State v. Widmer

569 P.2d 845, 116 Ariz. 415, 1977 Ariz. App. LEXIS 720
CourtCourt of Appeals of Arizona
DecidedFebruary 22, 1977
DocketNo. 1 CA-CR 1782
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 569 P.2d 845 (State v. Widmer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Arizona primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Widmer, 569 P.2d 845, 116 Ariz. 415, 1977 Ariz. App. LEXIS 720 (Ark. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinions

OPINION

WREN, Judge.

The defendant, David Widmer, was found guilty of the crime of possession of marijuana, after a submission of the matter to the court on the basis of the preliminary hearing transcript and departmental report. He was given five years probation, with the condition that he be committed to the Department of Corrections for 180 days. On appeal, defendant urges that his submission on the record was tantamount to a guilty plea and was not, therefore, a voluntary and intelligent act because he was not informed of the range of possible sentence for possession of marijuana, nor of the fact that he was waiving his right against self-incrimination.

In State v. Jackson, 24 Ariz.App. 308, 537 P.2d 1366 (1975), this Court expressly held that when a defendant submits his case on departmental reports, there is no requirement that he be advised of the range of possible sentence. The opinion noted that this was not set forth as a requisite in State v. Crowley, 111 Ariz. 308, 528 P.2d 834 (1974), and the Court would not extend Crowley to add such a requirement, even though the submission was tantamount to a guilty plea by virtue of the defendant’s admissions contained in the departmental reports.

More recently, in State v. Hiralez, 27 Ariz.App. 393, 555 P.2d 362 (1976), this Court held that State v. Jackson, supra, was not overruled by the Supreme Court in State v. Gaines, 113 Ariz. 206, 549 P.2d 574 (1976), and that Gaines contained no suggestion of any expansion of the requirements of State v. Crowley, supra. We again hold with Jackson, therefore, that the failure of the trial court to inform the defendant of the minimum and maximum penalty for his offense was not error.

We next consider whether the failure to specifically inform his that he was waiving [416]*416his right against self-incrimination rendered the submission invalid. When the preliminary hearing transcripts contain evidence more than sufficient for a finding of guilt, Crowley stated that a submission based on such a record is tantamount to a guilty plea and therefore required a record similar to that required in Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969).

The requisite findings were specifically set forth:

“The trial court must determine, and the record must reflect, that the defendant understood the significance and consequences of submitting the case on the basis of the preliminary hearing transcript. It must affirmatively appear in the record that the defendant knew that he was giving up the right to trial by jury, to testify in his own behalf, to call any witnesses, or to offer any further evidence. The record must reflect that the defendant understood that the whole issue of his guilt or innocence of the offense charged was to be made upon the preliminary hearing transcript.” State v. Crowley, 111 Ariz. at 311, 528 P.2d at 837.

It is to be noted that the inquiry by the court relates only to those constitutional guarantees which are lost by not going to trial. The right against self-incrimination is not mentioned as one of the rights waived on a submission, and such a right in our opinion is not waived other than by a plea of guilty or no contest.

The defendant here urges that we follow the holding of the California Supreme Court, that upon a submission to the court the defendant must be informed of and knowingly waive his right against self-incrimination. People v. Levey, 8 Cal.3d 648, 105 Cal.Rptr. 516, 504 P.2d 452 (1973). It is obvious that the California courts have adopted a much stricter standard for submissions on preliminary hearing transcripts than have the Arizona courts. California requires a record identical to that required by Boykin, with a specific and express showing on the face of the record that the defendant understood each constitutional right and waived it. People v. Levey, supra. Arizona, on the other hand, has followed a “common sense” approach to submissions and looks at the record to see if its reflects an understanding of rights and a knowing waiver. State v. Eliason, 25 Ariz. App. 523, 544 P.2d 1124 (1976).

We choose not to follow Levey and agree with the conclusions expressed by Chief Judge Haire in Jackson that:

“The specific requirements imposed in Crowley are for the purpose of making certain that a defendant clearly understands that as a consequence of a proposed submission, he will be giving up his right to trial by jury, and that the whole issue of his guilt or innocence will be decided upon the submitted record. The imposition of additional requirements which do not bear upon the attainment of those purposes is not logically or legally justified.” 24 Ariz.App. at 310, 537 P.2d at 1368. (Emphasis added).

A defendant charged with a criminal offense, even though obviously guilty, may submit the question of his guilt or innocence on the record instead of pleading guilty for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to preserve certain non-jurisdictional defenses, such as a denial by the court of a motion to suppress. See State v. Lerner, 113 Ariz. 284, 551 P.2d 553 (1976).

We do not agree that a submission involves a waiver of the right against self-incrimination, even when the evidence of guilt is overwhelming. A major distinction between a guilty plea and a submission is that in a guilty plea situation, the court addresses the defendant personally to establish through him a factual basis for the plea.1 The defendant must then answer the judge’s inquiries as to his involvement in [417]*417the crime charged. In the submission context, the defendant is not required to give any testimony or statements against himself whatsoever. Guilt is determined solely on the evidence adduced at prior proceedings and any departmental reports submitted to the court. The fact that the reports may contain incriminating statements of defendant does not metamorphose the submission to a guilty plea.

In State v. Gaines, supra, the Supreme Court noted a distinction between a submission tantamount to a guilty plea and one that was not, and stated that the former required “compliance with the mandate of Boykin ”, while the latter necessitated only the due process requirements that the defendant be advised that he was giving up his right to trial by jury and that guilt or innocence would be decided on the submitted record. While we find it difficult to distinguish these requirements of due process from those set forth in Crowley, we find no expression in Gaines, or in Chief Justice Cameron’s dissent therein, that the Crowley warnings should be expanded to include the full Boykin warnings of self-incrimination and the range of possible sentences. Cf. State v. Offing,

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569 P.2d 845, 116 Ariz. 415, 1977 Ariz. App. LEXIS 720, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-widmer-arizctapp-1977.