Opinion ID: 1826001
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 14

Heading: Guilty Plea on Armed Robbery Charge

Text: Stephens asserts that counsel was ineffective for pleading Stephens guilty to the charge of armed robbery of Derrick Dixon, and later failing to file a motion to withdraw the plea. With regard to counsel pleading Stephens guilty, we have already held that Stephens fails to demonstrate that, but for counsel's error, Stephens would not have pled guilty and would have insisted on going to trial. Thus, Stephens fails to meet the prejudice prong of Strickland. With regard to failing to withdraw the plea, at the end of the State's case, counsel did make a motion to withdraw Stephens' guilty plea to the charge of armed robbery and amend the charge to attempted armed robbery. However, the trial court rejected the motion to withdraw because it was not the appropriate time to file such a motion because Stephens was not on trial for this robbery. Stephens, 787 So.2d at 755. Although counsel subsequently failed to file the motion to withdraw the guilty plea, Stephens fails to demonstrate that he was prejudiced. During the defense's case, Stephens admitted to robbing Derrick Dixon. He testified that he took $20 from Derrick Dixon, and when counsel asked him about Dixon's testimony that Stephens did not take anything from him, Stephens admitted that he did in fact take money from Dixon. Thus, Stephens fails to demonstrate that there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the trial would have been different had counsel moved to withdraw the guilty plea to the charge of armed robbery. Accordingly, the trial court properly denied relief on this claim.