DocketNumber: WD 80775
Judges: Witt
Filed Date: 6/12/2018
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 10/19/2024
Sean Knox ("Knox") pled guilty to one count of Rape in the First Degree in the *390Circuit Court of Lafayette County, Missouri. Following his guilty plea, but before sentencing, Knox obtained new counsel and filed a Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 29.07(d). The court denied Knox's motion and sentenced him to 17 years' imprisonment. Final judgment was entered and this appeal followed.
Knox was charged with raping a woman he met at a party ("Victim").
On December 19, 2016, Knox appeared before the circuit court and entered an open guilty plea, meaning that there was no plea agreement with the state and the sentence was left to the discretion of the trial court. The court questioned Knox regarding his mental capacity to plead, his satisfaction with his attorneys and the representation they had provided. The court also advised Knox of the constitutional rights he was waiving by entering a guilty plea, which he acknowledged.
The court questioned Knox under oath regarding the factual basis for his plea. When the court asked how the Victim lacked capacity to consent to sexual intercourse, the prosecutor answered that the victim was drunk and passed out. Defense counsel clarified to the court that Knox did not agree that she was "passed out" but he did agree that she was too intoxicated to consent. In further questioning directed at Knox, he acknowledged that she was "very drunk" but then equivocated as to whether he was aware at the time of the offense that she was too intoxicated to consent. After his equivocation the plea court stated, "Well, I need more than that." Knox then had a further consultation with his counsel off the record.
Knox then, back on the record, had the following exchange with the court:
[Knox]: I didn't think she was incapacitated at the time to where she couldn't consent. But I do believe that in the situation that it was, I do believe it was not right.
[Court]: It doesn't sound to me like we have a plea.
The Court then gave Knox an opportunity to again confer with counsel. The Court instructed Knox "whatever you want to do, sir. Just work with your attorneys and make a determination which way you want to go, all right?" Following consultation with counsel, Knox informed the court on the record that he wanted to plead guilty. The plea court informed Knox that he was not required to plead guilty and that it was his option whether to enter a plea or not and Knox acknowledged he understood that fact. The court went on to explain that he could not accept a plea of guilty unless the party admitted to committing the offense.
The following exchange then occurred:
*391[Court]: So when we quit we were talking about what took place, and I asked you if on or about October 9th, 2015, in the County Lafayette, State of Missouri you knowingly had sexual intercourse with [Victim], a person who was incapacitated or incapable of-it says content, but I'm sure it means consent-
[State]: Yes, Judge.
[Court]: -or lacked capacity to consent, and you had said yes but then I inquired a little further about why there was a lack of consent and I think that is where we had some confusion.
[Knox]: Right.
Q: It's my understanding there was some alcohol consumed-
A: Yes, sir.
Q: -and that maybe she had consumed it to the point where she had actually threw up?
....
Q: Okay. That would be an indication that she was pretty drunk.
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And drunk enough that she probably didn't have-or she would not have had the capacity to consent and to the point where she would be incapable of consent. Would you agree with that?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And even though she was in that condition, you went ahead and had sexual intercourse with her?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: And you understand why that is now a problem?
A: Yes, sir.
Q: Does that clear up any questions you had, sir?
A: It does, yes, sir.
The court then continued on to confirm that no one had threatened Knox or any family member to coerce him to enter his plea. The court also made clear that Knox understood the range of punishment to be five to 30 years or life imprisonment and that, as an open plea, the court could impose any sentence in that range. The court further made clear that he could be sentenced up to life in prison and that Knox would not be able to withdraw his plea, even if the court gave him the maximum sentence. Ultimately, the court accepted Knox's plea.
Before Knox was sentenced, Knox obtained new counsel and filed a Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea pursuant to Rule 29.07(d)
The circuit court held a hearing on the Motion on March 6, 2017. Knox was the only witness and testified consistently with the allegations raised in the Motion on most issues. However, contrary to his Motion, Knox testified at the hearing that his attorneys did make him aware that he would have to serve at least 85% of any sentence imposed by the court before being eligible for parole. A point the circuit court recognized. Knox did not call his prior counsel as a witness at the hearing. Following the hearing, the court found the plea to be voluntary, intelligent and knowing, and denied the Motion to set aside the plea.
A sentencing hearing was held. The court sentenced Knox to 17 years' imprisonment. This appeal followed.
Discussion
Before we begin, we must address the State's initial argument that this Court lacks authority to consider this appeal. The State cites to several cases that have found that the denial of a Rule 29.07(d) motion is not a final judgment from which an appeal can be taken. Stevens v. State ,
Next, the State argues that there is case law finding that an appellate court has no jurisdiction to consider an appeal of "a Rule 29.07(d) motion that is filed and ruled on after sentencing when that motion seeks relief for claims that may be raised in a Rule 24.035 motion for post conviction relief." See Brown v. State ,
The State's argument that this Court lacks jurisdiction for this appeal runs contrary to the holding in Wilder v. State ,
It is clear from the case law, including those cases cited by the State, that this Court has authority to hear Knox's appeal. The State confuses the procedural posture of the cases it cites, correlating the holdings of cases in which the 29.07(d) motion was brought after sentencing as procedurally the same as cases, such as the present case, where the 29.07(d) motion was brought before sentencing. The State also supports its position with the holdings of cases not involving a Rule 29.07(d) motion challenge but merely addressing the direct appeal of a case in which the defendant did not seek to set aside his or her plea. See, e.g., State v. Klaus ,
Further, we disagree with the State's argument that, to the extent this Court has authority to hear this case, its authority is limited to only those issues that may be raised in a Rule 24.035 setting and is limited by the bounds of such a request for post-conviction relief. Elam v. State ,
Standard of Review
A trial court has discretion to grant or deny a motion to withdraw a guilty plea prior to sentencing. State v. Johnson,
We are governed in this proceeding to withdraw the guilty plea by certain well recognized principles: (1) on appeal from a denial of a motion to withdraw a guilty plea our review is limited to a determination of whether the ruling of the trial court was clearly erroneous, Young v. State ,438 S.W.2d 280 , 283 (Mo. 1969), State v. Davis ,438 S.W.2d 232 , 234 (Mo. 1969), or there was an abuse of discretion; (2) the burden is on the movant to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the court erred in overruling the motion to withdraw the plea of guilty, cf. Beach v. State ,488 S.W.2d 652 , 656 (Mo. 1972) ; (3) a movant does not have an absolute right to withdraw his plea of guilty whether before or after sentence, State v. Jackson ,514 S.W.2d 638 , 641 (Mo. App. 1974), and may do so only in extraordinary circumstances, Mooney v. State ,433 S.W.2d 542 , 544 (Mo. 1968) ; and (4) if there is evidence that the defendant was misled or induced *394to plead guilty because of fraud, mistake, misapprehension, fear, persuasion or holding out of hopes which prove to be false or ill-founded, he should be permitted to withdraw his plea since the law favors a trial on the merits, State v. Rose ,440 S.W.2d 441 , 443 (Mo. 1969).
State v. Nielsen ,
I.
Knox's first point on appeal alleges that the circuit court erred in failing to sustain his Rule 29.07(d) motion because he established that his plea was a result of duress, fear, and due to a failure by Knox's attorney to properly explain various available defenses.
Knox raises multiple factors that support his general argument that his plea was made under duress. Ultimately, while these factors all relate to the underlying question of whether the plea was "voluntary" and free from duress the point relied on is multifarious in that it both presents distinct claims of error that should be asserted in separate points relied on. See State v. Robinson ,
Knox specifically argues that his plea was made under duress because: (1) there was a lack of factual basis for his plea; (2) he was told by his attorney that he would receive a life sentence if he did not plead guilty; and (3) he was not told by his attorney that the victim had made conflicting statements in her deposition regarding her capacity to consent.
The State argues that these claims are merely claims that Knox's attorney was ineffective and thus are not recognized claims available to be raised in a direct appeal. Rule 24.035(a). The State makes no argument as to why this Court should review Knox's claims as ineffective assistance of counsel claims but merely treats them as such in its brief. While certainly the attorney's actions are at issue, they are merely ancillary to the ultimate question of whether Knox was under duress or fear when entering his plea or, as related to his second point on appeal, whether his plea was voluntary. He does *395not claim that the judgment should be overturned because his counsel was ineffective, merely that based, in part, on his attorney's actions or inactions, his plea did not meet the voluntariness requirements of Rule 24.02(e) and should be set aside. We reject the State's argument in this regard and proceed to the substantive issues presented by Knox.
A.
Knox correctly notes that under Rule 24.02(e), "[t]he court shall not enter a judgment upon a plea of guilty unless it determines that there is a factual basis for the plea." Thus, the plea court must determine whether the facts to which the defendant admits are sufficient to find that he is guilty of the offense charged. Hoskin v. State ,
Knox first claims that there was not a factual basis for his plea because he failed to understand all the required elements of the offense. While Knox initially may not have expressed an understanding of the consent element of the offense, the court gave Knox additional time to consult with his attorney regarding this issue. Further, the court correctly walked Knox through the facts of the case which established the Victim was unable to consent-a fact to which Knox agreed. This case is distinguishable from cases in which the defendant has denied an element of the crime and the court has continued with the proceedings and accepted the plea. See, e.g., Saffold v. State ,
In this case, the court walked Knox through each essential element of the crime and Knox confirmed the factual basis for each element of the offense. Knox was given multiple opportunities to speak privately with his attorney regarding any questions he may have. After explanations from the court and after private consultations with his attorney, Knox never indicated that he did not agree that all the essential elements of the crime were met or that he disagreed with the facts as presented by the court. Knox's assertion that he never indicated he had sexual relations *396with a person incapable of giving consent is incorrect. Having confirmed that he had sexual relations with the Victim, Knox agreed with the court that the Victim was drunk enough that "she would not have had the capacity to consent and to the point where she would be incapable of consent."
Knox testified at the motion hearing that his later agreement with the court's factual statements was due to duress and coercion by plea counsel during those private consultations. Specifically, Knox testified that during a break in the proceedings his attorney told him that he would go to prison for life if he did not answer the questions in the way the court phrased them. First, Knox bore the burden of proving these facts and the circuit court is free to believe or disbelieve a witness even when the testimony is not contradicted. Duncan v. State ,
Knox notes that this Court has stated that it is advisable when questioning a defendant during a guilty plea for the plea court to ask: "[h]as your attorney or anyone else made any threats or promises to you whatsoever in order to convince you to plead guilty?" Samuel v. State ,
As to Knox's argument that his counsel failed to inform him that Victim made conflicting statements in her deposition regarding her capacity to consent to sexual contact, Knox failed to provide the deposition to this court on appeal. We presume that materials omitted from the record on appeal support the trial court's decision. State v. Evans ,
The circuit court did not err in finding that Knox's guilty plea was made knowingly and voluntarily.
II.
Knox's second point on appeal alleges that the circuit court erred in failing to sustain his Rule 29.07(d) motion because he established the plea was not made *397knowingly because his attorney failed to explain the direct and collateral consequences of pleading guilty.
Knox alleges that his plea was not voluntary and knowing because he was not advised of the collateral consequences of his guilty plea, specifically that he was not told that he would have to serve 85% of his sentence, register as a sex offender, be subject to lifetime monitoring and supervision, and potential civil commitment.
The question of collateral consequences has been addressed within the framework of a post-conviction relief motion addressing the effectiveness of a defendant's counsel. Missouri courts have found that "both the trial court and a defendant's plea counsel have a duty to inform such defendant of the direct consequences of pleading guilty, but neither has a duty to advise such defendant of a guilty plea's collateral consequences." Johnson v. State ,
Knox presents no argument to support the contention that failure to be informed of collateral consequences of a plea by counsel may render a guilty plea to be not knowing, voluntary or intelligent to justify a withdrawal of the plea under Rule 29.07(d). Instead, Knox argues that, in light of Padilla v. Kentucky ,
Further, as previously addressed, this is not a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel. This is a claim of whether the trial court committed clear error in failing to grant Knox's motion to withdraw his guilty plea. As noted above, the circuit court is free to believe or disbelieve a witness even when the testimony is not contradicted. Duncan v. State ,
Conclusion
The circuit court properly questioned Knox to determine that his guilty plea was knowing, voluntary and intelligent. The court's finding that Knox failed to meet his burden of proof that his plea was unknowing or involuntary was not clearly erroneous. It was not error to deny the motion to set aside the plea. We affirm.
All concur
Pursuant to § 595.226, RSMo. 2016, we do not use the name of the victim in this opinion to protect her privacy.
All rule references are to Missouri Supreme Court Rules (2017).
This deposition was not provided to this court on appeal. Knox bore the burden of providing this court with all evidence necessary to the determination of the legal issues presented. Rule 30.04. We presume that materials omitted from the record on appeal support the trial court's decision. State v. Evans ,
The same distinction is confused throughout the State's brief. The State argues that the voluntariness of the plea can only be challenged in a Rule 24.035 motion, citing State v. Onate ,
The Standards of Review argued by the parties in their briefing are likewise from cases procedurally distinct from the issues presented in this case. The State argues that a Rule 29.07(d) motion should only be granted to correct "manifest injustice." This refers to the circuit court's standard for granting a motion to set aside a guilty plea after sentence, not this Court's standard for review of the denial of such a motion by the trial court prior to sentencing. Rule 29.07(d) ("A motion to withdraw a plea of guilty may be made only before sentence is imposed or when imposition of sentence is suspended; but to correct manifest injustice the court after sentence may set aside the judgment of conviction and permit the defendant to withdraw his plea .) (emphasis added). The State cites to State v. Thomas ,
While Davis is inapplicable, a year after Padilla was decided, the Missouri Supreme Court revisited the distinction between direct and collateral consequences resulting from a guilty plea. Webb v. State ,
Irrespective of the Rule 24.035 collateral consequences analysis, if the trial court had in fact been persuaded that Knox was not informed of significant collateral consequences of his plea, the trial court could have exercised its discretion and granted the motion, however, based on this record we do not find that the court clearly erred in the denial of that motion.