Stanley v. State

904 So. 2d 1127, 2004 WL 2283488
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedOctober 12, 2004
Docket2003-CA-00138-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 904 So. 2d 1127 (Stanley v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stanley v. State, 904 So. 2d 1127, 2004 WL 2283488 (Mich. Ct. App. 2004).

Opinion

904 So.2d 1127 (2004)

Kenneth D. STANLEY a/k/a Kenneth Dewayne Stanley, Appellant
v.
STATE of Mississippi, Appellee.

No. 2003-CA-00138-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

October 12, 2004.

*1129 Wanda Turner-Lee Abioto, attorney for appellant.

Office of the Attorney General by Billy L. Gore, attorney for appellee.

Before KING, C.J., IRVING and MYERS, JJ.

*1128 MYERS, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. On August 28, 2001, Kenneth D. Stanley entered a blind plea to attempted aggravated assault on a police officer in the Circuit Court of Wayne County. The court sentenced Stanley to a term of twelve years, six years suspended, to be served with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Stanley timely filed a post-conviction motion to set aside his plea. His motion raised three issues: that his plea was involuntary and unintelligent, that his attorney engaged in trickery to assist the State in securing a conviction, and that his rights were not explained to him by his attorney. The trial court denied his motion for post-conviction relief. It is from this denial that Stanley now appeals, raising the following issues to be reviewed by this Court:

I. WHETHER THE INDICTMENT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DEFECTIVE, RENDERING THE PLEA INVALID.
II. WHETHER THE PLEA WAS VOLUNTARY AND INTELLIGENT.
III. WHETHER THE APPELLANT RECEIVED INEFFECTIVE ASSISTANCE OF COUNSEL.
IV. WHETHER THE COURT WRONGFULLY PENALIZED THE APPELLANT FOR FILING HIS MOTION FOR POST-CONVICTION RELIEF.

Finding no error, we affirm.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

¶ 2. On January 5, 2001, Kenneth D. Stanley, a twenty year old resident of Richton, Mississippi was involved in an automobile accident with Holt Ross, an officer of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. The accident between Stanley and Ross transpired from a high speed chase between Ross and Stanley's father, Kenneth W. Stanley. After Ross had given chase to Stanley's father for approximately fifteen minutes, Stanley was notified of what was transpiring through a cellular telephone call with his father and claims that he wanted to stop the chase before a serious accident occurred. In an effort to thwart the chase, Stanley pursued Ross and his father using his personal vehicle. Two to three minutes into his participation in the chase, Stanley collided with Ross's police cruiser causing damage to both vehicles and minor injuries to Ross.

¶ 3. On June 19, 2001, Stanley was indicted for conspiracy to commit aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. On August 29, 2001, Stanley entered a "blind plea" of guilty to aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer. The plea, which was signed under oath, stated that Stanley understood that if he entered a plea of "guilty," the judge could impose the same punishment as if he had *1130 pled "not guilty," stood trial and was convicted. The possible sentence under Mississippi Code Annotated § 97-3-7(2)(b) (Rev.2000) for aggravated assault ranges up to not more than thirty years imprisonment and a fine of not more than $5,000.

¶ 4. On September 26, 2001, a sentencing hearing occurred. Despite the mitigating factors presented at the sentencing hearing, the court sentenced Stanley to a term of twelve years, six years suspended, to be served with the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Such sentence was imposed due to Stanley's lengthy list of prior misdemeanor driving convictions.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 5. In reviewing a lower court's decision to deny a petition for post-conviction relief, this Court will not disturb the trial court's factual findings unless they are found to be clearly erroneous. Graves v. State, 822 So.2d 1089, 1090(¶ 4) (Miss.Ct.App.2002) (citing Pickett v. State, 751 So.2d 1031, 1032(¶ 8) (Miss.1999); Brown v. State, 731 So.2d 595, 598(¶ 6) (Miss.1999)). However, where questions of law are raised, the applicable standard of review is de novo. Id.

LEGAL ANALYSIS

I. WHETHER THE INDICTMENT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DEFECTIVE, RENDERING THE PLEA INVALID.

¶ 6. Stanley argues that his indictment improperly stated the elements of the crime of aggravated assault, rendering his plea invalid. Stanley contends that both the plea and the trial court misconstrue the statutory language of aggravated assault set forth in Mississippi Code Annotated § 97-3-7(2)(b) (Rev.2000). Section 97-3-7(2)(b) provides for the crime of aggravated assault as follows:

(2) A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he ... (b) attempts to cause or purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon or other means likely to produce death or serious bodily harm; and, upon conviction, he shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or in the penitentiary for not more than twenty (20) years. Provided, however, a person convicted of aggravated assault (a) upon a statewide elected official, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel and school attendance officers or school bus driver while such statewide elected official, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel and school attendance officers or school bus driver is acting within the scope of his duty, office or employment, or (b) upon a legislator while the Legislature is in regular or extraordinary session shall be punished by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) years, or both.

The indictment in question reads that "Kenneth D. Stanley ... as part of a common plan or scheme or as part of the same transactions or occurrence in said County and State, on or about the 5th day of January, A.D.2001, did knowingly or purposely, attempt to cause bodily injury to Holt Ross, with a deadly weapon, an automobile ...." (emphasis added).

¶ 7. Stanley contends that the code presents two avenues in which to proceed under Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-7(2)(b) (Rev. 2002). Following the argument set forth by Stanley, the State would have to prove *1131 beyond a reasonable doubt that there was an attempt to injure Ross, if no injury had occurred. In the alternative, with an injury present, Stanley argues that the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Stanley purposefully or knowingly caused bodily injury to Ross. Stanley claims that the indictment improperly combines these two alternatives.

¶ 8. It is well established in Mississippi that upon entering a plea of guilty, only two matters are not waived for appeal. These two matters are (1) failure to charge a necessary element of the crime and (2) lack of subject matter jurisdiction. Jefferson v. State, 556 So.2d 1016, 1019 (Miss.1989) (quoting Durr v. State, 446 So.2d 1016, 1017 (Miss.1984); Maxie v. State, 330 So.2d 277, 278 (Miss.1976)). The essential elements of the crime are included in Stanley's indictment, just not in the order in which he would prefer. As the matter argued does not fall within either of these two exceptions, having pled to the offense and not continuing to trial, Stanley has waived this matter for appeal. Therefore, this issue is without merit.

II.

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904 So. 2d 1127, 2004 WL 2283488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stanley-v-state-missctapp-2004.