Opinion ID: 889705
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Whether the District Court erred when it denied Valdez-Mendoza's motion to withdraw his guilty plea.

Text: ¶ 14 A district court may allow a defendant to withdraw a guilty plea for good cause. Section 46-16-105(2), MCA; State v. McFarlane, 2008 MT 18, ¶ 11, 341 Mont. 166, 176 P.3d 1057. Good cause includes involuntariness, but may exist for other reasons as well. State v. Warclub, 2005 MT 149, ¶ 16, 327 Mont. 352, 114 P.3d 254. Ineffective assistance of counsel can constitute good cause to withdraw a guilty plea. McFarlane, ¶ 11. Additionally, discovery of new evidence can constitute good cause to allow a defendant to withdraw a guilty plea. Tyler, ¶ 12. On the other hand, a post-plea change in the law does not necessarily constitute good cause to withdraw a plea of guilty. State v. Andrews, 2010 MT 154, ¶ 15, 357 Mont. 52, 236 P.3d 574; State v. Ferris, 2010 MT 252, ¶ 9, 358 Mont. 244, 244 P.3d 732. ¶ 15 In the case at hand, the gravamen of Valdez-Mendoza's claim is that his plea was not voluntary. He asserts that he was induced to plead guilty by Copenhaver's assessment of whether he would receive a fair trial; that the jury would not believe him, because of who I am. We conclude that Valdez-Mendoza had good cause to withdraw his guilty plea. It is uncontested that Copenhaver believed Valdez-Mendoza could not get a fair trial in Roundup. She shared this belief with Valdez-Mendoza on numerous occasions, including the day he pled guilty. Copenhaver testified that her belief was based on nothing more than personal perceptions of racial dynamics and conversations with some friends who worked in Roundup. Furthermore, Copenhaver testified she made no attempt to assuage Valdez-Mendoza's fear of an unfair trial, because to an extent she agreed with him. Taken together, these facts establish good cause to allow Valdez-Mendoza to withdraw his guilty plea. ¶ 16 There is a clear distinction between advising a client that they cannot or are unlikely to prevail at trial, and telling a client that they cannot receive a fair trial based on race or ethnicity. The former properly falls within defense counsel's duty to their client. State v. Thee, 2001 MT 294, ¶ 13, 307 Mont. 450, 37 P.3d 741 ( overruled on other grounds, Whitlow v. State, 2008 MT 140, ¶ 18, 343 Mont. 90, 183 P.3d 861). (Counsel's candid assessment of legal circumstances may have caused anxiety or pain, but did not induce defendant to plead guilty, as counsel had a duty to inform client of the elements of the offense, the possible punishment, and advisability of a plea agreement.) The latter, on the other hand, constitutes a misrepresentation, essentially informing a defendant that they are not entitled to either an impartial jury or the presumption of innocence as guaranteed by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, and Article II, § 24 of the Montana Constitution. ¶ 17 Valdez-Mendoza's conviction is reversed. We remand to the District Court with an order to grant Valdez-Mendoza's motion to withdraw his plea of guilty to sexual assault. We concur: MICHAEL E. WHEAT, BETH BAKER and BRIAN MORRIS, JJ.