Title: State v. Morgan

State: montana

Issuer: Montana Supreme Court

Document:

307 P.2d 244 (1957) STATE of Montana, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Clayton MORGAN, Defendant and Appellant. No. 9748. Supreme Court of Montana. Decided February 20, 1957. *245 Rankin & Acher, Helena, for appellant. Arthur P. Acher, Helena, argued orally for appellant. Forrest H. Anderson, Atty. Gen., and Louis Forsell, Asst. Atty. Gen., Mr. Frank T. Hooks, Co. Atty., Townsend, for respondent. Louis Forsell, Asst. Gen., argued orally for respondent. HARRISON, Chief Justice. This is an appeal by the defendant from a judgment entered on his plea of guilty of burglary in the second degree, and from an order denying his motion for leave to withdraw his plea of guilty and substitute therefor a plea of not guilty. The facts are that the defndant was arrested on August 22, 1956, and charged with driving a motor vehicle without a driver's license. At the time of his arrest, in conversation with the sheriff, he admitted that certain items in his car had been stolen, and he gave the sheriff permission to open the trunk of the car. The county attorney was absent and his office associate was called to the sheriff's office and he talked with the defendant. On the following day the defendant was brought to the office of the county attorney by the undersheriff, and there an interrogation was had of the defendant by the office associate of the county attorney with the permission of the defendant, who was advised of his constitutional rights. A statement was dictated to a stenographer, covering the burglary, in which statement the particular description of the items stolen was dictated by the defendant. After completion of the statement it was signed by the defendant. An information was filed on August 31, 1956. The defendant entered a plea of guilty thereto on September 4, 1956, at which time he advised the court that he did not desire counsel to defend him. The court imposed a sentence of two years in the state prison. On September 6, 1956, a motion to vacate and set aside the judgment of conviction of September 4, 1956, was made and filed, coupled with a motion for leave to withdraw the plea of guilty and to substitute therefor a plea of not guilty. The motion was based upon the affidavit of the defendant, in which he alleged: The motion was heard by the court on September 12, 1956, at which time the matter was submitted by the defendant upon his affidavit. No counter-affidavits having been filed, the county attorney advised the court that he had no opposition to the motion. Both the county attorney and his office associate made statements to the court with regard to the circumstances of the case from which it appears that both were of the opinion that a suspended sentence should be given as punishment, and both so informed various persons who were interested in the matter, such as the undersheriff, the owner of the cabin which had been burglarized, and the employers of the appellant, who were owners of property also burglarized. As evidencing the feelings of the office associate of the county attorney, he testified: On cross-examination by defendant's counsel, he testified: The county attorney, in his statement to the court, stated: At the conclusion of the hearing the motion was denied, and this appeal was taken. Error is charged in denial of the motion for leave to withdraw the plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty, and in the court's refusal to vacate the judgment of conviction. This court stated in State v. McAllister, 96 Mont. 348, 30 Pac. (2d) 821, 823, that: "A change of plea will ordinarily be permitted if it fairly appears that the defendant was in ignorance of his rights and of the consequences of his act, or if influenced unduly and improperly either by hope or by fear in making it, or if it appears that the plea was entered under *248 some mistake or misapprehension. 16 C.J. 398. This court has recognized the right of so doing in State v. Nicholas, 46 Mont. 470, 128 Pac. 543, State v. Dow, 71 Mont. 291, 229 Pac. 402, and State ex rel. Foot v. District Court, 81 Mont. 495, 263 Pac. 979, and has also held that the right may be exercised in a proper case after judgment has been pronounced. State ex rel. Foot v. District Court, supra. It is a matter that rests in the discretion of the trial court and is subject to review only in the case of an abuse of discretion. State ex rel. Foot v. District Court, supra. Each case of necessity must depend upon its own facts and circumstances, and no hard and fast rule can be laid down that will fit every case. When application is made to change the plea, all doubts should be resolved in favor of a trial on the merits (People v. Rucker, 254 Mich. 342, 236 N.W. 801; Pope v. State, 56 Fla. 81, 47 So. 487, 16 Ann. Cas. 972; Krolage v. People, 224 Ill. 456, 79 N.E. 570, 8 Ann. Cas. 235; People v. Wheeler, 349 Ill. 230, 181 N.E. 623), and the discretion of the court should be liberally exercised in favor of life and liberty (Hubbell v. State, 41 Wyo. 275, 285 Pac. 153; State v. Raponi, 32 Idaho 368, 182 Pac. 855)." We followed this rule in State v. Casaras, 104 Mont. 404, 66 Pac. (2d) 774; State v. Dryman, 125 Mont. 500, 241 Pac. (2d) 821; and State v. McBane, 128 Mont. 369, 275 Pac. (2d) 218. In view of these holdings by this court we are of the view that the appellant, at the time of the entry of his plea without the aid of counsel, felt that he had an understanding as to what judgment would be rendered against him. While it may be that no direct commitment was made to him by any of the officers to whom he talked, yet statements were made by these officers to others who were in contact with the appellant, and undoubtedly upon whose advice he relied, and we believe that the ends of justice would be best served by permitting the appellant to change his plea. For these reasons the judgment of conviction is reversed. The cause is remanded to the district court with directions to vacate the judgment and allow the appellant to withdraw his plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, and for further proceedings in that court not inconsistent herewith. CASTLES, BOTTOMLY, ANGSTMAN and ADAIR, JJ., concur.