Case Name: PEOPLE v. HOLLMAN
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1968-06-28
Citations: 12 Mich. App. 231
Docket Number: Docket No. 2,663
Parties: PEOPLE v. HOLLMAN.
Judges: T. Gr. Kavanagh, J., concurred with Vander Wal, J.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 12
Pages: 231–241

Head Matter:
PEOPLE v. HOLLMAN.
Opinion op the Court.
1. Criminal Law — Plea op Guilty — Withdrawal op Plea.
The courts of this state have generally been sympathetic to criminal defendants who wish to withdraw their plea of guilty at any time before sentence, in order to protect the substantial constitutional rights of the defendants.
2. Same — Plea op Guilty — Withdrawal op Plea.
Permission to withdraw a plea of guilty to eharge of crime must be liberally granted where sentence has not been pronounced, where no trial has commenced and where the record shows circumstances that cast grave suspicion upon the veracity and voluntariness of the guilty plea.
References por Points in Headnotes
[1 — 3] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law §§ 504-506.
[4] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law § 219.
[5] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law § 485.
[6,7] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law §§ 504, 505.
[8] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law §§ 495, 504.
3. Same — Withdrawing Guilty Plea — Abuse of Discretion.
Trial court’s denial of motion by defendant to withdraw plea of guilty to crime of keeping and occupying a building for gambling purposes before sentence was pronounced held, an abuse of discretion where defendant had originally been charged, together with his wife, with conspiracy to promote a lottery, pleaded guilty to lesser charge, and prosecution against his wife was dismissed, and in motion defendant claimed that he was innocent but that his wife was too ill to stand trial (OL 1948, §§ 750.302, 750.372, 750.505).
4. Same — Jury Trial — Waiver of Eight.
The effect of defendant’s waiver of his right to a jury trial is nullified by a subsequent motion for trial by jury, made together with a motion to withdraw a plea of guilty before sentence is pronounced.
Dissenting Opinion.
Levin, J.
5. Criminal Law — Plea of Guilty — Voluntariness of Plea.
A fulfilled, as distinguished from an unfulfilled, promise of charge concession to a criminal defendant or his spouse does not affect the voluntariness of a guilty plea.
6. Same — Plea of Guilty — Withdrawal of Plea.
One seeking to withdraw a plea of guilty even before the pronouncement of sentence must give a persuasive reason why the withdrawal should be permitted.
7. Same — Plea of Guilty — Withdrawal of Plea.
Pressure on defendants is the essence of negotiated plea arrangements; therefore the presence of such pressure is not sufficient reason for allowing defendant to withdraw his plea and it was not a breach of discretion by a trial court to refuse to let him withdraw the plea.
8. Same — Significance of Guilty Plea.
If guilty pleas arc to be meaningful, they must, upon acceptance, be the equivalent of convictions; and the probable guilt or innocence of the defendant should be irrelevant on a motion to withdraw a guilty plea.
Appeal from Wayne, Burdick (Benjamin D.), J.
Submitted Division 1 April 5, 1968, at Detroit.
(Docket No. 2,663.)
Decided June 28, 1968.
Rehearing denied August 5, 1968.
Leave to appeal granted December 10, 1968.
See 381 Mich 791.
George A. Hollman was convicted on his plea of guilty of keeping and occupying a building for gambling purposes. Defendant appeals.
Reversed and remanded.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, Samuel H. Olsen, Prosecuting Attorney, Samuel J. Torina, Chief Appellate Lawyer, and Richard J. Padzieski, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for the people.
Miles A. Hurwits, for defendant on appeal.

Opinion:
Vandek Wal, J.
Defendant, his wife and others were charged with conspiracy to promote a lottery. On arraignment defendant filed a written waiver of his right to a jury trial and pleaded guilty to an added count of keeping and occupying a building for gambling purposes. The court accepted the plea of guilty after questioning the defendant to determine that the plea was voluntary and not induced by any promise of reward. At that time the court permitted the prosecuting attorney, with the concurrence of the Livonia police department, to dismiss the case as against Evelyn Hollman.
On the day defendant was to be sentenced his attorney made a motion to withdraw his plea of guilty in order to proceed with a full jury trial. The ground offered for the motion was that defendant was, in fact, innocent but had pleaded guilty at the behest of his wife who was allegedly too ill to withstand the pressures of a trial. The motion was denied, and defendant was found guilty of keeping and occupying a building for gambling purposes, placed on probation for one year, and fined $500 in costs.
Defendant appeals the denial of Ms motion to withdraw his plea of guilty and seeks an order for a trial on the merits.
In order to protect the substantial constitutional rights involved, the courts of this jurisdiction have generally been sympathetic to criminal defendants who wish to withdraw their plea of guilty at any time before sentence.
"It has been repeatedly held by this Court that a defendant in a criminal case may withdraw Ms plea of guilty at any time before sentence is imposed.
" 'We have no question that at any time before sentence the plea of guilty may be changed by the court to one of not guilty.' People v. Utter (1920), 209 Mich 214, 224.
" 'A considerate procedure of long recognition in this jurisdiction admits of withdrawal of a plea of guilty at any time before sentence.' People v. Piechowiak (1936), 278 Mich 550, 552.
" 'A plea of guilty may be withdrawn at any time before sentence.' People v. Wexner (1937), (syllabus) 280 Mich 696.
" 'The first question has been ruled upon by this court on two occasions recently, and it is now the settled rule in this State that a plea of guilty may be withdrawn at any time before sentence.' People v. Stone (1940), 293 Mich 658, 661.
" We are committed to the doctrine that a defendant may withdraw his plea at any time before sentence has been imposed.' People v. Vasques (1942), 303 Mich 340, 342." People v. Sheppard (1947), 316 Mich 665, 667, 668. See, also, People v. Hollingsworth (1953), 338 Mich 161, 163, 164, and People v. Anderson (1948), 321 Mich 533, 535, 536.
There is a sound policy argument behind the numerous cases permitting the withdrawal of a plea of guilty before sentence.
"The rationale behind these cases is apparent. The right to trial by jury in criminal cases is a substantial constitutional right, as are the attendant rights of confrontation, cross-examination, et cetera. "While these rights may be waived by the defendant, the law has erected many safeguards to protect him against his own ignorance, or folly, and against the pressures that might be applied by others. In the case in which the defendant has pleaded guilty, and then desires to avail himself of his constitutional guarantees, the law will not punish him for his indiscretion." People v. Banning (1950), 329 Mich 1, 7.
Permission to withdraw a plea of guilty must be liberally granted, especially where, as in the instant case, no trial has commenced and the record shows circumstances that cast grave suspicion upon the veracity and voluntariness of the guilty plea. "We hold that it was an abuse of discretion to deny defendant's motion to withdraw his plea of guilty.
The effect of defendant's waiver of his right to a jury trial was nullified by his subsequent motion for a trial by jury. At any time prior to trial and sentencing, courts must be patient with indecisive defendants concerning their basic constitutional right to a trial by jury.
The first count of the information was never dismissed.
Reversed and remanded for a full trial to determine defendant's guilt or innocence on both counts specified in the information.
T. Gr. Kavanagh, J., concurred with Vander Wal, J.
OL 1948, § 750.372, 750.505 (Stat Ann 1954 Eev § 28.604, 28.773).
CL 1948, § 750.302 (Stat Ann 1954 Eev § 28.534).