State v. Miller

458 P.2d 1017, 254 Or. 244, 1969 Ore. LEXIS 365
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedSeptember 24, 1969
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 458 P.2d 1017 (State v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon 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. Miller, 458 P.2d 1017, 254 Or. 244, 1969 Ore. LEXIS 365 (Or. 1969).

Opinions

HOLMAN, J.

In 1953 defendant was convicted of kidnapping. At that time while unrepresented by counsel he waived his right to be indicted by the grand jury and consented to the filing of an information. He was then arraigned and pleaded guilty and was given a sentence of 25 3>uars.

Thereafter, defendant commenced proceedings in the nature of coram nobis. The trial court refused to assert jurisdiction, defendant appealed, and the circuit court’s ruling was affirmed. State v. Miller, 214 Or 208, 328 P2d 869 (1958). Subsequently, defendant filed habeas corpus proceedings which were dismissed, and he again appealed to this court. The dismissal was affirmed. Miller v. Gladden, 219 Or 538, 348 P2d 44 (1959). Defendant then brought a proceeding for post-conviction relief, claiming that he had not knowingty waived his right to be represented by counsel at the time of his plea of guilt. His request for relief ivas denied by the trial court. Hpon appeal, this [247]*247court set aside liis conviction and remanded him to the court of his conviction for further proceedings. Miller v. Gladden, 249 Or 51, 437 P2d 119 (1968).

Defendant was thereafter indicted by the grand jury in 1968 and charged with the identical crime. A demurrer based upon the statute of limitations was filed to the indictment. The demurrer was sustained. Thereafter, the state proceeded upon the 1953 information. Defendant contended that the information was invalid but his contention was denied. He subsequently appeared at a time set for the entering of a plea. At this time he refused to plead because he had not received a copy of the information after his plea of guilt was set aside. The court entered a plea of “not guilty” for him. Defendant then filed a demurrer to the information which was overruled on its merits. At this time he contended that he had not been arraigned. Although he and his attorney were present at all times during trial, they refused to participate. The jury returned a verdict of guilty, and this appeal is from that conviction.

Defendant contends that the 1953 information is of no validity and that the running of the statute of limitations prevents any new prosecution. He argues that the information is not valid because it was set aside by this court’s prior decision overturning his conviction. This court’s decision set aside his plea of guilt because he had not waived the aid of counsel at the time he pleaded. The decision did not and was not intended to invalidate the information.

Defendant also contends that the information is invalid for the same reason the plea was held invalid; i.e., because he had not waived counsel at the time he waived indictment by the grand jury. He does not [248]*248contend that he did not actually intend to waive indictment hut only that, as a matter of law, it was impossible for him to weigh the consequences and to make an intelligent choice without the advice of a lawyer. If waiver of indictment is a “critical stage” in the proceedings, he was entitled to be represented, prejudice is presumed, and his contention is correct. Hamilton v. Alabama, 368 US 52, 82 S Ct 157, 7 L Ed 2d 114 (1961).

Defendant’s right to be indicted by the grand jury before he can be prosecuted criminally is embodied in Art. VII (Amended), § 5, Constitution of Oregon.

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State v. Goddard
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State v. Miller
458 P.2d 1017 (Oregon Supreme Court, 1969)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
458 P.2d 1017, 254 Or. 244, 1969 Ore. LEXIS 365, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-miller-or-1969.