In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d : Oc to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 4

S 1 4 A0 9 3 6 . De TOMA v . THE S TATE.

HINES , P re sid in g Ju stic e

.

Ga ry M. De T o m a , S r., (“ De To m a ” ) a p p e a ls fro m th e d e n ia l o f h is m o tio n

to with d ra w h is p le a o f g u ilty to th e m a lic e m u rd e r o f h is fiv e -y e ar-o ld so n ,

Ga ry , Jr. (“ Ga ry ” ). F o r th e re a so ns th a t fo llo w , we a ffirm

.

Ac c o rd in g to th e fa c tu a l b a sis fo r th e p le a th a t th e S ta te p re se n te d a t th e

p le a h e a rin g , De To m a a n d h is wife w e re in t h e mi d s t o f d iv orc e p ro c e e d in g s

a n d

, in o rd e r to p re v e n t h e r fro m e x e rc isin g c u sto d y o f h is two so n s, De To m a

in te nd e d to k ill b o th so n s, a n d th e n h im se lf. On th e m o rn in g o f Ju ly 1 2

, 2 0 1 2

,

h e su c c e e d e d in k illin g Ga ry , first pu ttin g a p illo w ov e r h is fa c e a n d su ffo c a tin g

h im

, th e n p la c in g a p la stic b a g o v e r h is h e a d

, a n d se c urin g it w ith d uc t ta p e ;

e ith e r o r b o th o f th e se a c ts c o u ld h a v e c a u se d Ga ry ’s d e a th

. De To m a be g a n a n

a tta c k o n his o th e r so n , fo u r-y e a r-o ld Willia m , b u t d id no t su c c e e d in c a rry in g

it o u t; a p p a re n tly D eT o ma h a d in g e ste d sle e pin g p ills a nd p a in kille rs in a

q u a n tity su ffic ie n t fo r h im to b e c o m e t e mp o r a rily in c a pa c ita te d

. Be c a

useDe To m a h a d n ot g o n e to wo rk th a t m o rn in g , a c o -wo rk e r we n t t o D e T o ma ’s

h o m e a n d k n o c k e d o n th e fro n t d o o r. Willia m re sp o n d e d a n d o p e n e d th e d o o r

to th e e x te n t a c h a in la tc h a llo we d t h i s t o b e d o n e

. Th e c o -wo rk e r, re a liz in g

so m e th in g wa s wro n g , c u t th e c h a in o n th e d o o r, e n te re d th e h om e , an d fo u n d

De To m a o n a b e d with Ga ry ; th e c o -wo rk e r a tte m pte d to re v iv e Ga ry , c o u ld n o t,

a n d fle d th e h o m e with Willia m

. La w e n fo rc e m e n t o ffic e rs a rriv e d a t th e h o m e ,

p la c e d De T om a in c u sto d y a n d , so m e h o u rs la te r, De To m a a dm itte d to k illin g

Ga ry

.

De To m a wa s in d ic te d fo r th e m a lic e m u rd e r o f Ga ry a n d fo r c rim in a l

a tte m p t to c o m m it m

u rd e r in c o n n e c tio n with th e a tta c k on Willia m

. Th e S ta te

file d a n o tic e o f its i n t e n t t o se e k th e d e a th p e na lty a nd

, o n Ma y 15

, 2 0 1 2

,

De To m a p le d g u ilty to th e m a lic e m u rd e r c ha rg e a nd

, a s re c om m e n d e d b y th e

S ta te

, h e wa s se n te n c e d to life w ith o ut th e p o ssib ility o f p a ro le f o r th a t c rim e ;

th e c o u n t fo r a tte m

p t to c o mmit m

urd e r w a s p la c e d o n th e de a d d o c k e t. A

tim e ly m o tio n to with d ra w De To m a ’s g u ilty p le a w a s file d b y p le a c o u n se l; a

h e a rin g o n th e m o tio n wa s he ld ; th e m o tio n wa s d e n ie d ; a n d De To m a file d th is

a p p e a l.

1

. Asse rtin g th a t he d id n ot wish to p le a d g u ilty

, De To m a c o n te n d s t h e

2tria l c o u rt e rre d in d e n y in g h is m o tio n to with dra w h is p le a b e c a u se it wa s n o t

fre e ly a n d v o lu nta rily e n te re d.

To d e te rm in e wh e th e r a g u ilty ple a is v a lid

, th e re c o rd m ust sh o w th a t th e d e fe n d a n t u n d e rsta n d s th e p le a a n d th e c o n stitu tio na l rig h ts
th a t h e is re lin q u ish in g

. Bo y k in v . Ala b ama , 3 9 5 U.S

. 2 3 8 (8 9 S Ct

1 7 0 9

, 2 3 LE2 d 27 4 ) (1 9 6 9 )

. T h e S ta te h a s th e b u rd e n o n d ire c t

re v ie w o f e sta b lish in g t h a t th e p le a wa s e n te re d in te llig e n tly a n d

v o lu n ta rily

. K

in g v

. Sta te

, 2 70 Ga

. 3 6 7 (1 ) (5 0 9 S E2 d 3 2 ) (1 9 9 8 ).

T h e S t a t e ma y m e e t th is b u rd e n “b y sh o w in g o n th e re c o rd o f th e

g u ilty p le a h e a rin g th a t th e d e fe n d a nt wa s c og niz a n t o f a ll o f th e rig h ts h e wa s wa iv in g a

n d th e p o ssib le c o n se qu e n c e s o f h is p le a , o r b y u se of e x trin sic e v id e n c e th a t a ffirm a tiv e ly sh o ws th a t th e g u ilty

p le a w a s k n o win g a nd v o lu n ta ry .” (Cita tio n a n d p u n c tu a tio n

o m itte d .) Lo

y d v

. S ta te

, 2 8 8 Ga

. 4 8 1

, 48 5 (2 ) ( b ) (7 0 5 S E2 d 6 1 6 ) (2 0 1 1 )

. A f

te r se n te nc in g , th e d e c isio n o n a m o tio n to with d ra w a

g u ilty p le a is with in th e tria l c o u rt ’ s d i sc re tio n a n d with d ra wa l o f

th e p le a is a llo we d o n ly wh e n n e c e ssa ry to c o rre c t a m a n ife st
in ju stic e

. W a ld e n v

. S ta te

, 2 9 1 Ga

. 26 0 (1 ) (7 2 8 S E 2 d 1 8 6 ) (2 0 1 2 );

Un ifo rm S u p e rio r Co u rt Ru le (US CR) 3 3 .1 2

.

W rig h t v . S ta te , 2 9 2 Ga . 8 2 5 , 8 2 6 (1 ) (7 4 2 S E2 d 4 6 8 ) (2 0 13 ).

At th e h e a rin g o n his m o t i o n to w ith d ra w h is p le a , De To m a p re se n te d

e v id e n c e th a t, p rio r to th e p le a h e arin g , th e a dv ic e o f h is a tto rn e y s a n d h is fa m ily

wa s th at h e p le a d g uilty to G a ry ’s m urd e r a n d a c c e p t th e o ffe r o f a

re c o m m e n d a tio n o f a life se n te n c e with o u t th e po ssib ility o f p a ro le

, a s it wa s th e

b e st d e a l th a t c o u ld b e se c u re d

, a nd th a t th e a d v ic e to d o so wa s o fte n strid e n t.

De To m a te stifie d a t th e h e a rin g th a t h e n o ne th e le ss wa n te d to g o to tria l, e v e n

3th o u g h h e re c o g n iz e d th a t d o in g so w o u ld lik e ly re su lt in a d e a th se n te n c e

. He

d e sc rib e d h is a tto rn e y s a s “ b u lly in g” an d “ in tim id a t i n g , ” a n d sa id th a t h e wa s

“ fo rc e d ” to p le a d g u ilty ; h e a d m itte d th a t th e re w e re n o p h y sic a l o r v e rb a l

th re a ts m a d e a g a in st h im

, a n d th a t h e k ne w th a t it wa s h is d e c isio n to m a k e , b u t

th a t h e n on e th e le ss fe lt “ p re ssu re d ” to p le a d g u ilty

. 1 De To m a ’s m o th e r te stifie d

th a t, th e d a y b e fo re ple a d in g g u ilty

, h e sa id “ I d o n ’t wa n t to g iv e u p, b u t I’ll ta k e

th e p le a

. I’ll ta k e it fo r y o u , Mo m

. I’ll ta k e it fo r A n th o n y (i.e

., De To m a ’s

b r o th e r).” His m oth e r te stifie d th a t De To m a sa id th a t h e wa nte d h is “ sto ry

h e a rd ,” a n d th a t sh e to ld h im it wa s h is life

, th a t h e ha d to m a k e th e d e c isio n ,

a n d th a t n o o n e c ou ld d o it fo r h im

. Th e r e wa s te stim o ny fro m h is b ro th e r

An th on y th a t De To m a “wa n te d to b e h e a rd

, ” a n d th a t in h is c on ve rsa tio n s with

De To m a , it “ wa s a lwa y s v e ry c le a r” th a t wh e th e r to p le a d g u ilty wa s De To m a ’s

d e c isio n

.

Th e le a d a tto rn e y fo r De To m a ’s de fe nse te stifie d th a t th e d ay o f th e p le a

h e a rin g , De To m a sa id th a t h e d id n ot wa nt to p le a d g u ilty

, b u t re c o g n iz e d th a t

h e h a d n o o p tio n s, a

n d th a t h e wa n te d to “ g e t it o ve r with .” An d

, a s De To m a

1 The tria l court specifically found that d efense counsel did n ot manipulate D eToma into pleading g uilty

.

4wa s e x itin g th e c o u rtro o m a fte r h is ple a h e ar i n g , w h e n h e sa w th a t n o m e d ia

re p re se n ta tiv e s we re p re se n t in th e c o u rtro o m , h e to ld h is le a d c o u n se l th a t h e

sh o u ld h a v e g o n e to tria l. De To m a th e n wro te a le tte r to th e c o u rt sta tin g “ I d id

n o t wa n t to p le a d g u ilty to d a y .”

“ En te rin g a

g u ilty p le a

a s a re su lt o f a d v ic e re c e iv e d d o e s n o t a m o u n t to

c o e rc io n

. [Cit.] ” W

a ld e n v

. S ta te

, 2 9 1 Ga

. 2 6 0

, 2 6 1 (1 ) (7 2 8 S E2 d 1 8 6 ) (2 0 1 2 ).

An d

, a g u ilty ple a c e rta in ly m a y b e fre e ly an d v o lu n ta rily e n te re d

, e ve n th o u g h

fa m ily p re ssu re p e rsu a d e s a de fe n d a n t t o ma k e th a t d e c isio n

. S e e S ha h e e d v

.

S ta te

, 2 76 Ga

. 2 9 1 (2 ) (5 7 8 S E2 d 1 1 9 ) (2 0 0 3); W a lk e r v

. S ta te

, 3 0 4 G a

. Ap p

. 5 5

,

5 7 (1 ) (6 9 5 S E2 d 3 75 ) (2 0 1 0 ); Pirk le v

. S ta te

, 2 4 0 Ga

. Ap p

. 2 4

, 2 5 (1 ) (5 2 2

S E2 d 5 2 6 ) (1 9 9 9 ). In de c id in g wh e th e r to g o to tria l, D e To m a wa s fa c e d with

a c h o ic e a m o n g v e ry p o o r o p tio n s, an d

, o f co u r s e , it is no t u n c o m m o n fo r a

d e fe n d a n t to re gre t th e c h o ic e to p le a d g u ilty

. S e e S ta te v

. Ev a n s , 2 6 5 Ga

. 3 3 2

,

3 3 6 (3 ) (4 5 4 S E2 d 4 6 8 ) (1 9 9 5 ). Bu t, th e S ta te ’s bu rd e n is to sh o w th a t a g u ilty

p le a wa s e n te re d in te llig e n tly a n d v o lu n ta rily

, Kin g , su p ra ; t h e r e i s n o b u rd e n

o n th e Sta te to sh o w th a t, b e fo re e n te rin g a

p le a , a d e fe nd a n t re so lv e d to d o so

with ou t wa v e rin g o r a g o n iz in g o v e r th e d e c isio n , o r th a t a fte r h is p le a , h e h a d

n o se c o n d th o u g h ts a s to e n te rin g it. Se e W a ld e n , su p ra

. At h is p le a h e a rin g ,

5De To m a te stifie d th a t: h e wa s n o t u n d e r th e in flu e n c e o f a lc o h ol, d ru g s, o r a n y

o th e r su b sta n c e ; h e k n e w h e c o u ld c h o o se a ju ry tria l; n o th re a ts o r p ro m ise s h a d

b e e n m a d e to in flu e n c e h is p le a , o th e r th a n th e S ta te ’s se n te n c in g

re c o m m e n d a tio n ; he wa s sa tisfie d with th e re p r e s e n ta tio n o f h is a tto rn e y s; h e

wa s, in fa c t, g u ilty o f m

u rd e rin g Ga ry , an d o f th e c rim in a l a tte m p t o n Willia m ’s

life ; h e wa n te d t o p le a d g u ilty ; a n d h e d e sire d to w a iv e h is rig h ts a n d p le a d

g u ilty

. Also a t th e h e a rin g, in th e p re se n c e o f h is a tto rn e y a n d th e p ro se c u to r,

De To m a c o m

p le te d a f o r m s p e c i fy in g e a c h o f th e rig h ts h e wa s g iv in g u p b y

p le a d in g g u ilty

, in c lu d in g th e rig h t to a tria l b y ju ry ; h e in itia le d e a c h rig h t h e

sp e c ific a lly wa iv e d a n d s i g n e d th e fo rm , wh ic h wa s n ota riz e d

. Th e re c o rd

a m p ly su p p o rts th e tria l c ou rt’s d e te rm in a tio n th a t De To m a p le d g u ilty

“ k n owin g ly

, v o lu n ta rily

, in te llig e n tly a n d with ou t c o e r c i o n .” T h e re wa s n o

a b u se o f th e c o u rt’s d isc re tio n in d e ny in g th e m o tio n to w i t h d r a w th e g u ilty

p le a

.

2

. De To m a c o n te n ds th a t, a t th e h e a rin g o n h is m o tio n to with d ra w h is

g u ilty p le a , th e tria l c o u rt sh o u l d h a v e a d m itte d in to e v id e n c e th e a u d io

re c o rd in g o f th e p l e a h e a r i n g th a t h a d b e e n m a d e by th e c o u rt re p o rte r. Th e

tra n sc rip t o f a p le a h e a rin g is “ p re su m e d to b e th e tru e , c o m p le te

, a n d c o rre c t”

6re c o rd o f wh a t tra nsp ire d du rin g it. OCGA § 1 5 -1 4 -5

. 2 It is un c o n tro ve rte d th a t

th e tra n sc rip t c o rre c tly re po rts wh a t De To m a sa id a t th e p le a he a rin g

. Co m pa re

S la k m a n v

. S ta te

, 2 7 2 Ga

. 6 6 2

, 6 6 5 (2 ) (5 3 3 S E2 d 3 8 3 ) (2 0 0 0 ). Wh a t De To m a

c o n te n d s is th a t th e re c o rd in g wo u ld a llo w th e tria l c ou rt to d isc e rn n u a n c e s in

h is p le a h e a rin g te stim o n y so a s to a id th a t c ou rt in e v a lu a tin g h is c la im th a t h e

d id n o t vo lu n ta rily p le a d g u ilty

, a n d a lso th is Co u rt in re vie win g th e tria l c o u rt’s

d e c isio n

.

De To m a d id n o t a tte m

pt to su p p le m e n t th e tra n sc rip t u sin g th e p ro c e d u re s

se t fo rth in OCGA § 5 -6 -4 1 (f). 3 It is a ra re in st a n c e i n w h i c h th e o ffic ia l

2 OCGA § 15-14-5 reads:

I t shall b e the duty of each court r eporter to transcribe the e vidence a nd other proceeding s of which

he has taken notes as provided by law whenever requested so to do by counsel for a ny party to such

case and upon being p aid the leg al fees for such transcripts. The reporter, upon delivering the transcript to such counsel, shall a ffix thereto a certificate sig ned by him reciting that the transcript

is true, complete, and c orrect. Subject only to the rig ht of the trial judg e to c h a n ge o r r e q u i re the

c o r rection of the transcript, the transcript so certified shall b e presumed to b e true, complete

, a n d

correct.

3 OCGA § 5-6-41 reads in pertinent part:

(a) I n all felony cases, the transcript of evidence and proceeding s shall be r eported and prepared by a court reporter as provided in Code Section 17-8-5 or as otherwise provided by law.

. . .

(f) W h ere any party contends that the transcript or r e c o r d d o es not truly or f ully disclose what transpired in the trial court and the parties are unable to ag ree thereon, the trial court s h a ll set the

matter down for a hearing w ith n otice to b o th parties a nd resolve t h e d i ff

erence so as to make the

record conform to the truth. I f any thing material to either party is omitted from the record on appeal

7tra n sc rip t o f a c ou rt p ro c e e d in g wo uld n e e d a dd e n d a su c h a s De To m a so u g h t to

in tro d u c e , a n d t h is is n o t o n e

. T h e tria l c o urt n o te d th a t it we ll re c a lle d th e

h e a rin g , a nd th e p e rso n s a ffe c te d d u rin g it, a n d c o n sid e re d th e a u dio re c o rd in g

to b e irre le v a n t. Th is wa s n o t e rro r. Du ri n g t h e p le a h e a rin g , De To m a n e v e r

sta te d to th e c o u rt th a t h e fe lt p re ssu re d to p le a d g u ilty

, a n d it is u nc o n tro v e rte d

th a t h e e x h ib i te d c o n sid e ra ble e m o tio n , in c lu d in g , a fte r pa u se s, re sp o n d in g

“ y e s ” in a lo w, c ra c k in g v o ic e , to th e q ue stio ns a s to wh e th e r h e w a s in fa c t

g u ilty a n d wish e d to so ple a d

. Th e issu e De To m a wish e s to sh e d lig h t o n n o w

is wh y h e e x h ib ite d su c h e m o tio n

. He c o nte n d s th a t it wa s b e c a u se h e w a s b e in g

p re ssu re d to a c t a g a in st h is tru e will, b u t, a s th e tria l c ou rt ob se rv e d

, u n d e r a ll

th e c irc u m sta n c e s o f th e c a se , su c h e m o tio n wo u ld b e e x p e c t ed

. De To m a

a rg u e d b e lo w th a t th e a

u d io re c o rd in g wo u ld re v e a l th e “ e m o tio n a l c o n te n t” o f

h is d e m e a n o r, b u t a s n o te d, t h e r e wa s n o d isp u te th a t he h a d a n e m o tio n a l

d e m e a n o r; h e d id n o t b e lo w, n o r d o e s h e on a p p e a l, su g g e st th a t th e re c o rd in g

or is misstated therein, the parties by stipulation, or the trial court, e ither before or after the record

is transmitted to the appellate court, on a proper sug g estion or of its o wn initiative, may direct that

the omission or misstatement shall be corrected and, if necessary

, that a supplemental record shall

be certified and transmitted by the clerk o f the trial court. T he trial c ourt or the appellate court may

at any time order the c lerk of the trial court to send up any o rig inal papers o r ex hibits in the case, to be returned after final disposition of the appeal.

8c o n ta in s a n y c h a ra c te ristic th a t re v e a ls th e re aso n fo r th e e m o tio n s h e d isp la y e d

,

a n d th u s fa ils to sh o w w h y th e “ tru e , c o m p le te

, a n d c o rre c t” re c o rd o f th e p le a

h e a rin g n e e d e d to b e su p p le m e n te d

. 4 Th e tria l c o u rt d id n o t a b u se its disc re tio n

in e x c lu d in g th e c o u rt re p o r t e r ’s a u d io re c o rd in g o f th e p le a h e a rin g

. S e e

W o o da ll v . S

ta te , 2 9 4 Ga . 6 2 4 , 6 3 2 (8 ) (7 5 4 S E2 d 3 3 5 ) (2 0 1 4 ).

Ju d g m e n t a ffirm e d . All th e Ju stic e s c o nc u r.

4 The proffered ex hibit was included in the record on appeal. I t c ontains nothing to indicate the reason underly

ing DeToma’s emotional state.

9