Opinion ID: 1334246
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Rayford was indicted for three counts of distributing crack cocaine and three counts of distributing crack cocaine within the proximity of a school. Pursuant to negotiations made by public defender Robert Tinsley (Tinsley), Rayford pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing crack cocaine and was given concurrent fifteen year sentences on each charge. No direct appeal was taken. Rayford thereafter filed an application for post-conviction relief (PCR) claiming, among other things, that ineffective assistance of counsel rendered his guilty plea involuntarily and unintelligently made. At the PCR hearing, Rayford testified that public defender Robert Hall (Hall) was assigned to his case before Tinsley and had promised to recommend a lenient sentence under the Youthful Offender Act. [1] According to Rayford, Tinsley made the same representation, but did not recommend a youthful offender sentence at the plea hearing. Tinsley denied having told Rayford that he would recommend a youthful offender sentence and testified that the only agreement was for concurrent fifteen year sentences. Tinsley further testified that Rayford was told he was facing a fifteen year sentence. The PCR judge found Tinsley's testimony credible, but ruled that Hall was ineffective because Rayford purportedly based his plea on Hall's unfulfilled promise to recommend a youthful offender sentence. In accordance with that finding, the PCR judge vacated Rayford's guilty pleas and ordered a new trial.