Opinion ID: 2378197
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Trial Court Properly Addressed the Constitutionality of Sanchez-Martinez's Guilty Plea.

Text: Sanchez-Martinez is illiterate in both Spanish and English. His misunderstanding of the nature of the Rule 11 hearing indicates that he did not understand the most basic aspects of the United States' criminal justice system. Appearing pro se, he had no legal counsel to assist him in making the determination of whether to plead guilty or proceed to trial. The prosecution elicited testimony from Sanchez-Martinez that indicated: he was not advised of the constitutional rights he would waive by pleading guilty; he pleaded guilty because he mistakenly believed that failure to do so would automatically lead to his incarceration; and he could not understand the interpreter during the Rule 11 hearing. Sanchez-Martinez filed his Rule 35(c) motion within eighteen months of the date of conviction, as required by section 16-5-402(1). In light of the evidence, Magistrate Mole correctly undertook to examine whether Sanchez-Martinez's guilty plea was knowing, voluntary, and intelligent. Because a guilty plea affects many of a defendant's substantial rights, the trial court was permitted to address the issue. Crim. P. 52(b); see Boykin, 395 U.S. at 242, 89 S.Ct. 1709 (discussing the implications of a guilty plea); Mosley, 167 P.3d at 159; Kyler, 991 P.2d at 816 (listing important constitutional rights waived by defendant who pleads guilty); cf. Roberts, 144 P.3d at 550. Accordingly, we reverse the district court's holding to the contrary.