Case Title: Adamson v. Superior Court of Arizona

Citation: 125 Ariz. 579, 611 P.2d 932

Docket Number: 

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1980-05-29T00:00:00Z

Document:
125 Ariz. 579 (1980) 611 P.2d 932 John Harvey ADAMSON, Petitioner, v. The SUPERIOR COURT OF the State of ARIZONA, the Honorable William French, Judge of the Superior Court in and for the County of Maricopa, and Robert Corbin, Attorney General for the State of Arizona, Real Party in Interest: State of Arizona, Respondents. No. 14898. Supreme Court of Arizona, En Banc. May 29, 1980. *580 Martin & Feldhacker by William H. Feldhacker and Gregory H. Martin, Phoenix, for petitioner. Robert K. Corbin, Atty. Gen. by William J. Schafer, III, Chief Counsel, Crim. Div., Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, for respondents. HAYS, Justice. On May 13, 1980 the petitioner filed a Petition for Special Action asking for a stay of proceedings against petitioner, an order prohibiting further prosecution and dismissing the case, and any other and further relief the court deems appropriate. At the initial hearing the court refused to enter a stay but set the petition for hearing on May 28, 1980. Prior to the hearing date, petitioner attempted to have the Special Action dismissed but the court denied his motion. The factual background necessary for an understanding of the issues raised includes the following: On January 15, 1977 petitioner entered a plea of guilty to an open murder charge in CR-93385, alleging the killing of Donald F. Bolles; the guilty plea was pursuant to a plea agreement which was accepted by the Honorable Ben C. Birdsall sitting in Tucson, Arizona; the case had been transferred to Pima County for trial; pursuant to the plea agreement, the open murder charge was amended to second degree murder and a sentence of not less than 48 nor more than 49 years was imposed. Thereafter, pursuant to the plea agreement, petitioner Adamson testified on behalf of the state in the trial of Max Anderson Dunlap and James Albert Robinson for the murder of Donald F. Bolles. Both defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death. On appeal to this court, the convictions of Dunlap and Robison were reversed and remanded for a new trial. A letter dated April 3, 1980 was directed to the Attorney General's office by petitioner's attorney. The letter reads as follows: Thereafter, the Attorney General attempted to force petitioner to participate in the preparation of the retrial of defendants Dunlap and Robinson. Hearing was held in Superior Court before the Honorable Robert L. Myers with the state urging that petitioner, pursuant to the plea agreement, should be compelled to testify. The state's motion to compel was denied. The Supreme Court declined to accept jurisdiction of a Petition for Special Action brought on this issue by the state. The state, on May 8, 1980, filed an information in Maricopa County Superior Court under number CR-93385, charging petitioner with the murder of Donald F. Bolles, and a warrant issued. Petitioner's motions to quash the warrant and strike the new information were denied. The issues raised by this proceeding are: ISSUE I The record before us is replete with indications of petitioner's refusal to testify further in the Bolles murder cases. We must examine the agreement itself to determine if such refusal is justified. The following excerpts from the agreement provide the answer to this query: We have also read some 35 pages of the change-of-plea hearing wherein the court went through the plea agreement paragraph-by-paragraph, questioning the petitioner as to his understanding of each portion. The court ultimately made the finding that the plea was made voluntarily and intelligently with full understanding and that the defendant was competent to enter the plea. Although the plea agreement does not specifically spell out the duration of petitioner's obligations, it does contemplate full compliance with the requests of the state until the objectives have been accomplished. This is stated in the broadest of terms. We have no hesitation in holding that the plea agreement contemplates availability of petitioner's testimony whether at trial or retrial after reversal. At the oral argument for the first time, petitioner disclosed the basis for his contention that he had fully complied with the terms of the plea agreement and no longer had an obligation to testify further. He referred to item number 8 of the plea agreement which reads as follows: The state countered in oral argument by reading the following portion of the transcript of the sentencing hearing: If item 8 superficially appears to limit the availability of the petitioner for additional testimony, the foregoing exchange at the sentencing hearing amounted to a clear understanding that Adamson would testify after sentencing. Petitioner has violated the terms of the plea agreement. ISSUE II The attorney general, by filing a new information, albeit under the old number, unilaterally determined that the assignment to the Honorable Ben Birdsall was at an end and that the previous order transferring the trial of the case to Pima County was no longer viable. We do not agree with this position. We have examined the two cases cited by the state, State v. Rice, 99 Ariz. 14, 405 P.2d 894 (1965), and State v. Johnson, 97 Ariz. 27, 396 P.2d 392 (1964). We do not agree that these cases mandate the filing of a new information nor do they change the definition of the word "reinstate" which is used in the plea agreement. The state urges that filing a second information in the same action where the first may have lost its vitality is not new in Arizona. As a broad general proposition that may be true, but let us examine such a rule in the context of this case. Although we find sufficient evidence in the record to hold that the plea agreement has been violated, we are aware that at times such a *584 determination might, in another case, require a hearing. See State v. Warren, 124 Ariz. 396, 604 P.2d 660 (App. 1979). Who is more competent to make such determination after hearing than the judge who accepted the plea? Secondly, the attorney general lacks authority to make a determination that "the reason for sending the case to Pima no longer exists"; this was determined by a court and only a court can set it aside. Orderly judicial process requires that a determination that the plea agreement was violated be made, that the sentence, judgment of conviction and plea of guilty be set aside and that the original information be reinstated pursuant to the plea agreement. Such procedure has not been followed. ISSUE III In his Memorandum in support of the Petition for Special Action petitioner asserts that following the state to proceed would be in violation of the prohibition against double jeopardy. Citing Lombrano v. Superior Court, 125 Ariz. 525, 606 P.2d 15 (1980), he contends that at the time the petitioner was sentenced jeopardy attached. State v. Burruell, 98 Ariz. 37, 401 P.2d 733 (1965), is also cited. We do not disagree with these general propositions of law. The petitioner, however, entered into a plea agreement with the state which by its very terms waives the defense of double jeopardy if the agreement is violated. Obviously a defendant can by agreement waive Constitutional rights. See 17 A.R.S. Rules of Crim.Proc., rule 17.2(c). Having determined that the state should proceed with a "reinstated" information pursuant to the plea agreement, we need not consider the double jeopardy implications of proceeding under a new information. It is ordered that the relief sought by petitioner is denied. It is further ordered that the new information filed in cause number CR-93385 is dismissed, the judgment of conviction and sentence heretofore entered in cause number CR-93385 are vacated and the original information in said cause charging open murder is reinstated. Further ordered that this cause is remanded to the Honorable Ben Birdsall sitting in Pima County for further proceedings in conformity with this opinion. The mandate shall issue forthwith. STRUCKMEYER, C.J., HOLOHAN, V.C.J., and CAMERON and GORDON, JJ., concur.