People v. Parshay

148 N.W.2d 869, 379 Mich. 7, 1967 Mich. LEXIS 63
Michigan Supreme Court·Decided March 13, 1967·No. Calendar 9, Docket 51,225·Published·Cited by 19 cases

Opinions

Souris, J.

(for reversal and remand for new trial).

In March of 1963, defendant was convicted, on his plea of guilty, of armed robbery and was sentenced to imprisonment for 12-1/2 to 25 years. Two years later we granted defendant’s application for leave to appeal his conviction and ordered that the appeal be presented directly to this Court.

The record of defendant’s arraignment on the information discloses that the trial judge advised defendant of his right to a jury trial and of his right to be represented by an attorney of his own choice or, upon request, by an attorney appointed by the court if defendant had no money to employ one. Unfortunately, the trial judge did not ask the defendant whether he wanted an opportunity to retain his own attorney or, if indigent, that an attorney be appointed for him. Instead, the trial judge asked defendant to plead, interrogated him briefly on his plea of guilty, accepted the plea and pronounced judgment of guilt thereon.

Absent record proof of offer and waiver of counsel, we must reverse and remand for new trial, defendant having been denied his right to the [11] assistance of counsel in Ms defense. Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and article 2, § 19, Constitution of 1908 (currently article 1, § 20, Constitution of 1963).

On the very day this defendant stood before the bar of justice in the Grand Rapids superior court, March 18, 1963, the United States Supreme Court decided Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 US 335 (83 S Ct 792, 9 L ed 2d 799, 93 ALR2d 733). In Gideon the Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the assistance of counsel in all criminal prosecutions is a right so fundamental and essential to a fair trial, and so, to due process of law, that it is applicable to the States by virtue of the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and, further, that counsel must be provided a defendant, at least one charged with a felony, who wants such assistance but who is unable to employ counsel. While it is our belief that defendant Parshay would be entitled to invoke Gideon on this appeal even if Gideon were to be given only prospective effect, defendant’s conviction having occurred on the same day as the decision in Gideon, the effective date of the right declared in Gideon is no longer an issue, Gideon having been held to apply retroactively. Pickelsimer v. Wainwright (1963), 375 US 2 (84 S Ct 80, 11 L ed 2d 41); Doughty v. Maxwell (1964), 376 US 202 (84 S Ct 702, 11 L ed 2d 650); Arthur v. Colorado (1965), 380 US 250 (85 S Ct 943, 13 L ed 2d 818); and Linkletter v. Walker (1965), 381 US 618, at 628 (85 S Ct 1731, 14 L ed 2d 601). Thus, whether defendant Parshay was denied the assistance of counsel upon his felony conviction is an issue of Federal constitutional magnitude which he is entitled to assert in this appeal.

However, even before Gideon, this Court required, by rule adopted in 1947, that in every felony prose[12] cntion tbe accused be advised of Ms right to have the assistance of counsel and, if financially unable to employ counsel, that counsel be appointed for him upon his request. See Court Rules (1945), No 35a and, currently, GCR 1963, 785.3. Whatever the nature of the right, constitutional or rule, defendant Parshay, accused of a felony, was entitled to be represented at his arraignment by an attorney, either one employed by. him or, if he was unable financially to employ an attorney of his own choosing, by an attorney appointed by the court. This right the trial judge clearly recognized and advised defendant he possessed.

The entire record of defendant’s arraignment on the information is set forth in the margin. 2 It clearly appears from that record that the t,rial judge [13] advised Parshay of Ms rights to a jury trial and to the assistance of counsel. But, the record also discloses unequivocally that defendant was not given [14] an opportunity to assert those rights. The pertinent part of the record follows:

[15] “The Court. I want to advise you that you are entitled to a jury trial to have it determined whether you are guilty or not guilty, do you understand that?

“(Respondent nods head up and down.)

“The Court. You understand?

“The Respondent. Yeah, yeah.

“The Court. And also that you are entitled to he represented by an attorney in this matter, that is, an attorney of your own choice. If you have no money to employ an attorney, if you so request, I will appoint an attorney to represent you. Do you understand that?

“(Respondent nods head up and down.)

“The Court. Your answer is yes?

“The Respondent. Yes.

“The Court. Knowing what the charge is in the first count in the information, knowing what your rights are as I explained them to you, are you prepared to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty?

“The Respondent. Guilty.”

Whatever may have been defendant’s actual comprehension of the rights stated by the trial judge to be his, he was required to plead to the charge against him without having been given an opportunity to demand a jury trial, to consult with an attorney of his own choosing, or to request that one be appointed for him, before being called upon by the judge to enter his plea.

In March of 1963, when defendant was arraigned, GCR 1963, 785.3(1) read as follows:

“(1) Arraignment. If the accused is not represented by counsel upon arraignment, before he is required to plead, the court shall advise the accused that he is entitled to a trial by jury and to have counsel, and that in case he is financially unable to provide counsel the court will, if accused so requests, appoint counsel for him. If the accused states ho will procure counsel or requests, that counsel be [16] appointed, a reasonable time thereafter shall be allowed for counsel to consult with the accused before his plea shall be taken.”

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People v. Parshay, 148 N.W.2d 869, 379 Mich. 7, 1967 Mich. LEXIS 63 (Mich. 1967).

148 N.W.2d 869 (People v. Parshay) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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148 N.W.2d 869 (Michigan Supreme Court, 1967)