Strange v. State

1969 OK CR 303, 462 P.2d 292
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedNovember 12, 1969
DocketNo. A-15092
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 1969 OK CR 303 (Strange v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Strange v. State, 1969 OK CR 303, 462 P.2d 292 (Okla. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

NIX, Judge.

Plaintiff in error, Leon Strange, hereinafter referred to as the defendant, was charged by information in the District Court of Oklahoma County with the capital crimes of Murder, case number 34295; and, Attempted Robbery with Firearms, case number CRF-69-115. On January 22, 1969, the defendant pled guilty to both charges, waived any delay in imposition of sentence, and the trial judge sentenced him to serve 99 years in case number CRF-69-115 for Attempted Robbery with Firearms; and, consecutively, a Life sentence for the Murder charge, case number 34295. Defendant then filed a timely appeal in both cases in this Court alleging appellate consideration of evidence and punishment, and lack of premeditation. [At this point, this Court takes judicial notice that the defendant, Leon Strange, had previously been tried by a jury in case number 34295 for the charge of Murder, and on June 12, 1968, the jury returned a verdict of guilty and sentenced him to Death in the electric chair. On December 12, 1968, the trial judge, the Honorable Harold C. Theus, granted defendant a new trial for the sole and only reason that the untimely death of his court reporter, Archie Mclnnis, prevented the defendant from appealing his case as required by statute because a transcript of the trial could not be completed.]

This Court has before it the transcript of the proceedings of January 22, 1969, where[293]*293in defendant entered his pleas of guilty, and will herein set forth the pertinent parts of said transcript:

“TRANSCRIPT OF PROCEEDINGS

On January 22, 1969, at the hour of ten o’clock a. m. this matter came on for trial before the Honorable Carmon C. Harris, District Judge, Division Six, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.

The defendant appeared in person and by his attorney, Don Anderson, Public Defender.

The State of Oklahoma appeared by Curtis P. Harris, District Attorney, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, and James R. McKinney, Assistant District Attorney, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma.

The following proceedings were had:

THE COURT: This case coming on for trial this January 22, 1969, pursuant to regular assignment on the trial docket; the defendant appearing in person and by his attorneys, Don Anderson, the duly appointed Public Defender, and Mr. Berry Albert, member of the Bar of Oklahoma, who represented the defendant at the preliminary hearing.

Before empanelment of the jury Mr. Anderson requested permission to confer with the defendant. Whereupon, the defendant and his attorneys, Don Anderson and Berry Albert, retired to the Judge’s chambers for conference.

At the conclusion of the conference Mr. Anderson advised the Court that he desired to make a record outside of the hearing of the jury.

Whereupon, the Court and the Court Reporter and the Clerk entered the Judge’s chambers and in the presence of the defendant, his attorneys, the District Attorney, Curtis P. Harris, the Court Reporter and the Court Clerk and Deputy Sheriff, the doors being closed between the Judge’s chambers and the Courtroom the following proceedings were had: (whereupon a discussion was had, but no record of said proceedings were made.)

THEREAFTER, at the hour of 10:25 a. m. further proceedings were conducted in this case as follows :

THE COURT: Let the record show that Mr. Anderson, attorney for the defendant, advised the Court that the defendant desired to change his plea to this charge and an additional charge and enter a plea of . guilty.

Whereupon, all parties who had been in conference in the Judge’s chambers entered the court room, and the Court was formally called to order.

(In open court) THE COURT: Ladies and Gentlemen, I may not need your services in this case this morning. I am going to excuse you to return to the Jury assembly room. However, your names will not be sent to the Jury assembly room for a little while, and therefore you will not be called for another jury until I advise the Clerk. So you go back to the Jury assembly room with the understanding that you are still intact as a prospective jury panel, and with the next thirty minutes or so I’ll advise the Clerk and he will advise you whether or not you are still on this panel, but consider yourselves on this panel until you are further notified.

(The Jury Panel retired from the courtroom.)

Thereafter, the following proceedings were conducted in open court:

THE COURT: The following proceedings were had in the courtroom, the defendant being present in person and represented by his attorney, Mr. Don Anderson, the duly appointed Public Defender; the State being represented by Curtis P. Harris, District Attorney:

The District Attorney announced to the Court that an additional charge against this defendant had been filed, being Case No. CRF-69-115, styled, the State of Oklahoma versus Leon Strange, charging the offense of Attempted Robbery with Firearms.

This case also comes on for proceedings in Case Number CRF-69-115, and the Court understands that the defendant has appear[294]*294ed before a Special Judge of the District Court and that preliminary hearing has been waived; is that correct?

MR. ANDERSON: That is correct.

THE COURT: Do you have an announcement to make in that particular case?

MR. ANDERSON: This would come on before this Court for the second arraignment?

THE COURT: Yes, sir.

MR. ANDERSON: I gather that since I have been appointed previously to represent the defendant in another charge that was set on the trial docket this morning that I would be appointed by the Court to represent him here on this charge.

THE COURT: That’s correct.

MR. ANDERSON: Judge Kessler made that appointment down below.

THE COURT: Very well. And you will be reappointed in this court to represent the defendant in this case.

MR. ANDERSON: Leon, have you had a chance to read this information ?

THE DEFENDANT: The Judge read it.

MR. ANDERSON: The Judge read it to you down in the other court ?

THE DEFENDANT: Yes.

MR. ANDERSON: Your true name is Leon Strange as shown here ?

THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.

MR. ANDERSON: And your age is— THE DEFENDANT: Twenty-three.

MR. ANDERSON: We will waive the reading of the Information in this case in this court and enter a plea of guilty to the charge.

THE COURT: Let’s take up Case No. 34,295. Do you have an announcement to make in that case?

MR. ANDERSON: Yes, sir; it is the defendant’s desire to withdraw his former plea of not guilty in that numbered cause and to enter a plea of guilty.

INTERROGATION OF THE DEFENDANT BY THE COURT:

Q. Leon Strange, you have heard Mr. Anderson, your lawyer, state that you desired to enter a plea of guilty in Case No. CRF-69-115, that being the charge of Attempted robbery with firearms; and that you desire to withdraw your plea of not guilty in case Number 34,295, that being the charge of murder, and to enter a plea of guilty to that charge; is that correct?

A. Yes.

Q. You have discussed these cases with Mr. Anderson; he has been representing you for some time, has he ?

Q.

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Related

Chaney v. State
1980 OK CR 37 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1980)
Eddings v. State
1980 OK CR 12 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1969 OK CR 303, 462 P.2d 292, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/strange-v-state-oklacrimapp-1969.