Opinion ID: 1722249
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The memorandum opinion declares:

Text: Defense counsel testified that the prosecutor and an assistant prosecutor had said they would probably not recommend more than a ten-year minimum. He relayed this exact information to the defendant. Defendant testified that the attorney did not use the word `probably'   . The prosecutor and an assistant denied any promise to defendant's attorney. Both said that only the prosecutor made minimum sentence recommendations, these were disclosed only in writing [to the judge], and they so informed defense counsel before the plea. The recommendation was for a 20-year minimum. The defendant was sentenced by the trial judge to serve 20 to 40 years. Defendant was represented at the trial level by a member of a Detroit law firm. Counsel's asserted familiarity with the procedures in the Recorder's Court and unfamiliarity with the differing practices in Washtenaw County may have been a source of the misunderstanding. The State Appellate Defender's Office was appointed to represent Hall on appeal, and moved to file a delayed motion to withdraw guilty plea which was supported by an affidavit prepared and signed by the lawyer who represented Hall when his plea was offered, stating: 4. That I then proceeded to negotiate with the prosecutor to see if I could have the defendant plea to assault with the intent to rob being armed. 5. That the assistant prosecutor Parker or Harper advised me that the prosecutor would not accept a plea to a lesser offense but there was a possibility of negotiating on the sentence. 6. That on or about April 4, 1973, I,   , attorney for Edward D. Hall met with the prosecutor and the assistant where the prosecutor stated that he would not recommend any more than ten (10) years as a minimum. 7. That on the day of sentencing, May 4, 1973 the judge showed me a recommendation by the prosecutor that the defendant receive a sentence of 20 to 40 years. 8. That I had told the defendant that the prosecutor said he would not recommend more than ten (10) years as a minimum. (Emphasis added.) At the hearing, defendant's lawyer testified:  A. Well, yes, I'd like to go back for a minute. Yes, I did. The prosecutor told me they would not give a reduced plea and I said, what about sentence, and it was my information that the prosecutor has to make a recommendation and he said, well, we'll recommend no more than ten as a minimum. I said, I'm not worried about the maximum, I'm worried about the minimum. And, this is what we talked about, what type of recommendation would be made in this particular case. And, I went then and I talked to my client. And, I said, there's a possibility  I don't know but the prosecutor  I said there's no assurance that this might happen because you don't get assurances like this. But, they said they probably wouldn't recommend any more than ten as a minimum. (Emphasis added.) [1] The prosecutor testified that he had never met with defendant's lawyer or discussed the matter with him and that [i]t's our office policy in any discussion with defense attorney that we'll not inform them and that goes for myself and my assistants as to what any recommendation will be on sentence to insure adherence to that policy. I do all the recommendations in writing myself. The chief assistant prosecutor testified that he recalled meeting defendant's lawyer, and that he made no promise regarding the sentence. He added that he told defendant's lawyer that you're not in Wayne County. I'm not allowed to make recommendations. I never make recommendations and just can't do it and won't do it. And, he said, what about your boss, and I said, he won't tell you about the recommendations before time. [2] The defendant's lawyer was aware of the prosecutor's actual recommendation for a minimum sentence of 20 years before the time of sentencing but nothing was said by him at the time of sentencing. [3] The circuit judge found that neither the prosecuting attorney nor any member of the prosecuting attorney's staff made any promises to counsel for the defendant to recommend a minimum sentence of ten years. He recounted the testimony of defendant's lawyer that the prosecutor and his chief assistant advised him that they  probably wouldn't recommend more than ten years and that this was repeated to Hall. [4] He pointed out that during the plea-taking colloquy Hall had answered negatively the question [h]ave any such promises or inducements been made to you? and affirmatively the question did he understand that if any promises or inducements have been made they are not binding on the court and that the court alone makes the sentencing decision? The circuit judge concluded: It should also be pointed out that the defendant has never claimed that he was innocent of the charge to which he pled guilty. Even if his attorney had advised him that the prosecuting attorney had said that he would only recommend ten years (and it should be remembered that defendant's counsel testified that he told his client that the prosecutor `probably' would make this recommendation), the sentence should stand as the sentencing judge should be able to rely on the record in accepting a plea and in imposing a sentence. (Emphasis added.)