State v. Ditter

587 N.W.2d 73, 255 Neb. 696, 1998 Neb. LEXIS 231
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 4, 1998
DocketS-97-1212
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 587 N.W.2d 73 (State v. Ditter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Ditter, 587 N.W.2d 73, 255 Neb. 696, 1998 Neb. LEXIS 231 (Neb. 1998).

Opinion

McCormack, J.

NATURE OF CASE

David D. Ditter appeals from the district court’s dismissal without an evidentiary hearing of his second motion for post-conviction relief. We affirm.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

A defendant requesting postconviction relief must establish the basis for such relief, and the findings of the district court will not be disturbed unless they are clearly erroneous. State v. Dandridge, ante p. 364, 585 N.W.2d 433 (1998).

BACKGROUND

This is the third appearance of this case before this court. Ditter was charged with murder in the first degree for killing his wife. Ditter, pursuant to a plea agreement, entered a plea of guilty to the charge, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ditter instituted a direct appeal from his conviction and sentence, but because of jurisdictional defects, the only issue addressed on appeal was excessiveness of sentence. This court affirmed, noting that the trial court could not have imposed a lesser sentence. See State v. Ditter, 209 Neb. 452, 308 N.W.2d 350 (1981) (Ditter I).

Ditter thereafter instituted his first postconviction action pursuant to the Nebraska Postconviction Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. *698 § 29-3001 et seq. (Reissue 1989). Ditter was appointed new counsel to assist him in his attempt to gain postconviction relief. The trial court determined that the pleadings and the file did not present grounds for postconviction relief and summarily denied the petition without an evidentiary hearing. Ditter appealed, and this court considered two consolidated assignments of error: (1) that Ditter’s guilty plea was not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily made and (2) that Ditter’s guilty plea was entered due to ineffective assistance of counsel. See State v. Ditter, 232 Neb. 600, 441 N.W.2d 622 (1989) (Ditter II).

In reviewing the record, this court concluded in Ditter II that the trial court, in accepting Ditter’s plea, had fully complied with the procedures set out in State v. Irish, 223 Neb. 814, 394 N.W.2d 879 (1986). This court further concluded that the transcript and records demonstrated that Ditter’s trial counsel “did not coerce [Ditter] into changing his plea, but patiently and carefully explained the available options.” Ditter II, 232 Neb. at 603, 441 N.W.2d at 624. In addition, this court concluded that Ditter’s trial counsel competently represented him and that there was no evidence in the record, other than Ditter’s “ ‘sudden’ ” change of mind, indicating that his plea was not voluntary. Id. at 607, 441 N.W.2d at 626. This court affirmed the trial court’s denial of postconviction relief.

In his second motion for postconviction relief, Ditter again argues that his trial counsel rendered him ineffective assistance and that his guilty plea was coerced and was not knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily made. However, Ditter alleges that the grounds relied upon in this motion did not exist at the time his first motion for postconviction relief was filed. Ditter alleges that it was not until his parole board hearing, which occurred after his first motion for postconviction relief, that he discovered his trial counsel had misled him about the benefits of his guilty plea. Ditter specifically alleges that before the parole board hearing, he was unaware that the parole board was not bound by any plea agreements and was unaware that the parole board could not parole him until he went to the pardons board and requested commutation of his sentence to a set number of years. Ditter alleges that because his trial counsel failed *699 to tell him these things, his guilty plea was involuntary because “he was misled about its’ [sic] benefits and value,” and that his trial counsel was ineffective for “misinforming him as to the real benefits (or lack thereof) of the plea bargain.” Brief for appellant at 12.

The trial court held that any additional facts alleged in Ditter’s second postconviction motion were clearly available at the time he filed his first postconviction relief motion. In addition, the trial court concluded that both of the issues raised in the second motion for postconviction relief were decided in the first motion. The trial court summarily denied the motion without an evidentiary hearing. The trial court also overruled Ditter’s motion to produce, in which he asked for the transcript of his parole board hearing, and overruled his motion for the appointment of counsel.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Ditter assigns, restated, that the trial court erred (1) in failing to produce the transcript of the parole board hearing as requested by Ditter, (2) in dismissing Ditter’s motion for post-conviction relief, and (3) in failing to grant an evidentiary hearing.

ANALYSIS

A defendant moving for postconviction relief must allege facts which, if proved, constitute a denial or violation of his or her rights under the Nebraska or U.S. Constitution. State v. Burlison, ante p. 190, 583 N.W.2d 31 (1998).

Once a motion for postconviction relief has been judicially determined, any subsequent motion for such relief from the same conviction and sentence may be dismissed unless the motion affirmatively shows on its face that the basis relied upon for relief was not available at the time the prior motion was filed. Id.

A motion for postconviction relief cannot be used to secure review of issues which were known to the defendant and could have been litigated on direct appeal. Id.

An evidentiary hearing on a motion for postconviction relief is required on an appropriate motion containing factual allegations which, if proved, constitute an infringement of the *700 movant’s rights under the state or federal Constitution. State v. Dandridge, ante p. 364, 585 N.W.2d 433 (1998).

An evidentiary hearing may be denied on a motion for post-conviction relief when the records and files affirmatively show that the defendant is entitled to no relief. Id.

In order to establish a right to postconviction relief based on a claim of ineffective counsel, the defendant has the burden to first show that counsel’s performance was deficient; that is, counsel’s performance did not equal that of a lawyer with ordinary training and skill in criminal law in the area. State v. Johnson, 243 Neb. 758, 502 N.W.2d 477 (1993). Next, the defendant must show that counsel’s deficient performance prejudiced the defense in his or her case. Id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
587 N.W.2d 73, 255 Neb. 696, 1998 Neb. LEXIS 231, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-ditter-neb-1998.