State v. Weaver

486 S.W.2d 482, 1972 Mo. LEXIS 1137
CourtSupreme Court of Missouri
DecidedNovember 13, 1972
DocketNo. 57423
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 486 S.W.2d 482 (State v. Weaver) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Weaver, 486 S.W.2d 482, 1972 Mo. LEXIS 1137 (Mo. 1972).

Opinion

HIGGINS, Commissioner.

Appeal (taken prior to January 1, 1972) from denial, after evidentiary hearing, of motion to withdraw plea of guilty to charge of robbery, first degree, and to set aside judgment of conviction and sentence to 20 years’ imprisonment based upon such guilty plea. Rules 27.25 and 27.26, V.A. M.R.

By information filed July 31, 1967, Charles Weaver was charged with robbery, first degree, by means of a dangerous and deadly weapon, on July 10, 1967, of Steven Bokonich.

On August 1, 1967, defendant, with his lawyer, Lewis E. Pierce, appeared in circuit court, waived formal arraignment on the charge, and pleaded not guilty. Trial was set for September 11, 1967, and bail was set at $4,000.1

On October 30, 1968, defendant, with his lawyer, David W. Russell, appeared on defendant’s motion to suppress (identification evidence) and, after it was overruled, he went to trial to a jury. The trial ended October 31, 1968,2 with the jury’s verdict which found defendant guilty and assessed his punishment at 20 years’ imprisonment.

On November 12, 1968, defendant filed timely motion for new trial which was sustained December 26, 1968.

On February 24, 1969, defendant, with his lawyer, Kenneth Koman Simon, again appeared on his motion to suppress identification testimony and, after it was overruled, went to trial to a jury.

The State presented testimony from the victim, Steven Michael Bokonich, and Grace Terrell.

On July 10, 1967, Mr. Bokonich was the credit manager at Dan Holiday Furniture, 2112 Truman Road, Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri. At 3:45 p. m., three men entered the front door and “walked up onto me, and the Number 1 man and the Number 2 man pulled out guns and told me this was a robbery.” The third man stayed at the door. Mr. Bokonich identified defendant as Number 2. Number 1 took about $200 from him and, while Number 2 kept his gun pointed at Mr. Bokonich, Number 1 demanded more money and struck him on the head. He and his secretary, Grace Terrell, were then instructed to go to a back room and remove their clothes, except for undergarments, and hand them to the robbers. As the robbers left, Number 3 took a portable television. The robbers were in the store for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Miss Terrell corroborated the testimony of Mr. Bokonich and also identified defendant as one of the robbers.

[484]*484At the conclusion of testimony from these two witnesses, the jury was excused until the following morning for these proceedings :

“MR. SIMON: If it please the Court, there has been an indication by the defendant of an announcement in this case. Your name is Charles Weaver ? THE DEFENDANT: Right; Charles Weaver. MR. SIMON: Is it your desire to withdraw a plea of not guilty heretofore entered and enter a plea of guilty to the charge? THE DEFENDANT: Yes, it is.

“MR. SIMON: You understand you have a right to continue this trial and have the matter submitted to a jury; you understand that? THE DEFENDANT: Yes. MR. SIMON: You understand at the hands of a jury you might receive more time, less time, or the same time that the Court itself might assess if it accepts your plea; you understand that? THE DEFENDANT: Yes.

“MR. SIMON: Has there been any force, threat or coercion of any kind by anyone for you to withdraw your plea of not guilty and enter a plea to this charge? THE DEFENDANT: No, it haven’t. MR. SIMON: You are not under any medical attention, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: I am under a doctor’s care. MR. SIMON: I mean not for any mental problems of any kind, you are aware of this being a court proceeding, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: Yes. MR. SIMON: And you have had occasion to consult with me and with your friend, Sandra, concerning this case? THE DEFENDANT: Yes. MR. SIMON: You have had full opportunity to consult, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: And you say plead guilty to presentence. MR. SIMON : Well, now, you understand there is no one that can force you to plead guilty to anything, with or without a presentence, you understand that; that this is a matter of your own free will. * * * Do you understand that, Mr. Weaver? THE DEFENDANT : Yes, I understand. * * *

“MR. SIMON: Now, not only must your plea be voluntary, but it must also be factually correct. Will you tell the Court in your own words, did you in fact participate in this incident at the Dan Holiday Furniture at 2112 Truman Road on July 10, 1967, as charged in this information? THE DEFENDANT: No, I didn’t participate in it. MR. SIMON: Of course, if you did not participate, you understand you cannot plead guilty to the charge; you understand that? THE DEFENDANT: I was looking out for my own welfare. The way crime is today, that jury will convict me anyhow. * * *

“THE COURT: This Court will not take a plea of guilty if you say you did not do it. * * * Now, if you plead guilty * * *, it will be taken as an admission that what they said occurred did take place. If you say that it did not happen that way, then this Court is not going to take a plea of guilty from you. * * * THE DEFENDANT: Give me time to think. THE COURT: You may wait until 9:30 in the morning. * * *

“MR. SIMON: You must also understand that if the Court accepts your plea and you do confess guilt that only the Judge decides what the punishment is; you understand that ? THE DEFENDANT: Yes. * * * MR. SIMON: Now, no one has given you any assurances as to what judgment or sentence would be in this case, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: That’s right. MR. SIMON: And you understand that when you plead to the Court then it’s up to the Court to dispose of the matter as the Court feels best? THE DEFENDANT: Yes.”

On February 25, 1969, these proceedings transpired:

“MR. SIMON: May it please the Court, Mr. Weaver has indicated a desire to withdraw his plea of not guilty and enter a plea of guilty to the charge; is that your desire, Mr. Weaver? THE DEFENDANT : That’s my desire, that’s right. MR. SIMON: Now, you indicated [485]*485yesterday that that also was your desire, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: That’s right. MR. SIMON: And since that time you have had opportunity to consult with your friends and family concerning the entry of a plea? THE DEFENDANT : Well, I have spoke about it and talked about it. MR. SIMON: You have also had opportunity to talk with me as your attorney this morning, in addition to our previous conferences about this matter? THE DEFENDANT: That’s right.

“MR. SIMON: Now, is it your desire to enter a plea of guilty because, in fact, you are guilty of this offense? THE DEFENDANT : That’s right. MR. SIMON: Will you please indicate to the Court in a short statement what actually happened and what participation you had in this incident with which you are charged on July 10, 1967? * * * THE DEFENDANT : Well, me and three other mens went out there and we robbed the Dan Holiday Furniture Company. THE COURT: How did you do it ? * * * THE DEFENDANT: Well, we walked in there and robbed the place, but detail, detail, I couldn’t exactly say, because it’s been so long ago, Your Honor.

“MR. SIMON: Mr. Weaver, there was an indication, you say of three men, and you have heard some testimony from witnesses in the courtroom under oath concerning a Number 1 man, a Number 2 man, and a Number 3 man, is that right? THE DEFENDANT: That’s three mans, that’s right. MR. SIMON: I understand from the testimony that the Number 3 man was an unarmed man, is that right ? THE DEFENDANT: Yes, that’s right.

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Related

Seevers v. State
766 S.W.2d 780 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)
Harkins v. Lauf
532 S.W.2d 459 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1976)
Weaver v. State
520 S.W.2d 640 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1975)
State v. Brown
502 S.W.2d 295 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1973)

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Bluebook (online)
486 S.W.2d 482, 1972 Mo. LEXIS 1137, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-weaver-mo-1972.