Case Title: Johninson v. State

Citation: 

Docket Number: CR97-660

State: arkansas

Court: Arkansas Supreme Court

Date: 1997-10-30T00:00:00Z

Document:
Stacy JOHNINSON v. STATE of Arkansas

CR 97-660                                          ___ S.W.2d ___

                    Supreme Court of Arkansas
               Opinion delivered October 30, 1997


1.   Criminal procedure -- timeliness of motion to withdraw guilty
     plea -- when made pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37. -- If a
     sentence has been entered and placed in execution prior to the
     filing of a motion to withdraw the guilty plea upon which it
     was based, the motion must be treated as having been made
     pursuant to Ark. R. Crim. P. 37, and the provisions of that
     rule govern timeliness of the motion.

2.   Criminal procedure -- withdrawal of guilty plea --
     applicability of Rule 26.1 (b). -- Rule 26.1(b) of the
     Arkansas Rules of Criminal Procedure provides for withdrawal
     of a guilty plea after entry of judgment upon the plea;
     however, the motion is timely if there has been "due
     diligence," and allowance is made for consideration of "the
     nature of the allegations of the motion." 

3.   Criminal procedure -- when Ark. R. Crim. P. 37 applicable --
     rule applies prior to entry of judgment. -- The remedy
     provided by Rule 37 of the Arkansas Rules of Criminal
     Procedure is confined to use by a prisoner who is in custody
     under sentence of a circuit court; while relief pursuant to
     Rule 37.1 is limited to prisoners incarcerated under sentence,
     that obviously is not contemplated by Rule 37.2 which, by its
     terms, applies prior to entry of the judgment; Rule 37.2(c)
     provides that if a conviction is obtained on a plea of guilty,
     a petition claiming relief must be filed within ninety days of
     the date of entry of judgment; if the judgment is not entered
     of record within ten days of the date sentence was pronounced,
     a petition claiming relief must be filed within ninety days of
     the date the sentece was pronounced. 

4.   Criminal procedure -- motion to withdraw guilty plea -- when
     treated pursuant to Rule 37. -- A motion to withdraw a guilty
     plea could be treated pursuant to Rule 37 if there is a ruling
     on the merits of the motion; here, there was such a ruling.

5.   Criminal procedure -- setting aside guilty plea -- history of
     Rule 26. -- Arkansas Rule of Criminal Procedure 26(a) applies
     prior to pronouncement of sentence; once the guilty plea has
     been accepted, and the sentencing has taken place, the trial
     court is without jurisdiction to set aside a plea of guilty,
     unless there was some kind of stay of the sentence; as long as
     the sentence is not under any sort of a stay at the time the
     motion to withdraw the guilty plea is made, the trial court
     lacks jurisdiction to permit its withdrawal.

6.   Criminal procedure -- when sentence placed into execution. --
     A sentence is placed into execution when the court issues a
     commitment order unless the trial court grants appellate bond
     or specifically delays execution upon other valid grounds. 

7.   Criminal procedure -- Standridge holding inconsistent with
     Administrative Order No. 3 -- conflicts with Rule 37.2(c) --
     Standrige holding overruled to extent it conflicts with
     opinion. -- The holding of Standridge v. State, 290 Ark. 150,