Title: State v. Currier

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

State v. Currier (94-097); 171 Vt. 181; 758 A.2d 818 

[Filed 25-Aug-2000]

       NOTICE:  This opinion is subject to motions for reargument under
  V.R.A.P. 40 as well as formal  revision before publication in the Vermont
  Reports.  Readers are requested to notify the Reporter of  Decisions,
  Vermont Supreme Court, 109 State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0801 of
  any  errors in order that corrections may be made before this opinion goes
  to press.

                                 No. 94-097

State of Vermont	                         Supreme Court
 
                                                 On Appeal from
     v.	                                         District Court of Vermont,
                                                 Unit No. 2, Franklin Circuit

William Currier	                                 November Term, 1999

Michael S. Kupersmith, J.

James A. Hughes, Franklin County State's Attorney, Derk A. Wadas and Heidi 
  M.L. Brissette, Deputy State's Attorney, St. Albans, for Plaintiff-Appellee.

Robert Appel, Defender General, and William A. Nelson, Appellate Attorney, 
  Montpelier, for Defendant-Appellant.

PRESENT:  Amestoy, C.J., Dooley, Morse, Johnson and Skoglund, JJ.

       AMESTOY, C.J.   Defendant William Currier, sentenced to a term of
  twenty-years-to-life  imprisonment as a result of a plea agreement, seeks
  to have his sentence vacated with leave to  withdraw his plea to the
  charged offenses.  Defendant contends that the trial court erred by failing
  to  provide him with an opportunity to withdraw his plea after it rejected
  his original plea agreement.   We affirm. 

                                     I.

       On August 19, 1993, defendant William Currier, incarcerated at the
  Northwest Regional  Correctional Facility in Chittenden County on a
  five-to-ten-year aggravated-assault conviction,

 

  escaped from prison.  The following day, he set fire to his ex-wife's home
  in Franklin  County.  Defendant was arrested at the scene of the fire and
  again incarcerated.   On September 8, 1993, defendant was arraigned in
  Chittenden District Court on a charge of  escape.  On November 8, 1993,
  defendant was arraigned in Franklin District Court on three felony  charges
  stemming from the arson: unlawful mischief, unlawful trespass, and arson. 
  The Chittenden  County escape charge was consolidated with the three
  Franklin County charges.  As defendant had  ten prior felony convictions,
  he was eventually charged as a habitual offender pursuant to 13 V.S.A.  §
  11.
    
       At a December 22, 1993, change-of-plea hearing in Franklin District
  Court, defendant  negotiated a plea agreement with the State, which
  provided that he would plead nolo contendere to  all four pending charges
  against him, in exchange for a recommended sentence of fifteen-years-to-
  life imprisonment.  The court stated that it would order a presentence
  investigation (PSI) report from  the Department of Corrections before
  accepting the sentence, and noted defendant's right to  withdraw his plea
  in the event that the court decided on a more severe sentence. [FN1]

 

       The court then went through each of the four charges with defendant,
  and defendant  answered affirmatively that he understood the nature of, and
  maximum possible penalty for, each  charge.  The court engaged defendant in
  a thorough V.R.Cr.P. 11 colloquy regarding the rights he  was giving up by
  pleading nolo contendere.  Defendant answered in the affirmative to each
  question,  acknowledging that he was entering his pleas freely and
  voluntarily.  The court asked for defendant's  plea on each charge, and
  defendant responded no contest.  The court accepted each of defendant's 
  pleas, finding that he entered them "after a knowing waiver of his
  constitutional rights."  Sentencing  was set for January 31, 1994.

       On December 31, 1993, defendant unsuccessfully attempted to escape
  from the Northwest  State Correctional Facility.  Consequently, the State
  brought an additional attempted-escape charge   at the January 31, 1994
  sentencing hearing on the four previous charges.  At this hearing, defense 
  counsel informed the court that defendant and the State had agreed to
  consolidate the new attempted  -escape charge with the prior escape charge,
  and roll both charges into a five-to-ten-year sentence to  be served
  concurrently with the fifteen-years-to-life imprisonment sentence stemming
  from the   August 20, 1993 arson.
    
       The court rejected the plea agreement, basing its decision on threats
  defendant made against  his ex-wife as indicated in the PSI report. 
  Defendant was present to hear the court's decision.  The  court stated that
  its main concern was that the fifteen-year minimum sentence was too short
  because  defendant would become eligible for parole in eleven-to-twelve
  years.  Although the State and  defense counsel alternately argued that the
  plea agreement was sufficient, the court reiterated its  objection to the
  agreement.

       After a recess, defendant returned with a modified plea agreement,
  which provided for a

 

  sentence of fifteen-years-to-life on the three charges stemming from
  the arson consecutive to  a concurrent five-to-ten-year sentence on each
  escape-related charge.  The court asked defendant if  this modification was
  satisfactory to him, and defendant responded that it was. The court turned
  specifically to the new attempted-escape charge, securing defendant's 
  understanding of the nature of the charge and maximum possible penalty, and
  went through a  complete V.R.Cr.P. 11 colloquy with defendant.  Referring
  to the earlier plea agreement and  colloquy, as well as the modification
  the parties had agreed to during the recess, the court asked  defendant if
  he was entering his plea voluntarily.  Defendant answered affirmatively. 
  The court  asked defendant for his plea on the new attempted-escape charge,
  and defendant pled nolo  contendere.
    
       The court then accepted defendant's modified plea agreement and
  sentenced defendant  according to its terms.  Defendant signed a notice of
  plea agreement dated January 31, 1994, as well  as a waiver of rights form
  that stated: "No threats or force have been used against me by anyone to 
  try to make me plead guilty or no contest.  I plead guilty or no contest of
  my own choice, freely and  voluntarily." 

                                     II.

       This appeal has traveled a lengthy route to reach us.  Shortly after
  defendant was sentenced to  twenty-years-to-life imprisonment, he sent a
  letter to the Franklin Family Court, which forwarded it  to Franklin
  District Court, that stated: "I do not wish to appeal my criminal case,
  which resulted in  life imprisonment. Thank you anyways."  State v.
  Currier, 162 Vt. 626, 627,