State v. Reynolds

497 P.2d 812, 108 Ariz. 314, 1972 Ariz. LEXIS 318
CourtArizona Supreme Court
DecidedJune 8, 1972
Docket2022
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 497 P.2d 812 (State v. Reynolds) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Arizona 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. Reynolds, 497 P.2d 812, 108 Ariz. 314, 1972 Ariz. LEXIS 318 (Ark. 1972).

Opinion

HOLOHAN, Justice.

Defendant, John F. Reynolds, appeals his judgment of guilt to the charge of rape, first degree and the sentence imposed thereon of 30 to 40 years. The judgment of guilt was based upon his plea of guilty to the charge, and the questions presented involve whether the plea of the defendant was voluntarily and understandingly made, and whether the defendant should be allowed to withdraw his plea of guilty.

Shortly after the arraignment of the defendant, his counsel filed a motion for a *315 mental examination pursuant to Rule 250, Rules of Criminal Procedure, Vol. 17 A.R. S. The motion was granted, and. the court appointed two psychiatrists who thereafter examined the defendant and found him unable to understand the nature of the proceedings or to assist counsel in- his defense. On March 23, 1965 the trial judge ordered the defendant committed to the Arizona State Hospital. The defendant was under treatment until October, 1965 when the examining physician of the Arizona State Hospital issued a report in which he concluded that the defendant was then presently able to understand the criminal proceedings against him and to assist in his defense. The opinion of the examining physician was accepted and approved by the Superintendent of-the Arizona State Hospital, and the defendant was returned'to the custody of the Sheriff of Maricopa County.

The defendant and his counsel appeared before the trial court on October 25, 1965 at which time the report from the state hospital was made a part of the record, and the cause was set for trial for November 17, 1965. On November 18, 1965 the defendant-appeared with counsel, and the former plea of not guilty was withdrawn and a plea of guilty was entered. -The only record of the proceeding is found in the minutes, and, except-for noting appearance and the fact of the plea change, little is shown of what took place. The minutes do note that:

“ * * * the Defendant in open Court and with counsel states that he understands the charge.”

After sentence, the defendant failed to appeal within the appropriate time period, but the defendant has on several occasions attempted, beginning in October, 1966, to have some review of his conviction, and in May, 1968 he first urged by affidavit his position that the plea of guilty was based upon a promise that he would receive 2 to 3 years for rehabilitation and that this promise was not kept. In 1969 defendant filed a motion, for a .-delayed appeal and this Court granted that motion. The record in this matter was forwarded'to-this Court and a Public Defender was appointed for this appeal.

Defendant contends that the trial court failed to make a judicial determination as to his ability to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense. '

The question here concerns not insanity at the time of the crime but rather the ability of the defendant at the time to understand the proceedings against him or to assist in his defense. This is properly a question governed by Rule 250 and that rule, we have held, applies to cases which result in guilty pleas as well as cases that go to trial. State v. Davis, 106 Ariz. 598, 480 P.2d 354 (1971); State v. Nielsen, 108 Ariz. 251, 495 P.2d 847 (1972). Defendant suggests that the court had an obligation to conduct a second 250 hearing and there judicially determine whether defendant' was able to stand trial. The cases defendant cites such as State v. Stracuzzi, 79 Ariz. 314, 289 P.2d 187 (1955), involve a situation governed by a statute since changed, A.C.A.1939, § 44-1701. This case is governed by our present Rule 250 and not § 44— 1701. We analyzed the differences between § 44-1701 of the 1939 Code and Rule 250, its successor, in State v. Bradley, 102 Ariz. 482, 433 P.2d 273 (1967), and held that under the old law (§ 44—1701) a second hearing was required while Rule. 250 provides in part as follows:

“Rule 250. Examination of defendant’s mental condition prior to or during trial; proceeding with trial or commitment of defendant to institution * * * * * *
“B. If the court, after the hearing, decides that the defendant is able to understand the proceedings and to assist in his defense it shall proceed with the trial. If it decides that the defendant through insanity, or mental deficiency is not able to understand the proceedings or to assist in his defense, it shall have the defendant committed to th.e .institution authorized to receive him, - and- the *316 commitment of the defendant shall exonerate his bail. If thereafter the authorized officer of such institution is of the opinion that the defendant is able to understand the proceedings and to assist in his defense, he shall report such fact to the court which conducted the hearing. If the officer so reports, the court shall proceed with the trial, and may again admit the defendant to bail, if he is bailable.” [Emphasis supplied.]

We held a second hearing under Rule 250 will not always be required and:

“ * * * where evidence of restoration to competency i. e. the report of the Arizona State Hospital certifying to defendant’s competency to stand trial, is accepted as satisfatory by counsel for the accused, the prosecution, and by the court on the basis of the record before it, the presumption is outweighed and the court should proceed to trial without further determination. In all respects a determination of competency is made and the disability of insanity is removed.” (102 Ariz. at 487, 433 P.2d at 278) , 1 (Emphasis supplied.)

Since there was no objection nor motion made by defense counsel requesting a second hearing we must assume the report of the physician certifying defendant as competent to stand trial was accepted as satisfactory. The trial court properly proceeded in setting the matter for trial.

The main thrust of the appeal is directed at the proceedings in which the plea of the defendant was changed from not guilty to guilty. Unfortunately, there was no court reporter present at the change of plea hearing. The only notation we have is a minute entry which has previously been described.

Defendant argues that the standards of Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969), be applied. We specifically held in State v. Griswold, 105 Ariz. 1, 457 P.2d 331 (1969), that the requirements of Boykin will not be applied retroactively, only prospectively. The guilty plea having been entered on November 18, 1965, we must follow the pre Boykin guidelines and judge the plea “with reference to the basic fairness of these proceedings rather than to [the] rigid standards” of Boykin. State v. Johnson, 107 Ariz. 169, 170, 484 P.2d 1, 3 (1971).

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Related

State v. Williams
515 P.2d 849 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1973)
State v. Reynolds
511 P.2d 615 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1973)
State v. Adcox
503 P.2d 945 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1972)
State v. Endreson
498 P.2d 454 (Arizona Supreme Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
497 P.2d 812, 108 Ariz. 314, 1972 Ariz. LEXIS 318, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-reynolds-ariz-1972.