Opinion ID: 2189074
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: white's convictions

Text: Initially, White pled not guilty to five felonies charged in the State's information filed on December 18, 1984, namely, attempted second degree murder, first degree assault, attempted robbery, use of a knife to commit a felony, and burglary. On February 22, 1985, the district court granted White leave to withdraw his not guilty plea to the attempted robbery charge and, pursuant to a plea arrangement, enter nolo contendere pleas on February 22, 1985, to the charges in the amended information, namely, attempted robbery, a Class III felony, and accessory to first degree assault, a Class IV felony. See Neb.Rev.Stat. §§ 28-201 (attempt), 28-324 (robbery), 28-308 (first degree assault), and 28-204 (accessory) (Reissue 1989). Before the court accepted White's pleas, the State offered a factual basis which established that White and Clinton Turner entered Benny AcFalle's furnished apartment at 2 a.m. After the pair pulled Ac-Falle out of bed and kicked him, White held a knife to AcFalle's face while Turner held a revolver to AcFalle's head and stated: A thousand dollars or your valuables. Turner also asked AcFalle where he had parked his car and placed his car keys. Turner then shot AcFalle in the head, resulting in AcFalle's blindness. Turner and White left AcFalle's apartment, but did not remove AcFalle's possessions from his apartment or take his car. After this incident, White drove Turner back to their residence and, in a vehicle, hid the revolver which Turner had used to shoot AcFalle. White did not contest or complain about any aspect of the factual information which the State presented as a basis for the charges against White. Before the county attorney had rendered the preceding factual account, the district court informed White concerning the nature of the charges against him; his rights to assistance of counsel, confrontation, and a jury trial; and his privilege against selfincrimination, and the court examined White to determine his understanding of these rights. The court explained that the possible penalty for conviction of attempted robbery, a Class III felony, is a minimum of one year imprisonment up to a maximum of 20 years or a fine of $25,000, or both, but neglected to mention possible penalties for conviction of accessory to first degree assault, a Class IV felony, which is punishable by imprisonment for a maximum term of 5 years, a $10,000 fine, or both such imprisonment and fine, with no expressed minimum term of imprisonment. See Neb.Rev.Stat. § 28-105(1) (Reissue 1985). The court accepted White's nolo contendere pleas to attempted robbery and the assault charge, found White guilty as charged, dismissed the remaining four felony counts stated in the original information, and ordered a presentence investigation. Between entry of White's nolo contendere pleas on February 22, 1985, and his sentence hearing on March 25, 1985, Turner was tried on a six-count information which included an attempted robbery charge for the incident involving White at the AcFalle apartment. During Turner's trial, the court, on its own motion, dismissed the attempted robbery charge, but a jury convicted Turner on the remaining charges of attempted second degree murder, first degree assault, burglary, and use of a dangerous weapon to commit a felony, all of which coincided with the charges levied against White in the State's initial information filed on December 18, 1984, concerning the AcFalle incident. At White's sentence hearing, before imposition of sentences, the sentencing judge, who was the presiding judge in Turner's trial, commented to White and counsel, that is, White's lawyer and the county attorney, that certain facts came to light with respect to the charge of attempted robbery in Turner's trial and that a probable defense to the charge of attempted robbery [existed] that Mr. White could raise if he chose to do so ... based on the statement of facts given by the county attorney, that no property was taken incident to an attempted robbery. Nevertheless, White chose to stand on his previously entered nolo contendere pleas, proceeded to sentencing, and directed that his lawyer inform the court that White declined to withdraw his pleas notwithstanding that [White] maintains his innocence of any charges because of the risk of prosecution of charges in addition to those to which he entered a plea of no contest. The court then sentenced White to terms of imprisonment of 6 to 15 years on the attempted robbery conviction and 18 months to 5 years on the accessory to first degree assault conviction. The sentence on the assault charge was consecutive to the sentence on the attempted robbery conviction. On his direct appeal to this court alleging only excessiveness of sentence. White's convictions were summarily affirmed. See 220 Neb. xxvi (case No. 85-283, July 24, 1985).