Trout v. State

523 S.W.2d 529, 1975 Mo. App. LEXIS 2256
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 5, 1975
DocketNo. KCD 27285
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 523 S.W.2d 529 (Trout v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trout v. State, 523 S.W.2d 529, 1975 Mo. App. LEXIS 2256 (Mo. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

PRITCHARD, Chief Judge.

In March, 1970, appellant was convicted by the verdict of a jury of the crime of assault with intent to kill with malice aforethought. The jury was unable to agree upon punishment and thereafter, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment in the Department of Corrections.

In this appeal from the denial of appellant’s second amended motion to vacate and set aside the judgment and sentence of the court, filed February 4, 1974, the first point is, “The court erred in finding that the appellant was rendered effective assistance of counsel.” That assignment is of course wholly insufficient under Rule 84.04(d), V.A.M.R., in that it fails to “state briefly, and concisely what actions or rulings of the court are sought to be reviewed and wherein and why they are claimed to be erroneous.” The fact that appellant is represented on this appeal by the public defender does not relieve that person of the obligation to comply with the rules.

In examining appellant’s argument portion of the brief, and adverting to the state’s brief, it appears that appellant’s complaint of ineffective assistance of counsel is that his trial counsel did not pursue his appeal which was dismissed in the September Session 1971 by the Supreme Court of Missouri because of appellant’s failure timely to file a transcript of [531]*531the record of trial proceedings. Although, because of the inadequacy of briefing, this appeal is subject to dismissal as in any other case, the appeal will be retained and the merits of the question determined.

Paragraphs 1, in part, and 2 of the second amended motion allege that appellant was denied effective assistance of counsel for the reasons that he failed to perfect an appeal and that he failed to inform appellant of the need for certain necessary documents in order to perfect an appeal, and through counsel’s inaction appellant was caused to lose the right of appeal.

Appellant testified that his parents hired Mr. Lewis Randolph as his attorney; that he was tried to a jury, found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Appellant did not remember whether an appeal was filed or that his attorney advised him of the right of appeal. He did not correspond with his attorney concerning the appeal, but he did receive a letter from the attorney general that the appeal was dismissed. Appellant knew that Mr. Randolph was talking to his father about the cost of a transcript. Appellant did remember that after he was sentenced, his attorney “jumped up immediately and said he was going to appeal it right then.” Appellant was relying pretty much on his father and mother to deal with his attorney.

Appellant’s father, Mr. Dale Trout, hired and paid Mr. Randolph for the defense of the case. Mr. Trout was with Mr. Randolph when the notice of appeal was filed in the clerk’s office, and Mr. Trout paid the filing fee therefor. Mr. Randolph told him that he would have to have the transcript made “before we could go ahead with a new trial,” and the costs of the transcript as being between $500 and $600 was mentioned. Mr. Trout talked with the court reporter who told him he wanted a down payment to go ahead with the transcript. “Q I see. Did you at that time reach any agreement with him or give him any indication for payment of the transcript? A No; to be honest, I didn’t. I told him when you get the transcript we will guarantee you the money.” Mr. Trout did not again hear from the court reporter. After that conversation, he talked with Mr. Randolph in his office, “and I told him about this condition. He said, in so many words, he told me the man is going on vacation, probably wants some vacation money. I said when we get the transcript I will guarantee the money.” He never did tell Mr. Randolph to “drop the appeal,” but Mr. Trout did know the appeal had not gone through, but did not know why.

On cross-examination, Mr. Trout acknowledged that Mr. Randolph had probably performed his duties in a proper manner through trial. The money which Mr. Trout paid Mr. Randolph was for his services through the filing of the motion for new trial, which was done. Mr. Randolph was never paid to go beyond that. The reporter told Mr. Trout over the phone that he had done approximately $75.00 worth of work on the transcript, “and before he went any further he wanted $250.00 down. I didn’t give him too much satisfaction on the phone. I felt that when the transcript was completed that we would pay, and I would guarantee him the money. There was no provisions made in any way in escrow or anything. Nobody said anything; that was just word of mouth, in other words.” On examination by the court, Mr. Trout testified that the court reporter said to him that he “had already done $75.00 worth of work on it and he hated to go ahead and make up this transcript and receive nothing.” It was Mr. Trout’s understanding that the reporter would do no more work until he paid the $250.00. Mr. Randolph did not tell Mr. Trout to give him $250.00 to guarantee the transcript.

Mr. Randolph testified that the Trouts employed him to defend appellant on a fee basis that would extend through the filing of a motion for new trial, arguing it, and the filing of a notice of appeal. He ordered a transcript and discussed its cost with the Trouts, and that the reporter [532]*532wanted his cost in advance. He told them, that if they could furnish the money for the appeal, including the attorney fees and the transcript cost, he would handle it or they could get another attorney or they could try to proceed as a pauper. Mr. Randolph’s way of operating was not to pay for transcripts unless clients brought the money to his office with directions that he pay the reporter. As for payment for his legal services for the appeal, Mr. Randolph thought it would have been around $1,000.00 to $1,200.00 for preparation and appearance. The Trouts vacillated over a period of time as to whether appellant should appeal, and finally, it was Mr. Randolph’s understanding that they did not wish to pursue it, they having had numerous conferences about the matter with appellant himself.

It should be noted here that there never was any indication that appellant was indigent, either before or after the trial was had. Appellant says that Mr. Randolph never did confer directly with him concerning his right of appeal and the matter of perfecting the same by the timely filing of a transcript of the trial record. What the record does show is that appellant left the conferences with his counsel after trial to his parents. It was they with whom counsel dealt with respect to paying for a transcript. It was not left solely to counsel as to whether an appeal would be taken as was the distinguishable fact from the situation here, in Jones v. State, 445 S.W.2d 311, 314[2] (Mo.1969), where the trial court found the fact on conflicting evidence. Clearly counsel here was employed only to do specified tasks: defend appeal from preliminary hearing, through the trial of his case; and through the filing of a motion for new trial and the filing of a notice of appeal thereafter. For these services he was paid. It is not incumbent upon counsel to take further steps upon his own, absent authority therefor and absent an agreement for the payment of costs and expenses of an appeal, and for further attorney fees. Counsel did not abandon appellant. The record shows that he was willing to pursue the appeal if the expenses and fees were paid. He was guilty of no neglect of appellant’s interests as to be within the pronouncement of ineffective assistance of counsel of Brown v.

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Bluebook (online)
523 S.W.2d 529, 1975 Mo. App. LEXIS 2256, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trout-v-state-moctapp-1975.