Case Name: PEOPLE v. FAIRFAX
Court: Michigan Court of Appeals
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1981-10-21
Citations: 110 Mich. App. 687
Docket Number: Docket No. 54639
Parties: PEOPLE v FAIRFAX
Judges: Before: Bashara, P.J., and J. H. Gillis and V. J. Brennan, JJ.
Reporter: Michigan appeals reports; cases decided in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Volume: 110
Pages: 687–692

Head Matter:
PEOPLE v FAIRFAX
Docket No. 54639.
Submitted September 16, 1981, at Detroit.
Decided October 21, 1981.
Ronald Fairfax pled guilty in Detroit Recorder’s Court to charges of armed robbery and violation of the felony-firearm statute. The pleas were accepted and defendant was sentenced, Clarence Laster, Jr., J. Defendant appeals, contending that there was an insufficient factual basis to support the two pleas. Held:
1. The record establishes an adequate factual basis for the armed robbery plea.
2. It is not clear whether the defendant possessed or aided and abetted in the possession of either of the two shotguns used in the robbery. The factual basis supporting the felony-firearm conviction is therefore deficient. The felony-firearm conviction must be reversed and the matter remanded in order to give the prosecutor an opportunity to establish a sufficient factual basis at a new hearing.
The armed robbery conviction is affirmed. The felony-firearm conviction is reversed and the matter is remanded for further proceedings.
V. J. Brennan, J., dissented. He would hold that the guilty plea transcript provides a sufficent factual basis from which an inculpatory inference could reasonably be drawn to sustain defendant’s voluntary plea of guilty to the felony-firearm charge either as a principal or as an aider and abettor. He would affirm both convictions.
Opinion of the Court
1. Criminal Law — Felony-Firearm — Aiders and Abettors — Statutes.
A conviction for aiding and abetting the commission of a separately charged crime of carrying or having a firearm in one’s possession during the commission of a felony requires that it be established that the defendant procured, counselled, aided, or abetted and thus assisted in obtaining the proscribed possession or in retaining such possession otherwise obtained (MCL 750.227b, 767.39; MSA 28.424[2], 28.979).
References for Points in Headnotes
[1, 3] 21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law § 167.
21 Am Jur 2d, Criminal Law §§ 470, 489.
Dissent by V. J. Brennan, J.
2. Criminal Law — Felony-Firearm — Guilty Pleas — Factual Basis for Plea.
It is unnecessary to remand a case for further proceedings on a felony-ñrearm charge where the defendant voluntarily pled guilty to the charge and the guilty plea transcript provides a sufficient factual basis from which an inculpatory inference can reasonably be drawn to sustain the plea.
3. Criminal Law — Aiders and Abettors.
The test for aiding and abetting is whether the accused in any way, directly or indirectly, aided the perpetrator by acts or encouraged him by words or gestures.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, William L. Cahalan, Prosecuting Attorney, Edward Reilly Wilson, Principal Attorney, Appeals, and William T. Morris, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, for the people.
Norman R. Robiner, for defendant on appeal.
Before: Bashara, P.J., and J. H. Gillis and V. J. Brennan, JJ.

Opinion:
Bashara, P.J.
Defendant appeals his plea-based convictions of armed robbery, MCL 750.529; MSA 28.797, and violation of the felony-firearm statute, MCL 750.227b; MSA 28.424(2).
Defendant alleges that there was an insufficient factual basis to support the two pleas presented at the hearing, GCR 1963, 785.7(3)(a). Specifically, defendant contends that only an attempted robbery was established, there being no indication that any property was actually taken before the police interrupted the robbery. The court asked the defendant, "Did the guy give some money over and the police come [sic] in just at that time?" Defendant answered, "Yes". The police interrupted the robbery after asportation of the money. Thus, the record establishes an adequate factual basis for the armed robbery plea. People v Royce Alexander, 17 Mich App 30; 169 NW2d 190 (1969).
However, we agree with defendant's assertion that the factual basis in support of the felony-firearm plea was deficient. The defendant stated that there were two shotguns used by the three robbers, but it is not clear whether the defendant possessed or aided and abetted in the possession of one of the shotguns. We have reviewed the transcript in light of People v Johnson, 411 Mich 50; 303 NW2d 442 (1981). In that case, the Court stated:
"To convict one of aiding and abetting the commission of a separately charged crime of carrying or having a firearm in one's possession during the commission of a felony, it must be established that the defendant procured, counselled, aided, or abetted and so assisted in obtaining the proscribed possession, or in retaining such possession otherwise obtained. See People v Doemer, 35 Mich App 149; 192 NW2d 330 (1971); People v Francis, 71 Cal 2d 66; 450 P2d 591; 75 Cal Rptr 199 (1969).
"In neither of the instant cases does the record show that the defendant assisted the accomplice to obtain or retain possession of the firearm which the accomplice possessed during the commission of the felony." Johnson, supra, 54.
The facts in the present case do not appear to be distinguishable from those presented in Johnson. Thus, the felony-firearm conviction must be reversed and the matter remanded in order that the prosecutor be given the opportunity to establish a sufficient factual basis at a new hearing. Guilty Plea Cases, 395 Mich 96, 129; 235 NW2d 132 (1975).
The armed robbery conviction is affirmed. The felony-firearm conviction is reversed and the matter is remanded for further proceedings. We do not retain jurisdiction.
J. H. Gillis, J., concurred.