Washington v. Tollett

470 S.W.2d 841, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 296, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 503
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee
DecidedMay 6, 1971
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 470 S.W.2d 841 (Washington v. Tollett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Washington v. Tollett, 470 S.W.2d 841, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 296, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 503 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1971).

Opinion

OPINION

MITCHELL, Judge.

William Floyd Washington, who will be referred to as petitioner or by name now represented by court appointed counsel, has appealed the dismissal without an eviden-tiary hearing his post conviction relief petition, from the Criminal Court of Shelby County, Tennessee, Honorable W. Otis Higgs, Judge presiding.

The technical record shows that on the 13th day of May, 1969 the defendant William Floyd Washington age 14, was before the Juvenile Court of Shelby County, on a charge of murder in the first degree of Frank Edward Cratin in the commission of robbery, and that there was probable cause to believe him guilty, he was remanded to the Sheriff to be dealt with as provided in the Criminal Laws of Tennessee.

[842]*842On June 3, 1969 the Grand Jury of Shelby County returned into the Criminal Court three indictments against William Floyd Washington. In B-21853 he was charged on the_day of May, 1969 with robbery, by the use of a deadly pistol, of Harold Loyd Thornton of a billfold of the value of $7.00 and $400.00 in good and lawful money of the United States of America. In B-21854 he was charged on the_day of May, 1969 with assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree upon Harold Loyd Thornton with a pistol, and in B-21857 he was charged on the 9th day of May, 1969 with murder in the first degree, of Frank Edward Cratin, Sr., in the perpetration of a robbery.

In B-21857 the trial of William Floyd Washington, who was represented by privately retained counsel, commenced on October 7, 1969 in the Criminal Court of Shelby County, on a charge of murder in the first degree committed in the perpetration of a robbery. On October 10, 1969 the trial was concluded with the result that the jury found the defendant William Floyd Washington guilty of murder in the first degree in the perpetration of a robbery and fixed his punishment at thirty (30) years in the State Penitentiary upon which the trial judge Honorable William H. Williams, pronounced judgment.

The defendant made a motion for a new trial which was heard and overruled on November 6, 1969 from which the defendant prayed and was granted an appeal and ninety days were allowed in which to file a bill of exceptions.

On January 5, 1970 the petitioner William Floyd Washington executed a written petition signed by himself and his privately retained counsel for a waiver of trial by jury and request for acceptance a plea of guilty of the offenses of robbery with a deadly weapon in which he agreed to accept a sentence of 10 years in the State Penitentiary and a plea of guilty to assault with intent to commit murder in the first degree and agreed to accept a sentence of 5 years in the State Penitentiary. It was agreed that these sentences were to be served concurrently. The petitioner stated in his petition for a plea of guilty and waiver of a jury trial that this action was in the exercise of his own free will and choice and without any threats or pressure of any kind and he did thereby in open court request the court to accept his plea of guilty to the charges outlined above. He stated that his attorney had informed him of the nature and cause of charges against him and of possible defenses and that his attorney had advised him as to the punishment provided by law as to the crimes charged against him in the indictment. That he understood he had a right to plead not guilty and have a jury decide his case, and to see and hear the witnesses against him. He further stated that he waived his right to trial by jury and did submit his case to the trial judge for decision both as to the guilt and punishment and that he had thereby waived his right to a motion for a new trial and appeal. That he fully understood the action he was taking. On the same date the petitioner did in person and by counsel of record Mr. Raymond White withdraw his appeal of the judgment heretofore imposed on him on October 10, 1969 wherein he was ordered confined for a period of 30 years in the State Penitentiary under the conviction of murder in the first degree committed in the perpetration of a robbery. It was agreed by the defendant and his counsel and the state that the sentences imposed upon him be served concurrently with the 30 years sentence for murder in the first degree in the perpetration of a robbery.

The trial judge executed a certificate to the effect that the petitioner intelligently and understanding^ waived his right to trial and of his own free will without any pressure of any kind did desire to enter a plea of guilty and accept the recommendation of the State and waived his right to a motion for a new trial and appeal.

In all of the defendant’s trial, and negotiations for the entry of pleas of guilty [843]*843and the waiver of jury trial and in withdrawing his motion for a new trial and appeal, the defendant was represented by privately retained counsel.

On July 22, 1970 a petition for post conviction relief was filed by the petitioner William Floyd Washington from his place of confinement in the State Penitentiary.

The grounds of relief alleged in his petition are that his confession was obtained as a result of physical and mental abuse by the police officers and without advice as to his counsel; (2) that he was denied counsel in his preliminary hearing when he appeared before the juvenile court; (3) that his privately retained counsel refused to secure for him a mental examination and that his counsel did refuse to appeal his murder conviction contrary to the petitioner’s instructions; (4) that although the petitioner is under eighteen years of age he was sentenced to and is presently confined in the State Penitentiary.

On November 13, 1970 the trial court granted the State’s motion to strike the petition, held that petitioner was not entitled to an evidentiary hearing or any other relief and dismissed the petition from which an appeal was perfected.

The error assigned was that the trial court erred in dismissing the petition for post conviction relief without an eviden-tiary hearing and without the appointment of counsel.

From an examination of the petition and the entire record we think it is reasonable to conclude that the petitioner and his retained counsel, after the jury verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree in the perpetration of a robbery was found against the petitioner and a sentence of thirty (30) years in the penitentiary was imposed in the first case, decided it would be to the petitioner’s advantage to negotiate with the state about this thirty years sentence and the remaining indictments pending against the petitioner.

Then the petitioner and his retained counsel filed the petition for a plea of guilty and waiver of a jury trial on the other two cases and executed a waiver of appeal on the conviction in the first case and withdrew his motion for a new trial and appeal upon the recommendation of the State that the sentences in the three cases be served concurrently.

We find no merit in petitioners three following complaints: (1) that his conviction was brought about as a result of physical abuse from police officers and no advice as to the right of counsel; (2) that he was denied counsel at his preliminary hearing before the juvenile court; (3) that his privately retained lawyer refused to have him mentally examined and refused to appeal his murder conviction which petitioner instructed him to do.

In Shepard v. Henderson, Tenn.Cr.App., 449 S.W.2d 726

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Bluebook (online)
470 S.W.2d 841, 4 Tenn. Crim. App. 296, 1971 Tenn. Crim. App. LEXIS 503, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/washington-v-tollett-tenncrimapp-1971.