State v. Waldron

139 N.W.2d 785, 273 Minn. 57, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 793
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 14, 1966
Docket39572
StatusPublished
Cited by55 cases

This text of 139 N.W.2d 785 (State v. Waldron) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Waldron, 139 N.W.2d 785, 273 Minn. 57, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 793 (Mich. 1966).

Opinion

Nelson, Justice.

Defendant, Raymond G. Waldron, was convicted of the crime of incest on his plea of guilty entered before the District Court of Hennepin County December 5, 1963. He had been charged in an information filed against him on December 3 with having committed the crime by having sexual relations with his 16-year-old daughter on November 24, 1963. He now appeals from the judgment of conviction.

A complaint was filed against defendant in the Minneapolis municipal *59 court on November 27, 1963, by his wife, LaVonne D. Waldron. A warrant was thereupon issued and defendant was brought before the court on November 30, 1963, at which time defendant was advised with respect to his rights by a member of the staff of the Hennepin County public defender. Defendant then waived a preliminary hearing and on December 3 was arraigned before the district court. He stated to the court that he was without funds to hire an attorney and, after an examination as to the extent of his poverty, the court appointed the public defender as his counsel. No plea was entered at the time and the matter was continued to December 5, at which time defendant appeared with Mr. Kermit A. Gill, the Hennepin County public defender, as his counsel and entered a plea of guilty to the crime charged. He had in the meantime talked over the charge against him with the public defender in a separate room in the county jail. This conference occurred after Mr. Gill had made his own personal investigation, having spent some 3 hours studying the county attorney’s file, checking the facts with an investigator from the sheriff’s office, and completing what he thought to be the necessary research prior to the hearing set for December 5.

After being arraigned and entering the plea of guilty, defendant was examined by Mr. Gill as follows:

“Q State your full name, please.
“A Raymond Garold Waldron.
“Q How old are you, Mr. Waldron?
“A Thirty-six.
“Q Where do you live?
“A 249-21st Avenue North.
“Q And what city is that?
“A Minneapolis.
“Q Now, in regard to this charge of incest you and I have talked this matter over, is that correct?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q And you understand that incest is a felony in our State and punishable up to ten years imprisonment?
“A Yes, sir.
*60 “Q And I have further explained to you that you would be absolutely entitled to a trial by jury, is that correct?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q And that had you a trial by jury there would be this presumption of innocence unless and until the State introduced evidence to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q And you understand this?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q And no threats or promises have been made by myself or any other person to induce you to enter this plea of guilty?
“A No, sir.
“Q Is this plea of guilty of your own free will and accord?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q You are charged specifically with on or about the 24th day of November, 1963, with having sexual intercourse with your daughter, is that correct?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q How old is your daughter?
“A Sixteen.
“Q No question in your mind that you did upon that date have sexual intercourse?
“A No, sir.
“Q And you understand what sexual intercourse is?
“A Yes, sir.”

At this point Mr. Gill requested that a presentence investigation be made and the court so ordered. Upon its completion a hearing was held on January 8, 1964, at which the state moved for sentence. The court then examined defendant as follows:

“Q How old are you, Mr. Waldron?
“A Thirty-six. I’ll be thirty-seven in June.
“Q Are you married?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q What is your wife’s name?
“A Pardon?
*61 “Q What is your wife’s name?
“A LaVonne Darlene Waldron.
“Q How many children do you have?
“A Six.
“Q What are their ages?
“A They vary from sixteen to two and a half.
“Q Sixteen to two and a half?
“A Yes, sir.
“Q How far did you go in school?
“A Sixth grade.
“Q Do you have any trade or vocation of any kind?
“A Well, I had been working as a machinist and sort of a painter.
“Q Machinist and painter?
“A Yes.
“Q Are you qualified as a tradesman in those crafts?
“A Not quite. I just joined the union.
“Q What is your religion?
“A Protestant.
“Q Is there anything you wish to say before sentence is imposed?
“A Yes, sir. The only thing is if I had went to the doctor right away instead of monkeying around with a bottle this wouldn’t have happened. I have ruined my family, I guess.
“The Court: You have done a good job of it, apparently, from the report.
“A Something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Defendant was then sentenced to an indeterminate term.

On June 29, 1964, he moved the District Court of Hennepin County to vacate the sentence and to allow him to withdraw his plea of guilty to the charge of incest and to enter a plea of not guilty. This motion was based upon all the files, records, and proceedings in the matter and a supporting affidavit in which defendant made the following claims:

“That at the arraignment the Court appointed Kermit A. Gill, Attorney at Law, of the Hennepin County Public Defenders’ office to represent affiant on this charge.

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Bluebook (online)
139 N.W.2d 785, 273 Minn. 57, 1966 Minn. LEXIS 793, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-waldron-minn-1966.