Case Name: Dwight L. LOTT, JR. v. STATE of Mississippi
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 1992-04-08
Citations: 597 So. 2d 627
Docket Number: No. 89-KP-0525
Parties: Dwight L. LOTT, JR. v. STATE of Mississippi.
Judges: ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER and PITTMAN, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 597
Pages: 627–640

Head Matter:
Dwight L. LOTT, JR. v. STATE of Mississippi.
No. 89-KP-0525.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
April 8, 1992.
Dwight L. Lott, Jr., pro se.
Michael C. Moore, Atty. Gen., Jo Anne M. McLeod, Sp. Asst. Atty. Gen., Jackson, for appellee.

Opinion:
McRAE, Justice,
for the Court:
I.
Dwight L. Lott, Jr., presently incarcerated in the Mississippi State Penitentiary, appeals from an order issued by the Circuit Court of Pearl River County on March 27, 1989, summarily denying his "Motion to Vacate Judgment and Conviction." He presents four issues for our review and decision. Only one merits discussion:
Did the court err in accepting his plea of guilty to the charge of murder because there was no factual basis of his guilt?
Finding that Lott's guilty plea was entered knowingly, voluntarily and founded upon an adequate factual basis, we affirm the decision of the Circuit Court.
II.
A. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On May 5, 1988, after the State reduced the charge from murder as an habitual offender to murder, Lott entered a plea of guilty to murder less than capital in the death of Wendell Champagne, Jr. Thereafter, he was sentenced to serve a term of life imprisonment in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The life sentence was to begin after Lott completed the sentences he was serving at the time of his plea.
On February 14,1989, Lott filed a motion to vacate his plea of guilty on several grounds including the ground that there was no factual basis underlying the plea. He contends that his admissions amounted to guilt of nothing greater than manslaughter and that no other evidence of guilt was produced.
On March 28, 1989, the Circuit Court issued an order summarily denying post-conviction relief. After examining the record, the judge found as a fact "the movant did, in fact, freely, voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently [enter] his plea of guilty to the charge of Murder and that the case of Reynolds v. State, 521 So.2d 914 (Miss.1988) is controlling in this in stance." The court concluded by stating that Lott was not entitled to any relief.
B. FACTS
On November 1, 1987, Lott and Wendell Champagne, Jr., began arguing while drinking at Champagne's house. Champagne grabbed a gun and the two fought over it. In the ensuing altercation, Lott ended up with the weapon and threw Champagne down a flight of stairs. Lott, brandishing a loaded gun, followed him to the bottom of the steps where they continued their brawl.
Lott repelled Champagne by hitting him with the butt of the gun. After hitting Champagne twice, he laid the gun aside. Champagne continued to pull himself up and fight. Each time Lott knocked him down again.
Champagne started across the parking lot to his truck. Lott, who thought that Champagne had a gun in his truck, positioned himself between Champagne and the truck. The two continued to fight. Eventually, Champagne was rendered semi-conscious. Lott then "passed out or went to sleep." He awakened an hour or two later and left without rendering any assistance, even though Champagne was moaning and Lott knew that he was "severely injured."
III.
This Court held in Sanders v. State, 440 So.2d 278, 283 (Miss.1983), citing North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 91 S.Ct. 160, 27 L.Ed.2d 162 (1970), that "[wjhere a plea of guilty has been intelligently and voluntarily entered, it is sufficient to un-dergird an unassailable final judgment of conviction."
There is nothing in the record to suggest that Lott was offered any hopes of reward for entering his plea of guilty, or that he was coerced, threatened or intimidated into making it. To the contrary, the circuit court interrogated Lott thoroughly and carefully explained to him the full gamut of constitutional protections available to him as well as the ramifications of entering a guilty plea. See, Sanders, 440 So.2d at 288. As mandated by Rule 3.03(2), Miss. Unif.Crim.R.Cir.Ct.Prac. (1990), a showing that the guilty plea was, indeed, made knowingly and voluntarily appears in the record. It indicates that the Circuit Judge followed to the letter the suggestions we made in Garlotte v. State, 530 So.2d 693, 694 (Miss.1988) regarding the appropriate use of the summary disposition provision of Miss.Code Ann. § 99-39-11 (1972 and Supp.1990).
As this Court recently observed in Corley v. State, 585 So.2d 765, 766 (Miss.1991), "[o]ur focus is sharpened when we realize no law requires the accused admit his guilt before the court may accept his plea." In Reynolds v. State, 521 So.2d 914, 917 (Miss.1988), relying on Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 38-39, 91 S.Ct. 160, 167-68, 27 L.Ed.2d 162, 171-172 (1970), we held that "admission of guilt is not a constitutional requisite of an enforceable plea."
We recognize, however, that a factual basis is an "essential part of the constitutionally valid and enforceable decision to plead guilty." Reynolds, 521 So.2d at 915. This factual basis cannot simply be implied from the fact that the defendant entered a plea of guilty. United States v. Briggs, 920 F.2d 287, 293 (5th Cir.1991). Rather, there must be an evidentiary foundation in the record which is "sufficiently specific to allow the court to determine that the defendant's conduct was within the ambit of that defined as criminal." United States v. Oberski, 734 F.2d 1030, 1031 (5th Cir.1984). Unless courts are satisfied that such a factual basis exists, they are admonished not to enter judgment on a plea of guilty. McCarthy v. United States, 394 U.S. 459, 89 S.Ct. 1166, 22 L.Ed.2d 418 (1969); United States v. Briggs, 920 F.2d 287, 293 (5th Cir.1991); United States v. Oberski, 734 F.2d 1030 (5th Cir.1984); United States v. Davila, 698 F.2d 715, 717 (5th Cir.1983); United States v. Jack, 686 F.2d 226 (5th Cir.1982). See also, United States v. Montoya-Camacho, 644 F.2d 480, 485 (5th Cir.1981) and United States v. Dayton, 604 F.2d 931, 938 (5th Cir.1979) (en banc).
Even though Lott did not admit outright that the killing of his victim was malicious, we find, based on the evidence, that there was a more than adequate factual basis for the circuit court to accept his guilty plea. See, Reynolds, 521 So.2d at 917; Houston v. State, 461 So.2d 720 (Miss.1984); Russell v. State, 428 So.2d 131, on remand, 428 So.2d 136 (Ala.1982); United States v. Gaskins, 485 F.2d 1046, 1048 (D.C.Cir.1973); North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 36-39, 91 S.Ct. 160, 167-68, 27 L.Ed.2d 162, 171-172 (1970). We think the record speaks for itself.
Q. [BY THE COURT]: Now, Dwight, on the first day of November, 1987, are you telling me under oath that you did commit the crime of Murder, and that is, you did with malice aforethought, feloniously, and without authority of law kill and murder one Wendell Champagne, Sr., here in Pearl River County, Mississippi.
A. Yes, sir.
Q. All right. Now, Dwight, you-all were at Mr. Champagne's house; is that correct?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And, like I told you, your attorneys have prepared a defense in this matter. And through the motions, I would presume that the possible defense could have been self defense. I'm assuming that from the criteria of the motion. Do you understand thoroughly the doctrine of self defense; do you not?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Now, do you understand by my accepting your plea of guilty to this crime of Murder, you are waiving having the defense of self defense; Do you understand that?
A. Yes, sir.
*
Q. Now, Dwight, do you understand what "feloniously" and "willfully" and "with malice aforethought", do you understand that legalistic language?
A. I think I do.
Q. All right. Well, let's be sure. On the time that this incident occurred, to have self defense Mr. Champagne would have either done something to put you in fear of great bodily harm or possible death. And then you would have had the right to defend yourself at that time. That would be the defense of self defense. Do you understand?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Did he do anything like that?
A. He did at one moment, but I guess the situation changed, though. *
Q. All right. Now, when he got hold of the gun and you got hold of the gun too, who ended up with the gun?
A. I did.
Q. Now, when you ended up with the gun, where was he?
A. He — I threw him down a flight of stairs. And I went down after him with the gun.
Q. Let me ask you this: When you threw him down a flight of stairs, did that injure him?
A. Yes, sir, I guess it did. And I hit him with the gun.
Q. All right. Well, let me ask you this: When he was at the bottom of the steps, were you still at the top of the steps?
A. No, sir. I went down the steps behind him.
*
Q. And at that point in time, you were right behind him with a gun; is that right?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Now, you hit him with the gun?
A. Yes sir
Q. Was the gun loaded?
A. Yes, sir
Q. Did he try to stand up at that time or is he still on the ground?
A. I hit him once and he got up and I hit him again. I hit him twice with the gun.
Q. All right. Then what happened?
A. He — I laid the gun down and he got up again. And I went at him with my fist.
Q. What happened then?
A. I kept knocking him down, telling him to stay down. I had him between my legs and kept hitting him with my fist.
Q. All right. What happened then?
A. Well, we fought all the way out to maybe ten foot fro the truck. And he finally stayed down. And I walked over and sat down under the camp at one of the stilts and watched him for probably fifteen minutes.
Q. Okay, And then what happened?
A. Well, I either passed out or went to sleep. I woke up an hour or two later. I walked upstairs with the gun, laid it up there on the rail. Walked down and got in my vehicle and left.
#!
A. . After I hit him the second time, he got up and I hit him right here (indicating) the first time. He started to get up again, and I hit him in the face with the butt of the gun. I thought he was down for good. I walked back to the stairs, and I laid the rifle down. And looked and he was getting up again, so I ran over there and got him between my legs and started hitting him with my fist before he could get up. And then we fought from that spot out to the truck out there where we was at.
Q. But you were on him at that point?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. When you say "fought" you meant you hit him until he stopped moving.
A. Yes.

Q. All right. From that point that Mr. Garraway has just gotten the truck out, that's when he never did resist any further as far as—
A. Right.
Q. And then you continued to beat him at that point?
MR. DUCKER: [Defense Counsel]: You finished him off after he had really submitted, did you not, Dwight?
THE DEFENDANT: Right
THE COURT: (continuing)
Q. That's what I'm trying to get to. You understand, Dwight, when we go into this self defense, nobody wants you or anybody else to plead guilty to something you're not guilty of. That if it was self defense all the way through and he just died of injuries inflicted in self defense, then you would not be guilty of murder. Do you understand that?
A. Yes, sir.
the self defense ended and you continued to strike him, or we don't have murder. Do you understand that? Q. But we have to reach a point that
Yes, sir. -⅜
All right. Did that happen? That's what I'm asking you. o>
A. I had — I guess I overdid it, Judge. I just kept, you know, I wanted him to stay down because I thought that the pistol was in the truck and he was headed in that direction. And I was knocking and knocking him trying to keep him down.
* # # *
If I understand it then, what we're saying is that the last part of the situation, he really was not in any position to fight back? o*
A. Well, I kit him until he stayed still, Judge.
That's what I mean. At some point, you could have quit and accomplished the same purpose? <©
MR. DUCKER: When you knew he was down, you popped him another time or two; didn't you, Dwight?
THE DEFENDANT: Yes, sir.
MR. McDONALD: I think that was what he was talking about a minute ago, Judge, when he said he overdid it.
Accordingly, we concur with the Circuit Court's determination that Lott's claim that his plea of guilty was not made knowingly and intelligently and was devoid of a factual basis is without merit. Lott's motion to vacate his guilty plea without the benefit of an evidentiary hearing was properly denied. We therefore affirm the judgment of the lower court.
LOWER COURT'S DENIAL OF MOTION TO VACATE GUILTY PLEA AFFIRMED.
ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and PRATHER and PITTMAN, JJ., concur.
BANKS, ROBERTSON and SULLIVAN, JJ., dissent.