State v. Yost

914 N.W.2d 508
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 11, 2018
DocketNos. 20170358; 20170359; 20170360
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 914 N.W.2d 508 (State v. Yost) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota 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. Yost, 914 N.W.2d 508 (N.D. 2018).

Opinion

Crothers, Justice.

[¶ 1] Dale Gene Yost appeals from an order denying his motion to withdraw guilty pleas and amended criminal judgments. Yost argues the district court abused its discretion in denying withdrawal of his guilty pleas, did not advise him of his rights before his pleas, and erred in amending the amended judgments because the district court lacked jurisdiction. Yost also argues he received ineffective assistance of counsel. We affirm the district court's denial of Yost's motion, vacate the district court's second amended judgment, and remand for correction of the first amended judgment.

I

[¶ 2] In October 2012 the State charged Yost with eleven counts of gross sexual imposition involving five minors. State v. Yost , 2014 ND 209, ¶ 2, 855 N.W.2d 829 ( Yost I ). At the November 7, 2012 initial appearance, the district court advised Yost of the potential criminal penalties and his rights as listed in N.D.R.Crim.P. 11(b). In August 2013 Yost entered Alford pleas to five counts and the State dismissed six counts as part of a plea agreement. Yost I , at ¶ 3. Attorney William Hartl represented Yost in these proceedings and the district court ordered presentence investigations after the change of plea hearing. Id.

[¶ 3] Yost requested the Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents appoint him new counsel and filed with the district court multiple requests for a new attorney or claims of ineffective assistance of counsel. Yost I , at ¶¶ 3-5. In January 2014 Yost appeared without counsel at a sentencing hearing because the court permitted Hartl to withdraw before the hearing. Yost I , at ¶ 7. Yost appealed in February 2014. This Court reversed and remanded for resentencing on a narrow ruling that the record from the sentencing hearing did "not establish Yost knowingly and intelligently waived his right to counsel, nor did his conduct rise to the functional equivalent of a voluntary waiver...." Yost I , at ¶ 23.

[¶ 4] Following the 2014 appeal, Yost's second appointed counsel withdrew. On October 20, 2016 Yost's third appointed counsel filed a motion to withdraw guilty pleas. The district court held a motion hearing on April 21, 2017, and on September 8, 2017, filed an order denying the motion. The district court amended the criminal judgment on October 6, 2017, after a sentencing hearing. Yost filed his first notice of appeal on October 9, 2017. On February 1, 2018 the district court amended the amended criminal judgment. Yost filed a second notice of appeal on February 21, 2018.

II

[¶ 5] Yost argues the district court used the wrong standard in denying withdrawal of his guilty plea. Rule 11(d), N.D.R.Crim.P., governs withdrawal of guilty pleas and provides:

*513"(1) In General. A defendant may withdraw a plea of guilty:
(A) before the court accepts the plea, for any reason or no reason; or
(B) after the court accepts the plea, but before it imposes sentence if:
(i) the court rejects a plea agreement under Rule 11(c)(5) ; or
(ii) the defendant can show a fair and just reason for the withdrawal.
(2) Finality of a Guilty Plea. Unless the defendant proves that withdrawal is necessary to correct a manifest injustice, the defendant may not withdraw a plea of guilty after the court has imposed sentence.
(3) Prosecution Reliance on Plea. If the prosecution has been substantially prejudiced by reliance on the defendant's plea, the court may deny a plea withdrawal request."

[¶ 6] We have interpreted Rule 11(d) to recognize three standards for withdrawing a guilty plea:

"The standard for a plea withdrawal differs depending upon when the motion to withdraw the guilty plea is made. A defendant has a right to withdraw a guilty plea before it is accepted by the court. After a guilty plea is accepted, but before sentencing, the defendant may withdraw a guilty plea if necessary to correct a manifest injustice, or, if allowed in the court's discretion, for any 'fair and just' reason unless the prosecution has been prejudiced by reliance on the plea. When a court has accepted a plea and imposed sentence, the defendant cannot withdraw the plea unless withdrawal is necessary to correct a manifest injustice. The decision whether a manifest injustice exists for withdrawal of a guilty plea lies within the trial court's discretion and will not be reversed on appeal except for an abuse of discretion. An abuse of discretion under N.D.R.Crim.P. [11](d) occurs when the court's legal discretion is not exercised in the interest of justice. The trial court must exercise its sound discretion in determining whether a 'manifest injustice' or a 'fair and just reason' to withdraw a guilty plea exists."

State v. Bates , 2007 ND 15, ¶ 6, 726 N.W.2d 595 (citations and quotation marks omitted). "A court abuses its discretion when it acts in an arbitrary, unreasonable, or unconscionable manner, or it misinterprets or misapplies the law." State v. Pixler , 2010 ND 105, ¶ 7, 783 N.W.2d 9.

"While there is a preference to liberally allow a defendant to withdraw a guilty plea, withdrawal is not a matter of right.... Furthermore, a defendant has the burden of proving that a fair and just reason supports withdrawal of a guilty plea. Once a defendant establishes a fair and just reason, the burden then shifts to the State to establish that it would be prejudiced by granting leave to withdraw. To establish prejudice, the State must show prejudice beyond that found in the ordinary case. Substantial prejudice is established if the prosecution shows, for example, that vital physical evidence has been discarded, that a chief government witness has died, or that fifty-two witnesses who have come from all over the United States and from overseas naval bases have been dismissed. Courts do not inquire into the matter of prejudice unless the defendant first shows a good reason for being allowed to withdraw his plea."

State v. Lium , 2008 ND 232, ¶ 13, 758 N.W.2d 711 (citations and quotation marks omitted).

A

[¶ 7] Yost argues the district court should have allowed withdrawal as a matter *514of right because the remand from Yost I

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Byrd v. State
2025 ND 55 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2025)
State v. Morales
2023 ND 209 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2023)
State v. Brame
2023 ND 121 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2023)
State v. Dunn
2023 ND 24 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2023)
Watson v. State
2022 ND 215 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2022)
State v. Watson
2021 ND 18 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2021)
Poole v. State
2020 ND 138 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2020)
Kremer v. State
2020 ND 132 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2020)
State v. Awad
2020 ND 66 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2020)
State v. Craig
2019 ND 123 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
Olson v. State
2019 ND 135 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
State v. Peterson
2018 ND 140 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
Lavallie v. State
2019 ND 119 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2019)
Davies v. State
2018 ND 211 (North Dakota Supreme Court, 2018)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
914 N.W.2d 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-yost-nd-2018.