Case Name: GOLDEN v. THE STATE
Court: Court of Appeals of Georgia
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Decision Date: 1989-02-22
Citations: 190 Ga. App. 477
Docket Number: 77930
Parties: GOLDEN v. THE STATE.
Judges: Carley, C. J., McMurray, P. J., Birdsong, Pope, and Benham, JJ., concur. Deen, P. J., Banke, P. J., and Beasley, J., dissent.
Reporter: Georgia Appeals Reports
Volume: 190
Pages: 477–481

Head Matter:
77930.
GOLDEN v. THE STATE.
(379 SE2d 230)

Opinion:
Sognier, Judge.
Andre Alexis Golden pled guilty on December 22, 1987 to charges of robbery by force and armed robbery upon a negotiated plea and sentence arrangement. He did not move to withdraw his plea but instead appeals directly from the judgment entered on that plea.
The record reveals that appellant was represented by counsel and that the requirements set forth in Rules 33.7 and 33.8 of the Uniform Rules of Superior Courts were followed by the trial court in considering and accepting his plea. Although the trial court did not make a determination concerning the factual basis for appellant's plea, as urged by Rule 33.9 of the Uniform Rules for the Superior Courts, we have held that it is not necessary that a trial court affirmatively state on the record that it is satisfied that a factual basis for a defendant's guilty plea exists when the transcript presents evidence that the trial court was aware of the factual basis. Clark v. State, 186 Ga. App. 106, 107-108 (2) (366 SE2d 361) (1988). The plea hearing transcript contains the district attorney's summary of the evidence the State was prepared to present at appellant's trial. The summary showed on the robbery by force charge that appellant and Frank Washington accosted Kim Kelsey and forcibly removed sixteen dollars from Kelsey's possession. Kelsey was able to name both appellant and Washington and describe them because he had previously attended high school with them. On the armed robbery charge, the summary showed that a lone gunman, later identified as Lawrence Williams, entered the rear of a fast food restaurant by giving appellant's first name. Williams took a bank bag containing approximately two hundred and sixty dollars from the night manager and a restaurant employee. Police investigation revealed that Williams had been in the company of appellant and Washington and that both appellant and Washington had previously been employed at the restaurant. Williams subsequently turned himself in to the police and gave a complete statement outlining not only his participation in the robbery but appellant's and Washington's as well. Upon his arrest, Washington also gave a complete statement detailing his participation and that of appellant and Williams. Although appellant denied involvement in the armed robbery, neither of the two acquaintances he claimed he was with at the relevant times corroborated his alibi.
On appeal, appellant does not challenge the validity of the guilty plea, and our review of the transcripts to the hearing included in the record on appeal, see Rule 33.11 of the Uniform Rules of Superior Courts, reveals that appellant made a knowing and intelligent plea of guilty. Rather, appellant asserts he was innocent of the crimes because he was not present at the fast food restaurant when it was robbed, that he did not have a gun, and that he did not drive the getaway car. Appellant also asserts that he was drunk at the time of the crime, that Williams would testify that appellant was asleep at the time of the crime, and that the district attorney was lying about other crimes, prosecutions of which were dropped as part of the negotiations. Appellant asserted his innocence at the time he entered his plea of guilty and the plea hearing transcript reveals that the trial court inquired into and sought to resolve the conflict between appellant's claim of innocence and the plea he was entering. "Of course, an accused may plead guilty while claiming his innocence if he intelligently concludes his interests are served, and if the record strongly evidences guilt. [Cit.]" Minchey v. State, 155 Ga. App. 632, 633 (1) (271 SE2d 885) (1980). The transcript reveals that appellant pled guilty in a manner the constitutionality of which was sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the United States in North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U. S. 25 (91 SC 160, 27 LE2d 162) (1970). See Clark, supra. Thus, the trial court's acceptance of appellant's guilty plea after appellant claimed he was innocent was not error and we find no merit in appellant's evidentiary assertions contrary to the plea he entered.
Judgment affirmed.
Carley, C. J., McMurray, P. J., Birdsong, Pope, and Benham, JJ., concur. Deen, P. J., Banke, P. J., and Beasley, J., dissent.