State v. Green

860 So. 2d 237, 2003 WL 22439717
Louisiana Court of Appeal·Decided October 28, 2003·No. 03-KA-410·Published·Cited by 10 cases

Opinion

860 So.2d 237 (2003)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Anna GREEN.

No. 03-KA-410.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

October 28, 2003.

*238 Anthony G. Falterman, District Attorney, 23rd Judicial District, Donald D. Candell, Assistant District Attorney, Gonzales, LA, for Appellee.

Arcenious F. Armond, Jr., Gretna, LA, for Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges JAMES L. CANNELLA, MARION F. EDWARDS and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

MARION F. EDWARDS, Judge.

Defendant pled guilty to manslaughter, then later sought to have her plea withdrawn. For the foregoing reasons, the *239 defendant's conviction and sentence are affirmed.

The St. James Parish grand jury returned an indictment on March 1, 2001, charging defendant, Anna Green, with second degree murder in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:30.1, which allegedly occurred on or about January 8, 2001. Green was arraigned on March 12, 2001 and pled not guilty. On July 15, 2002, Green filed a motion and order for change of venue that was denied on that same date. On August 1, 2002, the indictment was amended to charge Green with manslaughter in violation of LSA-R.S. 14:31. On that same date, Green was arraigned and pled guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter. The trial court ordered a pre-sentence investigation report with a cap of 20 years.

Green filed a motion to withdraw guilty plea on October 23, 2002 that was denied on November 6, 2002. On November 8, 2002, the trial court sentenced Green to imprisonment at hard labor for 15 years. The trial court issued written reasons for sentence. Defense counsel objected to the sentence and informed the trial court that he would file a motion to reconsider sentence and a motion for appeal. On November 18, 2002, Green filed a motion for appeal that was granted. On November 27, 2002, Green filed a motion to reconsider sentence that was denied on December 10, 2002.

Green admitted during her guilty plea colloquy that, on January 8, 2001, in the Parish of St. James, she committed manslaughter by killing Cardell Clayton while involved in a domestic argument with him. The record reflects that Green stabbed the victim in the left chest.

Green pled guilty to one count of manslaughter. An unqualified guilty plea waives all non-jurisdictional defects in the proceedings prior thereto and precludes review thereof either by appeal or post-conviction relief.[1] A defendant may be allowed appellate review if at the time he enters a guilty plea, he expressly reserves his right to appeal a specific adverse ruling in the case.[2]

On appeal, Green argues that the trial court erred by not quashing the bill of indictment and by denying the motion for change of venue. However, we note that Green did not reserve her right to appeal any alleged defects regarding the indictment or the trial court's ruling on the motion for change of venue. Therefore, we refuse to consider Green' first two assignments of error.

In her third assignment of error, Green argues that the trial court erred in denying the motion to withdraw guilty plea. She contends that her 15-year sentence was excessive, and that it was her understanding, based on discussions with the prosecutor, that her sentence would be five to six years.

On August 1, 2002, the indictment was amended to charge Green with manslaughter. On that same date, Green was arraigned on the amended charge and pled guilty. Green testified that she was 22 years old, that she had completed the tenth grade, that she could read and write the English language, and that she was not under the influence of any medication or drugs.

Green testified that her counsel had advised her of her rights, that she understood she was presumed innocent until *240 proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, that the burden was upon the State to prove her guilty, that she had the right to a trial by jury, that she had the right to counsel and that her counsel would continue to represent her throughout the trial, including an appeal, if necessary.

Green further testified that she understood that she had the right to confrontation, that the State had to produce witnesses in court so her counsel could cross-examine them, that she had the privilege against self-incrimination, that she did not have to take the stand and testify, that in the event of a conviction she could have the right to an appeal, that the conviction resulting from her plea could be used to enhance the penalty for a subsequent felony conviction, and that she understood her post-conviction relief rights.

The trial judge advised Green of the elements of manslaughter and the penalty for manslaughter: imprisonment at hard labor for not more than 40 years. The judge told Green that her counsel and the prosecutor had conducted plea bargaining in her case, that they had agreed to a pre-sentence investigation (PSI), that once it was received, she could find out what was on it generally, and that if she wanted to add anything or any letters of recommendation she could do so.

At that point, the prosecutor stated that there should be a 20-year cap on the pre-sentence investigation. Green testified that it had been explained to her what a 20-year cap meant, that she did not intend to appeal any rulings or orders of the court, that she still wanted to plead guilty, that she had not been promised anything by anyone in order to get her to plead guilty other than this plea bargain. Green then stated that she was told that if she plea bargained, she would get "like five or six years." The trial judge told Green:

That is not a guarantee. That is something that somebody might have told you. But the PSI, with a cap of twenty years, means that it cannot be more than twenty years no matter what. Do you understand that?

Green answered affirmatively. She testified that no one had threatened, coerced, beat her, or done anything else to persuade her to plead guilty. The trial judge did not ask her if she still wished to waive her rights and plead guilty.

She admitted that, on January 8, 2001, she had committed manslaughter by killing Cardell Clayton while involved in a domestic argument with him. Green testified that she had read and understood all of the questions and answers on the form, that her attorney had explained this form to her and the consequence of her guilty plea, and that her signature appeared on the form.

The trial judge then stated that he was convinced Green had been fully advised of her constitutional rights, that she understood the nature of the charge against her, that she understood the penalty to be imposed, that her plea was free and voluntary, that there was a factual basis for the plea, and that Green was, in fact, guilty of the crime charged. Defense counsel stated that his signature appeared on the bottom of the form, and that in signing it, he acknowledged he was present during the questioning of Green, that he informed her of her rights and the consequence of pleading guilty, and that he was satisfied that her guilty plea was voluntary. The trial judge stated he needed Green to initial three places on the form where it described the 20-year cap.

Defense counsel stated on the record that there were protracted negotiations regarding the plea agreement, that the defense wanted a stipulated number of years, and that he understood that the court *241 was not inclined to participate in those discussions. The following exchange then occurred:

THE COURT:
That i

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State v. Green, 860 So. 2d 237, 2003 WL 22439717 (La. Ct. App. 2003).

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