Smith v. Phillips

865 F. Supp. 2d 271, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54030, 2012 WL 1340070
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. New York
DecidedApril 17, 2012
DocketNos. 02-CV-6329, 04-CV-1725
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 865 F. Supp. 2d 271 (Smith v. Phillips) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Smith v. Phillips, 865 F. Supp. 2d 271, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54030, 2012 WL 1340070 (E.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM, ORDER, JUDGMENT

JACK B. WEINSTEIN, Senior District Judge.

I. Introduction ..............................................................273

II. Factual and Procedural History .............................................274

A. State Trial Court Proceedings...........................................274

B. Direct Appeal.........................................................276

C. Federal Habeas Proceedings............................................277

III. Not a Second or Successive Petition..........................................278

TV. Deference to State Court Findings is Owed ...................................278

V. Double Jeopardy Does Not Bar Prosecution After Conditional Plea...............279

A. Ability of the Court to Vacate the Plea....................................279
B. Jeopardy Continues Until All Conditions on a Plea Are Satisfied.............280
C. Petitioner’s Post-Plea Trial Not Barred ..................................282
VI. Other Pending Claims Are Meritless.........................................283

VTI. Conclusion................................................................284

I. Introduction

Before the court now are the merits of Terry Smith’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus, initially filed in November 2002, as amended by subsequent filings after directions of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. See Pet.’s Reply Mem. of Law in Further Supp. of Pet. for a Writ of Habeas Corpus 17, No. 04-CV-01725, Doc. Entry 52, Jan. 16, 2012 (“Pet’s Reply Mem.”); Pet’s Letter, No. 04-CV-01725, Doc. Entry 3, June 21, 2004 (raising an Apprendi claim); Mandate of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, No. 04-[274]*274CV-01725, Doc. Entry 26, Feb. 28, 2011. The complicated procedural history of this case .is ■ summarized below. See Part II, infra.

Petitioner’s attorney correctly identifies the only possibly viable claim remaining in this case: that the New York State trial court may have “violated his right to protection against Double Jeopardy, as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.” Pet’s Reply Mem. 17. He contends that this right was violated when the state trial court sua sponte vacated his plea of guilty, forcing him to go to trial, whereupon he was convicted and suffered a greater penalty than he would have received had the plea been allowed to stand. Id. (The issue of whether the petitioner had effective assistance of counsel during the plea negotiations, and the potential retroactivity of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Missouri v. Frye, — U.S. —, 132 S.Ct. 1399, 182 L.Ed.2d 379 (2012), and Lafler v. Cooper, — U.S. —, 132 S.Ct. 1376, 182 L.Ed.2d 398 (2012), has not been raised.)

Respondent moves to dismiss on the ground that petitioner has not exhausted his remedies in state court on these charges. Resp’t Reply Mem. of L., No. 04-CV-01725, Doc. Entry 55 (citing 28 U.S.C. § 2254(b)(1)(A) (stating exhaustion is required).

Since this long-pending collateral litigation can be promptly decided on the merits, the court prefers to proceed in reliance upon 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a)(2), which permits the denial of a petition on the merits even though a claim is unexhausted. Id. (“An application for a writ of habeas corpus may be denied on the merits, notwithstanding the failure of the applicant to exhaust the remedies available in courts of the state.”).

For the reasons stated below, all of petitioner’s pending claims are dismissed.

II. Factual and Procedural History

The relevant factual and procedural history is summarized below. See also Terry Smith v. Scully, No. 02-CV-6329, 2003 WL 22952848, at *1-3 (E.D.N.Y. Oct. 16, 2003).

A. State Trial Court Proceedings

The relevant criminal charges arose out of an incident in which petitioner stole a car from a dealership, crashing into a utility pole. Id. at *1. When police officers and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) tried to extricate him, he made a U-turn, crashing into the side of a patrol car and injuring one of the EMTs. Id.

He was indicted for possession of stolen property on June 23, 1997. On November 15, 1998 — the day jury selection for trial on that charge was scheduled to begin— the prosecutor informed the petitioner and the court that it intended to file a separate felony information charging him with an assault in connection with the same incident. Tr. of Plea 6:3-8, Nov. 15, 1998. The judge then asked what the prosecutor’s current plea offer was. Id. at 7:23-24. The prosecutor stated that he was “looking for a bottom number of a minimum of no less than six with a top number of at least twelve” on both the stolen property charge and the unindicted assault charge. Id. at 8:14-16. Petitioner’s attorney informed the court that he would be willing to speak to his client about a plea of “three and a half to seven [on the stolen property charge] and the five concurrent [on the assault charge].” Id. at 8:19:22. The trial judge agreed that, if petitioner pled guilty to both charges, he would sentence the defendant to “three and a half to seven and five concurrent,” with the five year sentence being a determinate term. Id. at 10:23-25.

Petitioner was given the opportunity to consult with counsel. He was informed by the trial judge that if he went to trial and was convicted he might face a sentence of [275]*275fifteen years to life in prison. Id. at 11:24 12:3. Petitioner rejected the offer.

The court then proceeded with the pretrial Sandoval hearing. At the hearing, the court determined that the prosecution could cross-examine petitioner about prior convictions for burglary and criminal mischief if petitioner chose to testify. Id. at 16:1-26:24.

Following a brief sidebar, the following exchange occurred:

THE COURT: Let’s make it crystal clear as to what transpired here. It’s my understanding it was brought forth to the Court that the defendant will enter a plea of guilty to the Criminal Possession of Stolen Property as charges in the indictment and also receive a sentence of three and a half years, S.C.I. charge, Superior Court Information will come down this afternoon charging the defendant with Assault in the Second Degree, felony charge, at which time, accepting his plea, the Court will sentence him to five years’ determinate sentence, both sentences to run concurrent,
[DEFENSE COUNSEL]: Current.
THE COURT: Together. Is that your understanding?
[GOVERNMENT]: Yes, your Honor.

Id. at 31:8-25. Petitioner agreed to plead guilty to both offenses under those terms:

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Bluebook (online)
865 F. Supp. 2d 271, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 54030, 2012 WL 1340070, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/smith-v-phillips-nyed-2012.