IN T H E C O U R T O F A P P E A L S O F T H E S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I

N O . 2 0 1 6 -C P -0 0 7 6 9 -C O A

E R IC P I E R C E A / K

/A E R IC V. P IE R C E A P P E L L A N T

v .
S T A T E O F M IS S IS S IP P I A P P E L L E E

D A T E O F JU D G M E N T : 0 5 /1 3 /2 0 1 6 T R IA L JU D G E : H O N

. JO S E P H H

. L O P E R JR

. C O U R T F R O M WH IC H A P P E A L E D : A T T A L A C O U N T Y C I R C U IT C O U R T A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L A N T : E R IC P IE R C E (P R O S E ) A T T O R N E Y F O R

A P P E L L E E : O F F IC E O F T H E A T T O R N E Y G E N E R A L B Y : S C O T T S T U A R T N A T U R E O F T H E C A S E : C IV IL - P O S T -C O N V IC T I O N R E L IE F D I S P O S IT IO N : A F F IR M E D - 0 8 /2 9 /2 0 1 7 M O T IO N F O R

R E H E A R IN G F IL E D : M A N D A T E IS S U E D :

B E F O R E L E E , C .J ., B A R N E S A N D W E S T B R O O K S , J J

.
B A R N E S , J ., F O R T H E C O U R T : ¶1

. E r ic P ierce, ap p eari n g p r o s e , a p p eals t h e j u d g m en t o f th e C ircu it C o u r t o f A ttala

C o u n ty d en y in g h is m o tio n f o r p o st-co n v ictio n relief (P C R ) as a su c cessiv e w rit a n d tim eb arred . F i n d in g n o erro r , w e af f irm

.
S T A T E M E N T O F F A C T S A N D P R O C E D U R A L H I S T O R Y
¶2

. O n F eb ru ary 3 , 2 0 0 9 , P ierce w as in d icted f o r a rm ed ro b b e ry

. H e p lead ed g u ilty a f ew

w e ek s later. T h e r o b b e ry o c cu rred in N o v em b er 2 0 0 8 w h e n P i erce w as eig h teen y ears o ld

.
T h e v ictim , M elto n K i n g , w as t h e o w n er o f a S o n ic restau ran t. H e w as w alk i n g acro ss a

g ro cery -sto re p ark in g lo t w ith a b an k b ag co n t ain in g $ 1 , 2 6 5 o f S o n ic’s f u n d s. P ierce cam e

u p t o K in g , h eld a p isto l t o h i m, a n d in stru cted h im to “g iv e m e th e m o n ey .” K in g g av eP ierce m o n ey f ro m h is p o ck et an d th e b ag o f m o n ey

. P ierce th en f led

. K in g p u rsu ed P ierce

in h is v eh icle, h ittin g an d in j u r in g h im

. L aw -en f

o rcem en t o f

f i cers w ere ab le to arrest P ierce

in th e p ark in g lo t. P ierce later co n f essed to th e crim e. ¶3

. T h e circu it c o u rt sen ten ced P ierce to serv e se v e n t e e n y e ars in t h e cu sto d y o f th e

M ississip p i D ep artm en t o f C o rrectio n s (M D O C ). O n A u g u st 1 9 , 2 0 1 0 , th e circu it co u rt

d ism issed P ierce’s f

irst P C R m o tio n , w h erein h e arg u ed th at h is p lea w as in v o lu n tary an d

th at h e receiv ed in e f

f ectiv e assistan ce o f c o u n se l. H e d id n o t a p p eal th e d ism issal. H is

seco n d P C R m o tio n , seek in g relief o n th e sam e g ro u n d s as h is f i r s t P C R mo tio n , w as

d ism issed b y t h e circu i t co u r t o n F eb ru ary 3 , 2 0 1 2

. P ierce ap p e a led , an d th is C o u rt af f irm ed

th e d i s mi ssal in P ierce v. S ta te , 1 1 5 S o

. 3 d 8 6 9 , 8 7 3 (¶1 4 ) (M iss. C t. A p p

. 2 0 1 3 ), f in d i n g

h is m o t io n w as b arred as su ccessiv e, an d h is arg u m en ts w ere w ith o u t m erit. 1
¶4

. O n A p ril 2 5 , 2 0 1 6 , P ierce f iled h is th ird P C R m o tio n in th e c i rcu it c o u rt, arg u in g th at

h e is e x c ep ted f

ro m an y p ro ced u ral b ars b ecau se h is sen ten ce is illeg a l, an d th at h is atto rn ey

m isin f o r m ed h im ab o u t p lead in g g u ilty

. P i erce c laim s h is in itial p l ea w as “n o t g u ilty ,” b u t

h is co u n sel p e rsu a d ed h im t o p l ead g u ilty as “ th e b est o p tio n , ” an d to l d h i m th at M D O C

w o u l d release h im o n ce h e tu rn ed tw en ty

- o n e y e a r s o ld

. T h e circu it co u rt w as n o t

p ersu ad e d , an d d en ied h is m o tio n as tim e-b arred an d su ccessiv e. P ierce tim e ly ap p ealed

.
S T A N D A R D O F R E VIE W
¶5

. Wh en co n s id erin g a circu it co u rt’s d e n ial o f a P C R m o tio n , th e a p p ellate co u rt w i ll

1 P i erce arg u ed th at h e w as o n p ain k illers f o r a b r o k e n b ack at t h e tim e o f h is g u ilty p lea, an d th u s it w as in v o lu n t ary

. H e also claim ed in ef f ectiv e assistan ce o f c o u n sel b ecau se h is atto rn ey d id n o t p ro p erly in v estig ate h is m en tal state a t th e tim e o f h is p lea h earin g

. P i erce , 1 1 5 S o . 3 d at 8 7 2 -7 3 (¶¶9 , 1 1 ).

2n o t d istu rb th e circu it co u r t’s f actu al f in d in g s u n less th ey are c learly erro n eo u s. Q u estio n s

o f law , h o w ev er, are r ev iew ed d e n o v o

. M o o re v. S ta te , 9 8 6 S o

. 2 d 9 2 8 , 9 3 2 (¶1 3 ) (M iss.

2 0 0 8 ) (citatio n o m itted ).

A N A L Y S IS
¶6

. O n ap p eal, P ierce su b m its s ev eral issu es in th e f o rm o f q u estio n s relatin g to h is g u ilty

p lea an d th e assistan ce o f h is c o u n sel. We sh all ad d ress each issu e i n tu rn ; h o w ev er, as th e

circu i t co u rt ru led , P i erce’s P C R m o tio n is b o th su ccessiv e an d tim e-b arred

. ¶7

. U n d er th e U n if

o rm P o s t

- C o n v i c t i o n C o llateral R e lief A ct (U P C C R A ), a n y o rd er

d en y in g o r d ism issin g a P C R m o t io n b ars a seco n d o r su ccessiv e m o t io n

. M i ss. C o d e A n n

. § 9 9 -3 9 -2 3 (6 ) (R ev

. 2 0 1 5 ). A d d i tio n ally , a P C R m o tio n ch allen g i n g a g u ilty p lea m u st b e

f iled w ith i n th ree y ears o f th e en t ry o f th e j u d g m en t o f co n v ictio n

. M iss. C o d e A n n

. § 9 9

-
3 9 -5 (2 ) (R ev

. 2 0 1 5 ). T h is P C R m o tio n i s P i e r c e’s th ird relatin g to h is arm ed -ro b b ery

ch arg e, an d w a s f

i l e d o v e r sev en y ears af

ter h is j u d g m en t o f co n v ictio n ; th eref o re, it is

p ro ced u rally

b arred

. ¶8

. P ierce raises t h e s a me i s s u e s in th is P C R m o t io n a s h e d id in h is o t h e r tw o ; h e j u st

ch an g es th e n u an c e o f h i s arg u m en ts. P ierce f irst a s k s w h eth er erro rs af f ectin g f u n d am en tal

co n stitu t io n al rig h ts are ex c ep t e d f ro m p o s t-co n v ictio n p ro ced u ral b a r s, w h ich th ey are.

U n d e r R o w la n d v

. S t

a te , 4 2 S o

. 3 d 5 0 3 , 5 0 6 (¶ 9 ) (M iss. 2 0 1 0 ), th e M ississip p i S u p r em e

C o u rt s p e cif

ically h eld th at “erro rs af

f ectin g f u n d am en tal c o n stitu tio n a l r ig h ts are ex cep ted

f ro m th e p ro ced u ral b a rs o f th e U P C C R A .” H o w ev er, “th e m ere assertio n o f a co n stitu tio n al
rig h t v io latio n d o es n o t trig g er th e ex cep tio n ”; rath e r, th e c laim m u st a t least ap p ear to h av e

3so m e b asis o f tru th

. E va n s v. S ta te , 1 1 5 S o

. 3 d 8 7 9 , 8 8 1 (¶3 ) (M iss. C t. A p p

. 2 0 1 3 )

(citatio n s an d in tern al q u o tatio n m ark s o m itted ). H ere, P ierce h a s n o t d em o n s trated a b asis

f o r a f u n d am en tal-co n stitu tio n a l-rig h ts v i o l atio n ; s o th ere is n o ex cep t io n to th e p r o ced u ral

b ars. ¶9

. N e x t, P ierce arg u es th at h i s P C R m o tio n s h o u ld n o t b e d ism i s s e d b e c a u s e its f acts

w e re p ro v en b y w itn ess t estim o n y

– th at o f h is m o th er. “ T o su rv i v e su m m ary d i sm issal, a

co llateral attack o n a f

a c i a l l y co rrect p lea m

u st in clu d e su p p o rtin g af f id av its o f o th er

p erso n s

. F u rth erm o re, [ th e m o v an t] m u st a l leg e ‘f

acts w h ich req u ire f

u rth er i n q u iry ’ in th e

ex p an d ed settin g o f an ev id en tiary h earin g .” Jo n es v. S ta te , 9 4 9 S o

. 2 d 8 7 2 , 8 7 3 (¶3 ) (M iss.

C t

. A p p

. 2 0 0 7 ) ( i n tern al an d e x tern al citatio n s o m itted ). H o w ev e r , “w h ere an af f id av it is

o v erw h elm in g ly b elied b y u n im p each ab le d o c u m en tary ev id en ce in th e reco rd [ ,] su ch as,

f o r ex am p le, a tran s crip t o r w ritten statem en ts o f th e af f i an t to th e co n t rary to th e ex ten t t h at

th e co u rt c an c o n clu d e t h at th e af f i d av it is a sh a m [ ,] n o h earin g is req u ired

. ” Wrig h t v. S ta te ,
5 7 7 S o . 2 d 3 8 7 , 3 9 0 (M iss. 1 9 9 1 ).
¶1 0

. P ierce a ttem

p ts to su p p o rt h i s a s s e r t i o n s as tru th an d av o i d su m m ary d ism issal b y
attach in g to h is ap p ellate b rief a h an d w r itten af f id av it b y h is m o th er, w h ich states th at P ierce

w a s u n ab le to u n d erstan d h is p l ea b ecau se h e w as u n d e r th e in f lu en ce o f d ru g s f

o r a b ack

i n j u r y

. 2 H e also raised th is issu e in h is seco n d P C R m o tio n

. Wh ile a P C R m o t io n co u ld

2 In th e af f id av it, P ierce’s m o th er states th at sh e w as p resen t d u rin g all o f th e talk s b etw een P ierce an d h i s atto rn ey

. S h e states h e to o k P erco cet a n d F lex eril f o r h is b r o k en b ack , an d h e ap p eared “sp aced o u t” an d “ a little co n f u sed ” af ter co u r t a p p e a ran ces an d sp eak in g w ith h is atto rn e y . S h e claim s h is atto rn e y to ld P ierce M D O C w o u ld release h im
o n ce h e tu rn ed tw en t y -o n e. S h e m ain tain s h e w o u ld n o t h av e ag r eed to th e p lea if h e h ad k n o w n h is atto rn e y m isin f o rm ed h im , an d if

h e w ere “in a b etter state o f m in d .”

4p o ssib ly av o id d i sm issal w ith certain w itn ess testim o n y , h ere, h is m o th e r ’ s s t a t em en t is

b elied b y P ierce’s o w n sw o rn testim o n y at th e p l ea h earin g an d h is p lea p etitio n th at h e w as

co m p eten t an d u n d ersto o d h is p lea.
¶1 1

. A t th e h earin g , P i e r c e s t a t e d u n d e r o ath th at h e h ad read h i s p lea p etitio n an d

rev iew ed it w ith c o u n sel; h e w a s n o t u n d er th e i n f lu en c e o f an y d r

u g s , alco h o l, o r

in to x ican ts at th e t im e ; an d h e h ad “n o d isab ilities o f th e m in d o r p ro b lem s t h at w o u ld in an y

w a y in terf

ere w ith [ h is] ab ility t o u n d erstan d th e p r o ceed in g s.” F u rth er, in h is p lea p etitio n ,
P ierce sig n ed a s w o rn statem en t th at h is d ecisio n to p lead g u ilty w as h i s alo n e

– h e d id n o t

receiv e an y o u tsid e co e rciv e in f lu en ces. H e ag reed th a t th e sen ten c e is u p to th e co u rt, an d

th at th e co u rt is n o t req u ired to f o llo w th e reco m m en d atio n s o f t h e d istrict atto rn ey , w h o

m ad e t h e reco m m en d atio n o f sev en teen y ears. H e s tated h e w as satisf ied w ith th e ad v ice

co u n sel h ad g iv en h im

. P ierce ’ s sw o r n testim o n y an d p l ea p etitio n ren d er h is af f id a v it

in ef f ectu al.
¶1 2

. P ierce also arg u es th at ig n o ran ce, m isu n d erstan d in g , an d in co m p eten cy th reaten th e

v alid ity o f h is g u ilty p l ea; an d th at th e circu it co u r t d id n o t accu rately d eterm in e if h is p lea

w a s in tellig e n tly m ad e. “F o r a g u ilty p lea t o b e v alid [ ,] it m u st b e en tered i n t o v o lu n tarily ,
k n o w in g ly , an d in tellig en tly ”; th at is, “th e trial co u rt m u st ad v ise t h e d ef

en d an t o f h is rig h ts,

th e n atu re o f th e c h arg e ag ain st h im , as w ell as th e co n seq u e n ces o f th e p lea.” Willia m s v.

S ta te , 3 1 S o

. 3 d 6 9 , 7 4 (¶1 3 ) (M iss. C t. A p p . 2 0 1 0 ) (citatio n an d in tern a l q u o tatio n m ark s

o m itted ). “T h e b u rd en o f p ro v in g th at a g u ilty p lea [ is] in v alid rests w ith th e d ef en d an t an d

m u st b e p ro v en b y a p rep o n d e ran ce o f th e ev id en ce.” Id

. “S t atem en ts m a d e in o p en co u rt

5u n d er o ath carry a stro n g p resu m p tio n o f v eracity .” T

h o m a s v. S ta te , 1 5 9 S o

. 3 d 1 2 1 2 , 1 2 1 6
(¶1 2 ) (M iss. C t. A p p . 2 0 1 5 ) (citatio n s an d in tern al q u o tatio n m ark s o m itted ).
¶1 3

. A d d itio n ally , f

o r an in ef

f ectiv e-assistan ce-o f

-co u n s el c l a i m, t h e d e f

e n d a n t m u st

p ro v e: “(1 ) h is c o u n s el w as d ef icien t[ ,] an d (2 ) th at th e d e f i cien c y p rej u d iced h is d ef en se.”

P i erce , 1 1 5 S o

. 3 d at 8 7 3 (¶1 1 ) (citin g S trickla n d v. Wa sh in g to n , 4 6 6 U .S

. 6 6 8 , 6 8 7 (1 9 8 4 )).

A stro n g p r e s u mp t i o n ex ists th at co u n sel’s p erf o rm a n ce w a s r easo n ab le. Id

. “[ T ] h e

d ef e n d an t m u s t s h o w th at th ere is a reaso n ab le p ro b ab ility th at, b u t f o r th e c o u n sel’s

u n p ro f essio n a l erro rs, th e resu lt o f th e p ro c eed in g w o u ld h a v e b een d if f eren t.” Id

. ¶1 4

. A g ain , P i erce’s sw o r n p l ea p etitio n a n d statem en ts u n d e r o ath d o n o t su p p o rt an y o f

h is assertio n s o n h is atto r n ey ’s in c o m

p eten ce o r lack o f i n t ellig en ce. A d d itio n a lly , th ere is

n o ev id en c e P ierce w as in co m p eten t at th e h e arin g

. F u rth e r, th e j u d g e th o ro u g h l y ex p lain ed

th at th e p ro p o sed sen ten ce w as s e v en teen y ears, t h at th e co u r t co u ld g iv e P ierce a lif

e

sen ten ce, an d th at an y sen ten ce m u st b e serv ed d ay -f

o r -d a y

. Wh en th e j u d g e ask ed if P ierce

u n d ersto o d , P ierce stated th at h e h ad n o t u n d e rsto o d b ef o re, “ b u t I d o n o w

. ” E v en if co u n sel

h ad m isin f

o rm ed P ierce, th e j u d g e co rrectly ad v ised h im

. T h e reco rd in d icates P ierce w as

th o ro u g h ly i n f

o rm ed o f t h e n atu re an d co n s eq u en ces o f h is g u ilty p lea an d sen ten ce, an d th e

circu i t co u rt p ro p erly

accep ted h i s p lea. A cco rd i n g l y , h is g u ilty p lea w as in tellig en tly an d

v o lu n tarily

m ad e. ¶1 5

. R e g ard i n g h is co u n sel’s e f f ectiv en ess, at th e p lea h earin g , w h ile P i erce s tated th at h e

w a s n o t satisf

ied w i th h i s co u n sel’s rep resen ta t i o n , h is d issatisf actio n w as w ith th e

reco m m en d atio n o f th e d istrict atto rn ey , n o t h is co u n sel. Im m ed iately p rio r to th is co m m en t,

6h e h ad af

f irm e d to th e co u r

t th at h is atto rn ey h ad g o n e o v er a n d co u n s eled h im o n th e

ch arg es, ad v ised h im

o f th e elem en ts o f

arm ed ro b b ery

an d t h e f acts th e S tate m

u st p ro v e,

d iscu ssed an y p o ssib le d e f en ses h e m ig h t h av e, m et th e ex p ectatio n s o f w h at h e b eliev ed a

law y er rep resen t in g h im sh o u l d d o f o r h im , an d h ad h is b e st in terests at h eart, an d P ierce h ad

n o c o m p lain ts a t a l l a b o u t h is rep resen tatio n

. T h ere is n o in d icatio n in th e reco rd t h at

P ierce’s atto rn ey ’s p e rf

o r m a n ce w as d ef

icien t o r p rej u d icial to P ierce’s d ef en se. ¶1 6

. F in a l l y , P i e r c e a r g u e s th at h is g u ilty p lea sh o u ld b e v acated “in th e in terest o f
j u stice”; h o w ev e r, P ierce h as f ailed to p ro v e an y g ro u n d s f o r rev ersal. H is issu es are w ith o u t

m erit.

C O N C L U S IO N
¶1 7

. T h e circu it co u r

t d id n o t ab u se its d iscretio n in d en y i n g P ierce’s P C R m o tio n b ecau se

it w as su ccessiv e an d tim e-b arred

. P ierce f ailed to p r o v e a f

u n d am en tal-co n s t i t

ut i ona l -rig h ts

v io latio n to circu m v en t th e p ro ced u ral b ar. H is su b stan tiv e a rg u m en ts reg ard in g h is g u ilty

p lea an d c laim s o f

in e f f ectiv e assistan ce o f

co u n sel are also w ith o u t m erit. T h eref o re, w e

af f irm th e circu it co u rt’s d en ial.
¶1 8

. A F F IR M E D

. LEE, C .J., I R

V I N G A N D G R I F F I S , P

. J J

. , I S H E E , C A R L T O N , F A I R , WILSON, GREENLEE AND WESTBROOKS, JJ., CONCUR.

7