Morsette v. Ellsworth

443 P.2d 28, 151 Mont. 319, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 317
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 1, 1968
DocketNo. 11499
StatusPublished

This text of 443 P.2d 28 (Morsette v. Ellsworth) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morsette v. Ellsworth, 443 P.2d 28, 151 Mont. 319, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 317 (Mo. 1968).

Opinion

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE JAMES T. HARRISON

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

This is an application for a writ of habeas corpus or other appropriate post-conviction remedy.

[320]*320. While the petition does not contain a complete recitation of the fact situation prior to the arrest of the petitioner, it is partially set forth in the memorandum of authorities and in the various exhibits annexed to the petition.

It appears that petitioner had been in the juvenile court on one occasion and had been committed to the Industrial School at Miles City. He was paroled from that institution to Helena and through the efforts of the district judge and his chief probation officer he secured a ■ job and requested $100 from the money he had on deposit with the Industrial School from work he had performed during the summer. A check for this amount was forwarded from Miles City and given to the petitioner on or about October 22, 1961.

On October 23, 1961, petitioner, in company with his 15 year old brother, held up and robbed an attendant at a gas service station, at night, at threatened gun point, of the sum of $295. They went to Great Falls, stayed -overnight and the next day drove to Big Sandy where they were stopped and arrested by a deputy sheriff. They were taken to the Big Sandy jail and questioned; petitioner’s automobile was searched and a bag of money was found which allegedly was money stolen from the gas station. Petitioner was returned to Helena and signed a confession. An Information was filed against him on October 26, 1961, and on a plea of guilty he was sentenced on November 3, 1961, to a term of 10 years in the state penitentiary.

Upon ex parte presentation of the petition by counsel this Court issued an order to show cause which in brief set forth the contentions of petitioner in this language:

“It appears from the petition and supporting papers that the petitioner, when he was 17 years of age, appeared before the trial court and was charged by Information with the crime Of robbery, a felony; that upon arraignment he was advised of his right to counsel but waived counsel, entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in the State Prison. Petitioner, an Indian with an eighth grade education, alleges that while he [321]*321could read, write and understand the English language he did not fully appreciate the purpose of an attorney nor did he understand the nature of the charges against him or the penalties he might receive; that while he knew he was charged with the offense of robbery and that it was a felony, he did not know what a felony was nor did he know that he might be sent to the State Prison.
“Petitioner alleges the proceedings were defective and deprived him of his constitutional rights in that, among other things, the trial court did not advise him of the consequences of a guilty plea and that his right to counsel under Art. Ill, Sec. 16 of the Constitution of the State of Montana, and the 6th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, has been denied him because he did not intelligently and knowingly waive such right. ’ ’

Respondent appeared by an amended answer and admitted the fact situation insofar as it appeared in the petition, but denied that the proceedings against petitioner were defective or that he was deprived of any constitutionally guaranteed right.

There was no court reporter present at the time of the arraignment and plea. The minute entry of October 26, 1961, reads:

“Upon written motion of the County Attorney, leave was this day granted by the Court to file on Information herein charging the defendant with the crime of Robbery, a felony, and the information was this day filed. Whereupon Defendant answered to his true name. Whereupon, the defendant being without counsel, he was advised of his right to be represented by counsel, and defendant state [sic] to the Court that he was without counsel and desires no counsel. Whereupon, The information was read and a copy given to the defendant, who in answer to a query by the court answered that his true name is Richard Morsette, and entered a plea of ‘Guilty’. Whereupon Court fixed Friday, November 3, 1961, as the time for sentencing.”

[322]*322The minute entry of Nevember 3, 1961, reads:

“The County Attorney, with the Defendant, Richard Morsette, came into Court, the Defendant was duly informed, according to law, of the nature of the Information filed against him charging the commission of the crime of Robbery, a Felony, alleged to have been committed on or about the 26th [sic] day of October, 1961, and was duly arraigned, whereupon the Defendant entered his plea of ‘Guilty as charged in the Information.’ The Defendant was then asked if there was any legal reason why judgment should not then be pronounced and he stated that there was none, whereupon the Court rendered its judgment that:
“IT IS ORDERED, ADJUDGED AND DECREED that the said Defendant be punished by imprisonment in the State Prison of Montana at hard labor for the term of ten (10) years, That the Defendant be remanded to the Sheriff of Lewis and Clark County to be by him delivered into the custody of the Warden of the State Prison for the execution of said judgment.”

At the time of sentencing the district judge read a statement and the record contains such statement and shows that a copy was given to the petitioner. However, this statement only recites certain facts within the knowledge of the judge and his observations as to the conduct of the defendant and juveniles in general.

In brief this is the record upon arraignment and plea.

Petitioner in January of this year filed a paper entitled “Motion to Vacate and Set Aside Judgment of Conviction” in the district court of Lewis and Clark County and a hearing was ■held thereon on January 25, 1968. At that time petitioner was represented by the public defender of Lewis and Clark County. Following the hearing the district court by order of January 31, 1968, denied the motion. On February 4, 1968, petitioner ■wrote the public defender requesting that an appeal be taken. The district court by order of February 13, 1968, found that [323]*323the letter constituted a request for appeal but that carrying forward such an appeal was not properly within the jurisdiction and duties of the public defender and directed that the matter be referred to the Defenders’ Project so that they might proceed with the appeal. The Montana Defender Project determined that the questions arising in these proceedings could be handled by way of a petition for writ of habeas corpus, and this original proceeding was instituted.

It is petitioner’s contention that the district court (1) failed to advise him of the consequences of a guilty plea and the possible length of a sentence which could be imposed; (2) did not allow petitioner a reasonable time to answer or plead; (3) did not inquire into circumstances in mitigation of punishment; (4) did not hold a pre-sentence investigation under the provisions of section 94-7831, R.C.M.1947; and (5) denied petitioner’s right to counsel because petitioner did not intelligently and knowingly waive his right to counsel.

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Bluebook (online)
443 P.2d 28, 151 Mont. 319, 1968 Mont. LEXIS 317, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morsette-v-ellsworth-mont-1968.