Title: Marler v. People

State: colorado

Issuer: Colorado Supreme Court

Document:

336 P.2d 101 (1959) Glen W. MARLER, Plaintiff In Error, v. PEOPLE of the State of Colorado, Defendant in Error. No. 18613. Supreme Court of Colorado, En Banc. March 2, 1959. *102 Glen W. Marler, pro se. William O. DeSouchet, Boulder, Ralph Ulleberg, Boulder, for plaintiff in error. Duke W. Dunbar, Atty. Gen., Frank E. Hickey, Deputy Atty. Gen., Norman H. Comstock, Special Asst. Atty. Gen., for defendant in error. DAY, Justice. An information was filed against the plaintiff in error, defendant in the trial court, in the district court of Garfield County. By it he was charged with feloniously inflicting bodily injury while operating a motor vehicle in a reckless and careless manner while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Defendant was represented by counsel, entered a plea of guilty to the charge, and, after the court had considered his application for probation and denied the same, was sentenced to a term in the state penitentiary of not less than three or more than five years. Defendant claims error in the proceedings in the trial court in the following particulars: 1. That he stood mute before the court and that the plea of guilty was entered by his counsel and not by defendant; 2. that the court failed to advise the defendant of the consequences of his plea as provided in C.R.S. '53, 39-7-8; 3. that the evidence failed to establish the guilt of the defendant. We dispose of the third assignment of error by calling attention to C.R.S. '53, 39-7-8. This section is not ambiguous and has been interpreted by this court many times so that it is now settled law that the only necessity for the taking of evidence after a plea of guilty is to enable the court to determine whether aggravating or mitigating circumstances are present to guide the court in exercising discretion as to the minimum and maximum sentence to be imposed. Little v. People, Colo., 335 P.2d 863; Champion v. People, 124 Colo. 253, 236 P.2d 127; Hahn v. People, 126 Colo. 451, 251 P.2d 316. See also Williams v. People, 134 Colo. 580, 307 P.2d 466, where although the point at issue was whether the defendant may waive the requirements of C.R.S. '53, 39-7-8, it was clearly pointed out that the purpose of the statute is to give information to the court in mitigation or aggravation of the offense. The instant case was an aggravated one as observed by the judge in pronouncing sentence. Moreover the evidence clearly established the guilt of defendant. Other questions to be determined: This question is answered in the negative. The record here shows that the plea of guilty was entered by counsel for the defendant who had acknowledged receipt of *103 a copy of the information, waived its reading, and waived service of the jury list. The defendant was present in court and stood by his counsel during the proceedings. The circumstances of the plea of guilty are recited in the record on two separate days, many months apart, and were brought about by the following circumstances: The automobile accident which formed the basis for the filing of the information herein occurred May 31, 1957. Defendant himself was seriously injured. His first arraignment was not until July 3, 1957, when defendant appeared personally and by counsel. Proceedings on that day were as follows: Thereafter on the 9th day of November, 1957, four months after the first arraignment and entry of the not guilty plea, the following proceedings took place before the court: The statute with reference to arraignment and pleas is C.R.S. '53, 39-7-5 which reads as follows: While it is true that the statute mentions only the plea of "not guilty" this is the only statute on arraignment and pleas, and the alternative to the not guilty plea must be implied. In interpreting the statute this court said in Minich v. People, 8 Colo. 440, 9 P. 4, 6, as follows: "Some of the ancient formalities connected with the arraignment of persons accused of crime have long been discarded. And now there seem to be in practice three acts attending the proceeding, viz., calling the defendant to the bar of the court to answer the matter charged against him; reading the indictment to him; and demanding of him whether he is guilty or not *104 guilty. By statute in this state (section 954 of the General Statutes) it is expressly enacted that the declaration of his plea may be made orally, by himself or by counsel. * * *" (Emphasis supplied.) As was said in United States v. Denniston, 2 Cir., 89 F.2d 696, 699, 110 A.L.R. 1296, wherein the plea was guilty: Defendant also contends that by the quoted portions of the record showing that he made no statement, he, in fact, was standing mute in the court and the court should have entered a plea of not guilty for him as provided in C.R.S. '53, 39-7-9. That section is entitled, "When prisoner refuses to plead" and as we interpret it, it refers to an accused who refuses to respond and obstinately stands mute. Here the defendant obviously authorized his attorney to speak for him, and there is no indication in the record that he refused to respond to the arraignment. Other portions of the record which will be referred to later show that he understood exactly what was going on. This question is answered in the negative. C.R.S. '53, 39-7-8 provides: "In all cases where the party indicted shall plead guilty, such plea shall not be entered until the court shall have *105 fully explained to the accused the consequences of entering such plea, after which, if the party indicted persists in pleading guilty, said plea shall be received and recorded, * * *." The portion of the record revealing the action of the court in carrying out the mandate of this section shows that the following took place in open court: It is apparent from the quoted portion of the record that the trial judge was adopting the language of defendant's counsel and adding his own admonition thereto so that the defendant, who stood at the side of his counsel, was advised of the consequences of his plea. The judge said to defendant in substance as shown by the record here: Counsel has correctly recited the consequences of the plea of guilty as a term of from one to five years in the state penitentiary or any minimum or maximum within that, and you need not plead guilty but may have a jury trial. In Glass v. People, 127 Colo. 210, 255 P.2d 738, 739, circumstances were very similar wherein counsel for defendant said: On the brief filed by the defendant, who has appeared for himself, it is claimed that he was so injured that he did not know or understand what was transpiring at the time the change of plea was made by his counsel from guilty to not guilty. We find no merit to this contention. Contrary to *106 our rules of procedure he has attached to his brief matters outside the record, of recent date, consisting of letters from two doctors. Desiring to afford the defendant every benefit, we have taken cognizance of the letters. Suffice it to say that neither letter indicates that plaintiff was so injured or mentally impaired as not to be able to understand the proceedings on November 9 and the consequences of his change of plea. One letter advises that the plaintiff is suffering from symptoms of restlessness, headaches, eye strain and nervousness; the other that the accident has caused a memory loss prior to July 24, 1957. This implies that the defendant remembers everything subsequent to July 24. Hence occurrences of November, 1957, are within the scope of his retained memory. The judgment is affirmed.