Case Name: Linda JONES v. STATE of Mississippi
Court: Mississippi Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Decision Date: 2008-01-10
Citations: 972 So. 2d 579
Docket Number: No. 2007-KM-00344-SCT
Parties: Linda JONES v. STATE of Mississippi.
Judges: Before WALLER, P.J., DICKINSON and LAMAR, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 972
Pages: 579–582

Head Matter:
Linda JONES v. STATE of Mississippi.
No. 2007-KM-00344-SCT.
Supreme Court of Mississippi.
Jan. 10, 2008.
David M. Holly, Greenwood, attorney for appellant.
Office of the Attorney General by Billy L. Gore, attorney for appellee.
Before WALLER, P.J., DICKINSON and LAMAR, JJ.

Opinion:
WALLER, Presiding Justice,
for the Court.
¶ 1. Aggrieved by the circuit court's dismissal of her appeal from a guilty-plea-eonviction in justice court for first-offense DUI and careless driving, Linda Jones seeks review by this Court. We reverse and remand, finding the Circuit Court of Tunica County was in error for failing to allow a trial de novo.
DISCUSSION
¶ 2. Jones's claim of error is that the circuit court abused its discretion by denying her the right to a trial de novo after conviction in a justice court, a claim which is not disputed by the State. The right to appeal from any conviction of a criminal offense from justice court is provided under Section 99-35-1 of the Mississippi Code Annotated (Rev.2007). The statute makes no exception as to appeals with the inclusive language, "[i]n all cases of conviction of a criminal offense." Id. The statute does not differentiate based upon the manner of conviction, plea or trial, and we are constrained from doing so. Further, the mandatory language within the statute, "[o]n appearance of the appellant in the circuit court the case shall be tried anew" precludes dismissal of an appeal by the circuit court. Id. (Emphasis added).
II3. Though this Court has not spoken to this issue in sixty years, we uniformly and consistently have held that any defendant who has been convicted of a criminal offense in a justice court may appeal even though he or she pleaded guilty. Neblett v. State, 75 Miss. 105, 21 So. 799 (1897). A convicted defendant, although he may have pleaded guilty, may take an appeal to circuit or county court and be granted a trial de novo. Little v. Wilson, 189 Miss. 825, 199 So. 72, 73 (1940). Pleading guilty in justice court does not estop a defendant from appealing to the circuit court. Ball v. State, 202 Miss. 405, 32 So.2d 195, 196 (1947).
¶ 4. The dissent makes note that there is nothing in the record to show that Jones's plea was not voluntarily and knowingly made. However, the record must affirmatively show that the plea was voluntary and knowingly made. Boykin v. Ala., 395 U.S. 238, 239-42, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 1710-12, 23 L.Ed.2d 274, 277-79 (1969) (error to accept a guilty plea on a silent record without any showing that the plea was intelligent and voluntary). The absence of proof is no proof.
¶ 5. Unlike circuit and county courts, stenographic notes of justice court proceedings are not required. See Miss.Code Ann. § 9-13-1 to 9-13-63 (Rev.2002). In this case, there is no transcript or record of any plea colloquy between Jones and the justice court to review constitutional safeguards required for pleas. See Dock v. State, 802 So.2d 1051, 1054-56 (Miss.2001) (citing Boykin, 395 U.S. at 239-42, 89 S.Ct. 1709). The appellate record contains only a few documents, including the intoxilyzer test, the ticket/affidavit, the waiver of attorney form, and order adjudicating guilt.
¶ 6. Regardless, statutory authority mandates that Jones's appeal to the circuit court be tried de novo. See Miss.Code Ann. § 99-35-1 (Rev.2007).
CONCLUSION
¶ 7. We reverse the judgment of the circuit court dismissing Jones's appeal and remand this case to the Circuit Court of Tunica County for a trial de novo on the merits.
¶ 8. REVERSED AND REMANDED.
DIAZ, P.J., CARLSON, GRAVES, DICKINSON, RANDOLPH AND LAMAR, JJ., CONCUR. EASLEY, J., DISSENTS WITH SEPARATE WRITTEN OPINION JOINED BY SMITH, C.J.
. Jones was fined $758.50, sentenced to forty-eight hours in jail (which were suspended), placed on eleven months, twenty-eight days probation, and ordered to attend Mississippi Alcohol Safety Education Program.
. See also Rule 12.02(c) of the Uniform Circuit and County Court Rules.