Opinion ID: 2544685
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Procedural Matters: Waivers and Guilty Plea

Text: Allred was indicted on October 23, 2007, on the following charges alleged to have occurred on September 24, 2007: (1) first-degree premeditated murder of Michael Ruschak by shooting with a firearm; (2) first-degree premeditated murder of Tiffany Barwick by shooting with a firearm; (3) armed burglary of a dwelling while inflicting great bodily harm or death; (4) aggravated battery with a firearm (victim Eric Roberts) while inflicting great bodily harm or death; and (5) criminal mischief of a motor vehicle (Barwick's car). Then, on April 30, 2008, Allred entered written and oral guilty pleas to all charges. The trial court conducted a plea colloquy of the defendant and accepted the guilty plea, concluding as follows: The Court finds that you are an alert and an intelligent individual capable of exercising your best judgment, it's your decision to enter a plea of guilty to these offenses, [the plea] has been made freely and voluntarily after [your] having received advice from your attorney with whom you're satisfied, and a factual basis exist[s] for the pleas by your admission under oath. I'll accept the pleas. The next month, against the advice of counsel, Allred moved to waive his right to a jury in the penalty phase and to waive his right to be present during the proceedings. After determining that Allred understood the consequences of these waivers, the Court overruled the State's objection and granted Allred's requests. At the conclusion of an August 2008 pretrial hearing, Allred unexpectedly blurted out that he wanted to fire the public defender's office. The trial judge informed Allred that he would soon hold a hearing on this new request. At the September 4, 2008, hearing, Allred's counsel recited the facts that Allred had requested dismissal of counsel in August and subsequently had given counsel a written request for a hearing on the request to represent himself. Defense counsel explained that the parties still had witnesses to depose and evidence to prepare before the penalty phase could commence. The trial court explained to Allred that a complete record in the case was necessary for Supreme Court review. Thus, if the trial court found after a Faretta [1] hearing that Allred was capable of representing himself, the process would not speed upit would actually slow down. Allred acknowledged his understanding of this explanation and withdrew his request to represent himself [i]f [the proceedings] can be done soon. The parties agreed that they would work expeditiously.