Case Title: Gantt v. Eyman

Citation: 106 Ariz. 294, 475 P.2d 476

Docket Number: 

State: arizona

Court: Arizona Supreme Court

Date: 1970-10-15T00:00:00Z

Document:
106 Ariz. 294 (1970) 475 P.2d 476 Allen GANTT, Jr., Appellant, v. Frank A. EYMAN, Warden, Arizona State Prison, Appellee. No. 9639. Supreme Court of Arizona, In Banc. October 15, 1970. *295 Stanfield, McCarville, Coxon & Briggs, Casa Grande, for appellant. Gary K. Nelson, Atty. Gen., by Carl Waag, Asst. Atty. Gen., Phoenix, for appellee. HAYS, Justice. On January 14, 1964, appellant Allen Gantt, Jr., was charged with three counts of robbery in Cause No. 43546. Subsequently, on January 31, 1964, appellant was charged with two counts of robbery in Cause No. 43666. Appellant appeared before the trial court with his attorney and withdrew his previous pleas of not guilty to the five charges and entered pleas of guilty to each charge. On March 25, 1964, appellant appeared, without counsel, for sentencing. Appellant was sentenced to five to ten years on each of the three counts in Cause No. 43546 the terms running consecutively. In Cause No. 43666 appellant was sentenced to five to ten years on each of the two counts with these sentences to run concurrently with Counts II and III, respectively, of Cause No. 43546. On October 16, 1968, appellant petitioned for a writ of habeas corpus in the Superior Court of Pinal County. In his petition appellant alleged that he was without counsel at the time of sentencing and that he had not intelligently waived counsel; that the sentencing orders were ambiguous; and that he had satisfied the sentences imposed. Appellant's petition was denied as was his subsequent motion for rehearing. It is this denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus from which appellant is appealing. It is well settled in this state that an accused is entitled to counsel at the time of sentencing unless the accused has waived counsel. Martin v. Eyman, 102 Ariz. 341, 429 P.2d 660 (1967); Leonard v. State, 101 Ariz. 42, 415 P.2d 570 (1966); Pina v. State, 100 Ariz. 47, 410 P.2d 658 (1966). In Lee v. State, 99 Ariz. 269, 408 P.2d 408 (1965) we held: *296 See also: State v. Cuzick, 97 Ariz. 130, 397 P.2d 629 (1964); State v. Arce, 6 Ariz. App. 241, 431 P.2d 681 (1967); State v. Lindsay, 5 Ariz. App. 516, 428 P.2d 691 (1967); Johnson v. State ex rel. Eyman, 4 Ariz. App. 336, 420 P.2d 298 (1966). The question in the instant case is whether appellant voluntarily and intelligently waived his right to have counsel present at his sentencing. The minute entry from the sentencing in Cause No. 43546 states that defendant (appellant) is "present without counsel and waives the presence of counsel." Likewise, the minute entry from the sentencing in Cause No. 43666 states: "Let the record note the presence of the defendant who waives the presence of his attorney." Appellant does not deny the correctness of the minute entries but urges in his brief that: Thus, the question narrows to whether the above quoted language from the minute entries is sufficient to establish a voluntary and intelligent waiver. We find under the circumstances of this case that it does. It is the opinion of the Court, however, that the better practice would be for the trial judge to set forth in the minutes the specific inquiry made to assure that the accused's waiver is voluntarily and intelligently made. Appellant's next contention is that the sentencing orders are ambiguous. A reading of the sentencing order in Cause No. 43546 reveals no ambiguity: We do, however, agree with appellant that the sentencing order in Cause No. 43666 is ambiguous as to the date the sentences in that order are to commence. It is not necessary, however, for this Court to go into this matter because this ambiguity will not affect the length of time appellant must serve in prison since the sentences imposed under this cause are to run concurrently with the sentences imposed in Cause No. 43546. Finally, this Court finds no merit in appellant's contention that he has satisfied the sentences imposed. The judgment of the trial court denying appellant's petition for writ of habeas corpus is affirmed. LOCKWOOD, C.J., STRUCKMEYER, V.C.J., and UDALL and McFARLAND, JJ., concur.