Opinion ID: 847535
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: halbert

Text: In 1994, the voters of this state amended our Constitution to provide that an appeal by an accused who pleads guilty or nolo contendere shall be by leave of the court and not as of right. Const. 1963, art. 1, § 20. Thereafter, many trial court judges began to deny appointed appellate counsel to indigent defendants who had pleaded guilty. See Kowalski v. Tesmer, 543 U.S. 125, 125 S.Ct. 564, 160 L.Ed.2d 519 (2004). This Court upheld the constitutionality of this practice against challenges based on the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. People v. Harris, 470 Mich. 882, 681 N.W.2d 653 (2004); People v. Bulger, 462 Mich. 495, 614 N.W.2d 103 (2000). The Legislature also codified this practice of limiting the appointment of appellate counsel in guilty plea cases. M.C.L. § 770.3a. [3] However, in Halbert, the United States Supreme Court held, in a six to three decision, that the due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution require that counsel be appointed for defendants who have pleaded guilty and who seek to appeal their convictions to the Michigan Court of Appeals.