Opinion ID: 2126069
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: issues

Text: Petitioner contends that he was not provided with adequate representation by his trial counsel who allegedly misinformed him as to the charge to which he was pleading guilty, and as to the time he would spend in prison. At the post conviction hearing, petitioner testified that he thought that he was pleading guilty to being an accessory after the fact of murder. Further, he stated that his attorney, James Flemming, had advised him that although he would receive a life sentence, he would be released from prison in ten years. James Flemming's testimony at the hearing was in direct contradiction to the petitioner's account, as was the record of the guilty plea hearing. Flemming testified that he explained the applicable statutes and penalties to the petitioner, as well as the plea agreement itself, and that in his opinion the petitioner understood that he was entering a plea of guilty to felony murder. With regard to the petitioner's sentence, Flemming testified: Then the question was raised, I think by Charles or myself, I don't recall, as to whether or not if Charles went from one life conviction, he would be eligible for parole, I didn't know the answer, I went back in the Judge's Chamber and I telephoned the Department of Corrections and they informed me, that there is no parole for a life sentence, but after ten years a person can go before the Clemency Commission Board, or whatever, I explained that to Charles, I told him that after ten years, he would be eligible to take his case before the Clemency Board and we talked then in terms of what he should do between now and then to convince that Board that he might be eligible at that time to get out and the plea bargain specified that, even though the other cases were still pending, as long as he was within the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections, there was nothing to prohibit that and we talked about in in terms of reversing his life I talked in terms of him being, someone who could do something between now and then and possibly in ten years the Clemency Board would consider him to be released and that is what we talked about. Q. Were there any promises made by you at that time with respect to when he would be released in anyway shape or form? A. I couldn't make any promises, I didn't know. Q. Now, during the proceedings itself, was alternately negotiated and agreed that he would enter a plea to Felony Murder? A. That was your offer, that was the offer that I gave him and that was eventually, the plea that was entered. Q. Now, I think there has been some confusion about the issue of Accessory or Aiding and Abetting in this case, relative to the Felony Murder case, did you have a conversation with him relative to Aiding, Abetting, and Accessory Before the Fact and Felony Murder. A. Yes. Q. Can you in sum and substance, tell us what that was? A. Well, the charge of Felony Murder, was the charge of killing Mrs. Fivecoate and the perpetration of a robbery, and the evidence that was going to be presented to this Court on the prima facie case, which the State is required to make, would have been that Ralph was the person that killed Mrs. Fivecoate and that Charles was an accessory to the robbery, that was the evidence as it went into this Court, that is what the record consists of, I explained to Charles as best that I could, that there are no differentiations between accessory and principle in the charging affidavit, the principle or the accessory are charged the same, but the evidence that came into this Court shows that he was not the person who killed Mrs. Fivecoate, it was Mr. Murphy and in that regard, he was an accessory to it and that is the evidence we talked about that would eventually go before the Board. In a post conviction hearing, the burden of proof rests with the petitioner to establish his grounds for relief by a preponderance of the evidence. Post Conviction Remedy Rule 1, § 5. The trial judge is the sole judge of the credibility of the witnesses and the weight of the evidence. His determination will be set aside only where it can be shown that the evidence is without conflict and leads unerringly to a result other than that reached by the trial court. Carroll v. State, (1976) Ind., 355 N.E.2d 408. The petitioner has failed to sustain his burden on any of the issues before us today. We therefore, find no error in the trial court's denial of his petition for post conviction relief. The judgment of the trial court is affirmed. GIVAN, C.J., and DeBRULER, HUNTER and PIVARNIK, JJ., concur.