Opinion ID: 1844067
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: moss' conviction

Text: Initially, Moss entered his not guilty plea to the charge of escape, a Class III felony. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-912 (Reissue 1989). On December 15, 1988, pursuant to a plea agreement, Moss pled guilty to the amended charge of failure to appear before the court which had authorized Moss' release from custody on his personal recognizance, that is, a violation of Neb. Rev.Stat. § 29-908 (Reissue 1989), which states in part: Whoever is charged with a felony and is released from custody under bail, recognizance, or a conditioned release and willfully fails to appear before the court granting such release when legally required or to surrender himself within three days thereafter, shall be guilty of a Class IV felony, in addition to any other penalties or forfeitures provided by law. In exchange for Moss' guilty plea to the charge of failure to appear, the State agreed not to seek enhanced punishment for Moss pursuant to Nebraska's habitual criminal statute. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 29-2221 (Reissue 1989). Before the court accepted Moss' plea, the court informed Moss concerning the nature of the charge against him and explained Moss' rights in accordance with the requisites of State v. Irish, 223 Neb. 814, 394 N.W.2d 879 (1986) (information and admonition prerequisite to a defendant's valid plea of guilty or nolo contendere). The court also interrogated Moss and established that Moss understood the information required by Irish, including the possible penalty for a conviction for failure to appear. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105(1) (Reissue 1985) (penalty for a Class IV felony). Additionally, the district court inquired into Moss' understanding of the plea agreement under which Moss was entering his plea of guilty. The State offered a factual basis which established that Moss had twice been convicted of being an accessory to commission of a felony and that, on January 14, 1988, he was sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment on each of those convictions, with sentences to be served concurrently. However, on the convictions for being an accessory to commission of a felony and at Moss' request, the district court had suspended execution of the sentences to allow Moss' attendance at an inpatient alcohol rehabilitation program and ordered Moss to [r]eport to the Sheriff of Richardson County for delivery to the Department of Corrections on May 1, 1988, to begin serving the sentences imposed on January 14. Although Neb.Rev.Stat. § 29-2202 (Reissue 1989) allows a court to suspend execution of a sentence for 90 days after imposition of sentence, none questions the period of suspension in Moss' case. Moss was released on his own recognizance, presumably for the rehabilitation program, but failed to present himself to the sheriff of Richardson County on May 1, 1988, in accordance with the court's January 14 order. On May 4, 1988, Moss was charged with escape, and a warrant was issued for his arrest on that charge. Subsequently, Moss was arrested in the State of Utah and was returned to Richardson County, Nebraska. Moss did not contest or complain about any aspect of the factual information which the State presented as a basis for the failure to appear charge against him. The court accepted Moss' guilty plea to the charge of failure to appear and found Moss guilty as charged. At the sentence hearing, Moss contended that the January 14, 1988, order, which required him to report to the Richardson County sheriff on May 1, 1988, was confusing, and accordingly, Moss requested that the court consider his confusion as a factor affecting any sentence to be imposed. Specifically, Moss stated that the language regarding suspending his sentence until May 1 led him to believe that he needed to commit another crime or something to violate a suspended sentence. However, after extensive questioning by the district court concerning Moss' understanding of the order entered on January 14, Moss stated: Well, I understand I was supposed to be back the first of May. I understand that part of it, Your Honor. The court thereafter sentenced Moss to imprisonment for 20 to 60 months, to be served concurrently with the sentences previously imposed for Moss' two felony convictions as an accessory to commission of a felony. On direct appeal to this court, Moss' sole assignment of error was excessiveness of the sentences imposed. However, this court affirmed Moss' convictions and sentences. See State v. Moss, 233 Neb. xxxi (case No. 89-669, Nov. 9, 1989).