Williams v. State

498 N.E.2d 1332, 1986 Ind. App. LEXIS 3081
Indiana Court of Appeals·Decided October 30, 1986·No. No. 2-885A265·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

SHIELDS, Judge.

Anthony Williams appeals the denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. We affirm.

FACTS

On June 27, 1975 Williams pled guilty to two counts of theft under $100 1 pursuant to a written plea agreement in which the State recommended Williams receive concurrent executed sentences of not less than one (1) nor more than five (5) years. The trial court accepted Williams's pleas and sentenced him in accordance with the State's recommendation. In 1984 Williams filed the instant post-conviction relief petition wherein he alleged his pleas of guilty were involuntary and unintelligent due to the guilty plea court's failure to comply with Ind.Code Ann. § 35-4.1-1-3 (Burns 1975), recodified, as amended at Ind.Code Ann. § 85-85-1-2 (Burns 1985).

ISSUES

Williams claims the guilty plea court failed to advise him

1) of his right to a public and speedy trial;

2) of the minimum and maximum penalties;

3) the court was not a party to the plea agreement and was not bound by it;

4) of the possibility of consecutive sentences and

5) his prior convictions could be used to enhance his sentences.

In addition, he claims there was an inadequate factual basis for his plea of guilty to one of the theft charges.

[1334]*1334DISCUSSION

Our standard of review of Williams's claim is that recently enunciated by our supreme court in White v. State (1986), Ind., 497 N.E.2d 893:

"A petitioner who claims that his plea was involuntary and unintelligent but can only establish that the trial judge failed to give an advisement in accordance with § 85-85-1-2 has not met his burden of proof. He needs to plead specific facts from which a finder of fact could conclude by a preponderance of the evidence that the trial judge's failure to make a full inquiry in accordance with § 85-85-1-2(a) rendered his decision involuntary or unintelligent. Of course, unless the record reveals that the defendant knew or was advised at the time of his plea that he was waiving his right to a jury trial, his right of confrontation and his right against self-incrimination, Boykin [v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969)] will require that his conviction be vacated."

497 N.E.2d at 905. Thus, a petitioner who seeks relief from an asserted involuntary and unintelligent guilty plea arising from the guilty plea court's failure to comply with IC § 85-85-1-2 must prove not only the court's failure to comply but also must prove he was prejudiced by the omission. He can establish the required prejudice if he shows he did not know the substance of the omitted advisement and further, his plea decision would have been different had he known and understood the omitted advisement.

In deciding a claim a plea was not made voluntarily and intelligently, "we will review all the evidence before the [post-conviction] court including testimony given at the post-conviction trial, the transcript of the petitioner's original sentencing, and any plea agreements or other exhibits which are part of the record." White, 497 N.E.2d at 905.

The guilty plea court did not comply with I1.C. § 85-4.1-1-3, the applicable advisement statute, in that it omitted the advisements alleged in Williams's petition, and thus the guilty plea court erred. However, reviewing the entire record,2 the written plea agreement advised Williams of his right to a public and speedy trial,3 the range of penalties and the court's role in the plea agreement. Furthermore, the pre-sentence report, which evidences Williams is a high school graduate, supports the conclusion Williams possessed sufficient facility with the English language to read and understand the plea agreement. See Hunt v. State (1986), Ind.App., 487 N.E.2d 1330, 1332-35. Based upon the plea agreement and Williams's education it is reasonable to infer Williams knew of the omitted rights contained in the agreement. Thus, as to those omitted rights, the post-convietion relief court properly concluded Williams failed to prove he was prejudiced by the guilty plea court's omission.

The post-conviction relief court also properly concluded Williams failed to prove he was prejudiced by the guilty plea court's failure to advise him concerning the possibility of consecutive sentences or the possibility of increased sentences due to prior convictions. Williams did not show he was prejudiced by any lack of knowledge, nor [1335]*1335could he because neither of the possibilities of which he was not advised were in fact possibilities. The guilty plea court could have neither imposed consecutive sentences nor increased the sentences.

Sentences must be served concurrently in the absence of a statute specifically authorizing consecutive sentencing. Baromich v. State (1969), 252 Ind. 412, 249 N.E.2d 30. The conduct which formed the basis of Williams's guilty pleas occurred in 1978, and at that time the trial court's authority to impose consecutive sentences did not extend to Williams's circumstances. See Ind.Code Ann. § 11-2-1-1 (Burns Supp.1971). Also, a sentence of not less than one (1) nor more than five (5) years is the maximum penalty for theft under $100. Accordingly, Williams's ignorance of the possibility of consecutive or increased sentences could not have adversely affected his plea decision because they were not possibilities. Furthermore, the guilty plea court's failure to advise Williams of the possibility of consecutive or increased sentences is harmless because the sentences imposed were neither consecutive nor increased over that to which he agreed.

Finally, Williams asserts his guilty plea to one charge was not knowing, intelligent, and voluntary because he did not remember the events on which the crime was based and, therefore, there was an inadequate factual basis for his plea.4 The written plea agreement signed by Williams states "I know the court will not accept a plea of guilty from anyone who claims to be innocent, and, I make no claim of innocence. I now state that I did commit the crime to which 1am pleading guilty." Record at 88. However, during the guilty plea hearing, Williams stated he did not have a complete memory of what happened, and his attorney said "we neither affirm or deny. But he wants to enter a plea of guilty ... and we would concede that there is sufficient evidence ... for the State to show that Mr. Williams committed the crime." Record at 134. The court then asked "So as far as you know, what the prosecutor said happened, did happen, right?", and Williams replied, "Yes". Id.

In Gibson v. State (1986), Ind., 490 N.E.2d 297

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Williams v. State, 498 N.E.2d 1332, 1986 Ind. App. LEXIS 3081 (Ind. Ct. App. 1986).

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