Opinion ID: 1243322
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Right to Waive Appeal

Text: A capital defendant may waive the right to general appellate review. State v. Torrence, 317 S.C. 45, 451 S.E.2d 883 (1994) (Torrence II). However, this right is limited to competent individuals whose decision is knowing and voluntary. Id. Appellate counsel argues this Court should not allow Passaro to waive his right to general appellate review. Appellate counsel bases this argument on the theory that Passaro, who pled guilty to capital murder and then waived mitigation at the penalty phase, should not be allowed to prevent review of his conviction and sentence by waiving appellate review. To do so, counsel insists, is little more than governmentassisted suicide. [9] Our decisions in Torrence II and State v. Torrence, 322 S.C. 475, 473 S.E.2d 703 (1996) (Torrence III), permit an individual to waive general appellate review of a death penalty conviction. Appellate counsel suggests the distinction between the Torrence line of cases and the instant case is our affirming Torrence's underlying conviction in our initial review of the case. See State v. Torrence, 305 S.C. 45, 406 S.E.2d 315 (1991) (Torrence I) (affirming conviction, but reversing the sentence of death and remanding for new sentencing proceeding). Because this Court has never reviewed Passaro's conviction, counsel asserts we should refuse any request to waive appeals in the case. We disagree. It is true Torrence did not waive his right to appellate review until after this Court upheld his conviction. When Torrence was sentenced to death the second time, he chose to waive appellate review because he could, at best, receive life without parole at a new sentencing hearing. Torrence preferred the execution of his death sentence to the only alternative, life without parole. Passaro, unlike Torrence, pled guilty. Allowing individuals, even defendants facing capital punishment, to plead guilty is recognized both in this state and throughout the nation. See State v. Shaw, 273 S.C. 194, 255 S.E.2d 799 (1979) (upholding death sentence of two defendants who pled guilty to murder) overruled on other grounds by Torrence I, supra; see generally Barry J. Fisher, Judicial Suicide or Constitutional Autonomy? A Capital Defendant's Right to Plead Guilty, 65 Alb. L.Rev. 181 (2001) (noting all states except Arkansas, Louisiana and New York allow a defendant in a capital case to plead guilty). By allowing Passaro to plead guilty, we allow him to significantly restrict the scope of review on appeal because a guilty plea generally constitutes a waiver of non-jurisdictional defects and claims of violations of constitutional rights. See Rivers v. Strickland, 264 S.C. 121, 124, 213 S.E.2d 97, 98 (1975) (stating [t]he general rule is that a plea of guilty, voluntarily and understandingly made, constitutes a waiver of non-jurisdictional defects and defenses, including claims of violation of constitutional rights prior to the plea). Counsel does not argue or suggest Passaro was not guilty or his guilty plea defective. We disagree with appellate counsel's argument that allowing an individual to plead guilty to murder, be sentenced to death and waive his right to general appellate review is tantamount to State assisted suicide. While the competency of the guilty verdict may be in doubt in some future case, it is not in doubt here as Passaro pled guilty below and confirmed his guilt before this Court. See State v. Sroka, 267 S.C. 664, 230 S.E.2d 816 (1976) (affirming guilty verdict by jury based on overwhelming evidence presented at trial and later admission of guilt by defendant in open court). Importantly, this Court is the final body to decide whether to grant Passaro's waiver. Because of the uniqueness of the death penalty, we carefully review, individually, a petition to waive appellate review. We discern no reason Passaro should be denied his right to waive appellate review because he chose to plead guilty.