Opinion ID: 2251275
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Acceptance of Guilty Plea

Text: Petitioner argues that his guilty plea was not made voluntarily because he initially protested his innocence and then admitted the allegations solely for the purpose of permitting the court to accept his plea. He maintains that the trial court should have rejected his guilty plea and resumed the trial when he protested his innocence. Frazier initially pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him. The State's case in chief was interrupted by plea negotiations and then a guilty plea hearing was held. The State agreed to dismiss the attempted battery charge in exchange for Frazier's guilty plea to the remaining counts. The agreement further recited that the entry of his/her guilty plea pursuant to this agreement ... constitutes an admission of the truth of all facts alleged in the information to which he/she pleads guilty... The trial court prefaced the guilty plea hearing by advising Frazier that the trial could resume and defendant stated that he understood. Petitioner stated that he understood the terms of the plea agreement and the counts to which he intended to plead guilty. Before reading the informations to the defendant the court advised him that it could not accept his guilty plea unless the facts presented in the counts were true. Defendant stated that he understood. The court read the informations and then repeated that it could not accept his plea unless the facts presented in the information were true. Defendant stated that he accepted the plea agreement but that all of the facts were not true: he did not commit all the acts for which he was charged but wanted to accept the plea agreement as it was deemed best for his future. The judge told him that she would not accept a guilty plea on that basis. Frazier responded that the facts presented were correct. The State presented a factual basis for the counts. The court then gave Frazier an opportunity to comment upon the facts presented. Defense counsel told the court that a factual discrepancy existed: his client admitted he attempted to take something from the intended victim of the attempted robbery but that the object was not the necklace which was alleged in the information. The defendant did not have any other comment and told the court that he still wished to plead guilty and still wanted the court to accept the plea agreement. Then court then recounted the specific terms of the plea agreement and inquired one more time whether defendant still wished to plead guilty; he responded affirmatively. The court then accepted the plea agreement and defendant's guilty plea. Throughout the entire guilty plea hearing the trial court repeatedly advised defendant that the trial could be resumed. A judge may not accept a plea of guilty when the defendant both pleads guilty and maintains his innocence. Ross v. State (1983), Ind., 456 N.E.2d 420. Although defendant initially protested his innocence, the court did not enter a judgment upon his guilty plea until after an examination of the defendant and the presentation of a factual basis for his plea, to which he assented. Ind. Code § 35-35-1-3(b). We conclude that the trial court properly accepted appellant's plea.