Roberts v. People

453 P.2d 793, 169 Colo. 115, 1969 Colo. LEXIS 536
CourtSupreme Court of Colorado
DecidedMay 5, 1969
DocketNo. 22764
StatusPublished

This text of 453 P.2d 793 (Roberts v. People) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Colorado primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Roberts v. People, 453 P.2d 793, 169 Colo. 115, 1969 Colo. LEXIS 536 (Colo. 1969).

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Groves.

This is a proceeding under Colo. R. Crim. P. 35(b) involving a request for post conviction relief. In Roberts v. People, 158 Colo. 76, 404 P.2d 848, we remanded this matter for a hearing, which has now been held before a judge who had not previously participated in the case. The requested relief was denied and the petitioner, Harry Roberts, is here again on writ of error.

On May 15, 1961 petitioner was charged with first degree murder and was held in the former La Plata County jail. Counsel was appointed to represent him. The partner of the appointed attorney assisted him in investigation and preparation for trial. These two attorneys are referred to herein as “counsel” and the appointed attorney as the “attorney.”

On May 21, 1961 pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity were entered and the petitioner spent the following 30 days in Denver undergoing examination at Colorado Psychopathic Hospital. He was returned to the La Plata County jail on June 24, 1961, at which time the matter was set for trial to commence on August 22, 1961. Counsel, after extensive investigation and preparation, concluded that there was a strong possibility that a jury would find the petitioner guilty of first degree murder and assess the death penalty. After many conferences, on or about August 17, 1961 [117]*117counsel were finally successful in persuading the district attorney to accept a plea of guilty to second degree murder. The petitioner then changed his plea to guilty of second degree murder and was sentenced to serve a term of 99 years to life.

Following the opinion on the former writ of error the trial court appointed the Public Defender of the 6th Judicial District to represent the petitioner, and he has so acted at the hearing and here. He is referred to herein as the public defender. He urged unsuccessfully at the hearing — and has also presented here — the following arguments:

1. The petitioner’s constitutional right to due process was violated because of the conditions of his confinement, which unduly induced him to plead guilty to second degree murder.

2. The petitioner’s mental condition was such that he could not intelligently and voluntarily make this plea, and the explanation of its consequences were not fully explained to him.

Reverting to 1961, counsel concluded that the only defense that might have a probability of success was that of insanity. The report from the Colorado psychopathic hospital was that the petitioner was sane. Counsel employed a psychiatrist at their own expense, who reached a conclusion that petitioner was legally sane. The petitioner had resided in California and Nebraska. At their own expense the attorney went to California and his law partner went to Nebraska to acquire background information and facts which might support a conclusion of petitioner’s legal insanity. They submitted the information gathered to the different psychiatrists who had examined petitioner, but it was all to no avail. Counsel spent 313 hours in investigation and preparation and, when they were obliged to admit to themselves defeat as to the proposed defense of insanity, they cast their, persuasive qualities toward the district attorney in their attempt — ultimately successful — to convince [118]*118him that a guilty plea to second degree murder should be received.

From the time the petitioner was returned from Denver on May 18, 1961 until August 17, 1861, when he withdrew his pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity and entered a plea of guilty to second degree murder, he was kept in the maximum security cell of the La Plata County jail, known as the “hole.” This cell had metal walls and little ventilation. It was — and was permitted to remain — in a filthy, malodorous condition. In his findings, the judge who presided at the hearing referred to it as being only one step removed from the Black Hole of Calcutta.

The petitioner testified to the following effect:

His appointed attorney had told him that the district attorney “was getting ready to give me the pill” [meaning the pellet used in the gas chamber]. On August 17, 1961 and prior thereto the attorney told him that the trial would drag on for 6 to 8 weeks, which would anger the judge. On the day that he entered his guilty plea and prior thereto his appointed attorney and the district attorney conferred with him at the county jail. He was advised that the district attorney would ask the court to accept a plea of guilty to second degree murder. The district attorney said to him, “Harry, if you change your plea to guilty of second degree murder I will assure you that you will get ten years to life, and you will get probation in five years.” His attorney “told me that I had better grab it” and said that this would amount to five years. His attorney said that the district attorney wanted an answer right away. The jail was getting intolerable and he couldn’t stand much more of it. The sentencing judge told him, “I must warn you that this sentence carries ten to life.” His impression was that the judge knew about the promise the district attorney had made to him. If he had known that he was going to get more than a minimum of ten years, he would not have changed his plea.

[119]*119The people called as witnesses — counsel, the district attorney and the sentencing judge. Counsel each testified that the petitioner never communicated the thought that the reason for his change of plea was because of the conditions of his confinement. The attorney and district attorney categorically denied that there was ever any conference of them and the petitioner; and the district attorney stated that he never spoke to the petitioner at any time after the appointment of counsel. The attorney testified that he recommended that petitioner change his plea and he continued:

“and I also told [petitioner] that [the district attorney] was going to make an effort to get him imprisoned for the rest of his natural life, and that I had agreed to put on this information as to his background, but I told him that this didn’t necessarily bind the Judge. I told him that the Judge might give him a lesser sentence than life, that he might sentence him for, 40 years — I believe I used that figure — in which event he would get out earlier, but that there was no way we could assure him of this.”

He further testified that he did not make the statement about the length of trial and thought it was to have taken a much shorter time than six weeks.

The sentencing judge did not ask nor receive any recommendations from the district attorney. This judge testified:

“After the plea of guilty to the charge of second degree murder was announced, I said to Mr. Roberts, ‘Before the Court can accept this plea of guilty it is my duty to inform you of the consequences of such a plea. In this particular case you are subject to punishment in the State Penitentiary for a term of not less than ten years and which may extend to life. You will understand that this means any term within ten years and up to life. That is, the minimum may be a term of ten years, fifteen years or whatever the Court decides, and the maximum, [120]*120of course, is life, but it must be some period between ten years and life.’ ”

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Related

MacHibroda v. United States
368 U.S. 487 (Supreme Court, 1962)
Garrity v. New Jersey
385 U.S. 493 (Supreme Court, 1967)
Brooks v. Florida
389 U.S. 413 (Supreme Court, 1967)
Roberts v. People
404 P.2d 848 (Supreme Court of Colorado, 1965)
Collins v. State
197 So. 2d 574 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1967)
State v. Williams
198 So. 2d 21 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1967)
Williams v. State
188 So. 2d 320 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1966)
State v. Collins
201 So. 2d 225 (Supreme Court of Florida, 1967)
Collins v. State
203 So. 2d 28 (District Court of Appeal of Florida, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
453 P.2d 793, 169 Colo. 115, 1969 Colo. LEXIS 536, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roberts-v-people-colo-1969.