People v. Hall

311 N.E.2d 265, 19 Ill. App. 3d 107, 1974 Ill. App. LEXIS 2583
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in People v. Hall. Read the opinion of the Court — 17 Ill. App. 3d 1
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided April 11, 1974·No. No. 57758·Published

Opinion

Mr. JUSTICE DRUCKER

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal of a dismissal of a petition for post-conviction relief without an evidentiary hearing. On review petitioner argues that: (1) his guilty plea is invalid because the trial court’s admonition failed to inform him adequately of the permissible range of sentence that might be imposed; and (2) the contention raised in his petition that his guilty plea was induced by the unfulfilled promise of his attorney could not be dismissed without an evidentiary hearing.

On March 18, 1970, petitioner entered a plea of guilty to an information charging him with armed robbery. Before accepting the plea the trial court admonished petitioner and a co-defendant (not a party to this appeal) that they were charged with a felony, that they had the right not to proceed under the information, but could require their case be taken before the Grand Jury; that if the Grand Jury returned an indictment, they had the right to a jury trial, and that by entering a guilty plea they were waiving these rights. In response to the court’s inquiry, petitioner acknowledged that he understood the import of these admonitions but, nevertheless, wished to persist in his guilty plea. The court then admonished petitioner and his co-defendant that:

“* * * I could impose a sentence upon each of you, by sentencing you to a minimum two years to an undetermined period more than two years in the Illinois State Penitentiary.”

Petitioner once again acknowledged that he understood the consequences of his plea. Before imposing the sentence of from 2 to 3 years recommended by the State, the court determined that this sentence was the recommendation conveyed to petitioner by his attorney.

At the time of his armed robbery conviction, petitioner was on probation, having been previously convicted of burglary. The State filed a rule to show cause why his probation should not be revoked, and a hearing was held before a judge other than the judge who sat at the change of plea hearing. In addition, petitioner was represented by a different attorney at this later proceeding. Upon his admission that he had been convicted of armed robbery, petitioner’s probation was ordered revoked. The court sentenced him to a term of from 2 years to 2 years and a day to be served consecutively to the term he received for his armed robbery conviction. Petitioner immediately protested that he had been promised that whatever sentence he received upon revocation of his probation would be served concurrently with that which he had been given for armed robbery, otherwise he “never would have copped out for the crime.”

Petitioner filed a pro se petition for post-conviction relief as to the armed robbery conviction. Counsel was appointed and an amended petition was filed. The petition alleged that petitioner had not been sufficiently admonished as to the consequences of his guilty plea in that he was not told the maximum sentence which might be imposed and, further, that his attorney at the change of plea hearing had induced the guilty plea by promising that the sentence received there would run concurrently with that later to be imposed upon the revocation of his probation. Attached to the amended petition were the affidavits of three persons who were present with petitioner in the lockup prior to his change of plea hearing. They swore that they overheard petitioner’s counsel promise that the- two sentences would run concurrently.

The State moved to dismiss the petition. In support of this motion the affidavit of petitioners’ attorney at the change of plea hearing was submitted stating that he had no independent recollection of this matter and that upon reviewing his notes he could find no indication that petitioner had informed him that he was on probation. The State also submitted the affidavit of petitioner’s attorney at the probation revocation hearing which stated that while he too apparently had no independent recollection of this matter, his notes indicated that petitioner had said nothing to him about the alleged promise of concurrent sentencing.

On the basis of the transcripts, motions and affidavits submitted for consideration, the court below found that petitioner’s contentions did not merit an evidentiary hearing and consequently dismissed the petition.

Relying on People v. Terry, 44 Ill.2d 38, 253 N.E.2d 383, petitioner first contends that the court’s admonition was insufficient since it did not apprise him precisely of the maximum sentence which might be imposed.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

People v. Hall, 311 N.E.2d 265, 19 Ill. App. 3d 107, 1974 Ill. App. LEXIS 2583 (Ill. Ct. App. 1974).

311 N.E.2d 265 (People v. Hall) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

The People v. Sigafus
233 N.E.2d 386 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1968)
The PEOPLE v. Gaines
268 N.E.2d 426 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1971)
The People v. Mendoza
270 N.E.2d 30 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1971)
The People v. Terry
253 N.E.2d 383 (Illinois Supreme Court, 1969)
People v. Daniels
309 N.E.2d 631 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1974)