenses charged against him, the Court inquired as to whether or not he had counsel or if he is without funds or means of employing counsel, would he wish to have the Court obtain the State Defender to represent him, and he answered in the negative. Whereupon, the Defendant being asked whether or not his plea was being made freely and voluntarily and without any inducements, offers of reward or otherwise made to obtain .a plea, did then and there freely and voluntarily plead guilty to the Information filed in said cause. Whereupon, the Defendant was asked by the Court if he had anything to say why the sentence of the law should not be passed upon him, and he offered nothing in bar thereto.”

The defendant, by and through his attorney, filed a petition to allow him to withdraw his piea of guilty, stating, in effect, that he was a Negro -man, about 50 years of age, had less than one year of formal education, could neither read nor write, except his name, and that he was serving time in the County Stockade of Polk County when he was carried to the County Jail and was questioned by two white men. He stated in his motion that he did not know the names of the men who questioned him concerning a fire in Lake Alfred, the property of Oliver and Clara Lee, his wife, but that the two white men promised the defendant that if he would tell them that he and Oliver Lee burned the building down and would plead guilty to burning it, they would see that he got probation and would give him $400.00 or $500.00 cash.

The defendant further stated in his motion that before he would do this, they cursed him and used all manner of oaths about him and Oliver Lee and he became so frightened and scared that he made the statement that he did burn the building down and that he would plead guilty.

He further stated that immediately thereafter he was carried before the judge, in his chambers, and there he stated he wanted to plead guilty and that he did not need a lawyer; he was not sentenced, nor referred for a pre-sentence investigation, but merely carried back to the Stockade. He stated he was not permitted to talk to an attorney or be advised of his right and that the statement that he made that he and Oliver Lee burned the building was false and was made because of his ignorance and the [70]*70threats made and his being scared of bodily harm.

His motion further sets forth that before he left the building where the jail is, to go before the judge, he was told to plead guilty, that he did not need an attorney, and that he would be looked after by the two white men.

On cross-examination of the defendant, after he had testified before the judge, the record shows the following:

“Q. Do you remember me asking you this question on that same date after you plead guilty in my office in there, I asked you this question : ‘Archie, how much schooling have you had?’ and you answered, ‘I went to the tenth grade.’ ?
“A. Had me scared up and I didn’t know what I was talking about, done scared me up, cussed me until I didn’t know what I was doing.
“Q, They weren’t in there with you?
“A. They had been with me that same day.
“Q, Do you remember you telling me about your arm being burned and you had to go to the doctor and he treated you?
“A. Yes, I went to the doctor.
“Q. Your arm was burned from the gasoline that flared out?
“A. No, sir, wasn’t any gas.
“Q. So these people offered you four or five hundred dollars if you would plead guilty?
"A. Yes, sir, that’s right, they were going to see me get out of this.
“Q. Who told you what doctor’s name for getting your hand burned?
“A. Ain’t nobody told me I went to the doctor myself.
“Q. Your arm and hand did get burned ?
“A. Yes, sir, they did get burned.
“Q. Wasn’t it from the fire?
“A. I went to help put the fire out and had on a short sleeve shirt and the fire got hot, I guess and blisters come on my arms.
“Q. And when you came in and pled guilty do you remember the Judge advising you what you were charged with and the consequences of pleading—
“A. Yes.
“Q. —pleading guilty. You had a right to have an attorney and the Public Defender would be appointed to represent you.
“A. Yes, sir, he told me that.
“Q. You remember that?
“A. They had me all scared up and I didn’t know what to say.
“Q. You said you didn’t want a Public Defender.
“A. They had me scared, I didn’t know what to say.
“THE COURT: Archie, I have known you a long time and you didn’t act scared.
“A. You didn’t cuss at me.
“Q. You were scared when you were before the Judge, and scared when you came in after you pled guilty and talked to me. There wasn’t any officer there.
“A. When I came in his office?
“Q. No, in my office.
“A. Done cussed and raised sand up there to I done got scared.
“Q. How do I know you aren’t scared now?
[71]*71“A. Ain’t nobody cussing me. No, sir, I ain’t scared.
“Q. Oliver ain’t got you scared?
“A. No, sir.”

The defendant pointed out Mr. John J. Savage and Mr. C. F. Dreves as the two men who threatened him and offered him $400 or $500.

Mr. Savage testified that he was with the National Board of Underwriters of the State of Florida, in the arson division. He was asked if the defendant had talked to him and he said:

“A. No, sir, not that date.
“Q. Did you at any time prior to that day threaten or promise him anything if he pled guilty?
"A. No, sir.
“Q. You were not even here the day he pled guilty?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. The day he came in and talked to me under oath you were not here that day?
“A. No, sir.
“Q. Do you know of your own knowledge whether Mr. Dreves was here?

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Related

Barnett v. State
222 So. 2d 30 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1969)
Rupp v. Pickford
184 So. 2d 888 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1966)
Sampson v. State
177 So. 2d 542 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
177 So. 2d 68, 1965 Fla. App. LEXIS 3909, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcmillan-v-state-fladistctapp-1965.