Opinion ID: 1191894
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plea Negotiations and the Plea Agreement

Text: The prosecution made an initial plea offer to Barnett in January 1994, proposing to dismiss twenty-five of the forty-one charges in exchange for Barnett's guilty plea to fourteen class A felonies and two class C felonies. The prosecution offered to seek a combination of concurrent and consecutive sentences on these charges that would result in a fifty-year indeterminate sentence. Barnett rejected this plea offer and countered through his attorney by way of a letter dated August 1, 1994. The letter stated in relevant part: I have reviewed your plea proposal previously submitted on January 4, 1994. I understand it is your opinion that Mr. Barnett faces up to 610 years of imprisonment or 27 life sentences with the possibility of parole in 140 years, if the judge grants extended terms and runs the sentences consecutive.... Based upon my discussions with Mr. Barnett, as well as my initial review of the discovery in this matter, I have been authorized to make the following plea proposal: 1. Mr. Barnett is prepared to enter a plea of guilty in Cr. No. 92-0196(3) and Cr. No. 92-0259(3), and stipulate to a single life term of imprisonment with the possibility of parole. According to my review of prior decisions of the Hawaii Paroling Authority, it is unlikely that Mr. Barnett will receive a term of less than 35 years as his minimum mandatory term. (Emphasis added.) The prosecution responded to Barnett's counter-proposal as follows: 1. Mr. Barnett will enter a plea of Guilty in Cr. No. 92-0196(3) and Cr. No. 92-0259(3); 2. Mr. Barnett will stipulate to a single life term of imprisonment with the possibility of parole under Cr. No. 92-0196(3) for each class A felony charged (to run concurrent), pursuant to H.R.S. Sections 706-661(1) and 706-662(4)(a) and (b). All other charged offenses will carry their ordinary terms of imprisonment pursuant to H.R.S. Section 706-660 and will run concurrent to the single life term of imprisonment; 3. Mr. Barnett will be sentenced to a five year term of imprisonment under Cr. No. 92-0259(3) with that term to run concurrent to the single life term of imprisonment to be imposed under Cr. No. 92-0196(3); and 4. There are no other general or specific agreements as to sentencing. (Emphases omitted.) A letter dated August 8, 1994 from the prosecutor to Barnett's counsel was attached to Barnett's guilty plea form and stated in relevant part: I have discussed the terms of the plea agreement set forth in your letter dated August 4, 1994, ... and have been authorized to enter into your proposed plea agreement. For your convenience, I have outlined the agreement in detail below. .... 7. Mr. Barnett will stipulate to a single life term of imprisonment with the possibility of parole under Cr. No. 92-0196(3) for counts two, Nine, Twelve, Sixteen, Eighteen, Twenty-Five, Twenty-Eight, Thirty-One, Thirty-Four and Thirty-Nine (all class A felonies) while Counts One, Nineteen, Twenty-One and Thirty-Six (all Class C felonies) will carry the ordinary terms of imprisonment of an indeterminate sentence of five years, to run concurrent to the life term imposed for the class A felonies. 8. Mr. Barnett will be sentenced to a five year term of imprisonment under Cr. No. 92-0259(3) with that term to run concurrent to the single life term of imprisonment under Cr. No. 92-0196(3). 9. Prior to Defendant's entry of plea, the parties will hold a Rule 11 plea agreement conference with Judge Boyd P. Mossman to obtain the Court's consent to be bound by the above-stated sentencing agreement. (Emphases omitted.) At the August 12, 1994 change of plea hearing, the circuit court first reviewed Barnett's guilty plea form and then conducted the following colloquy with Barnett: THE COURT: ... [Y]ou will be stipulating to a single life term of imprisonment with a possibility of parole under Criminal Number 92-0196 for Counts 2, 9, 12, 16, 18, 25, 28, 31, 34 and 39. These are all class A felonies. While counts 1, 19, 21 and 36, which are all class C felonies, will carry the ordinary terms of imprisonment of an indeterminate term of five years to run concurrent to the life term imposed for the class A felonies. That you will be sentenced to five years for Criminal 92-0259, which term will run concurrent with a single life term in Criminal 92-0196. That pursuant to Rule 11 this plea agreement will bethe Court will be bound by this plea agreement. That and that there are no other general or specific agreements as to sentencing and that a presentence report will be prepared. Is that your understanding of the agreement between you and the State in this matter? [BARNETT]: Yes, it is. THE COURT: Okay. As I indicated, this is a Rule 11 agreement. So the Court is binding itself to the plea agreement between you and the State. This is not normally the case. In a normal sentencing the Court is not binding itself to any kind of agreement and the Court is not promising any kind of leniency, et cetera. In this particular situation through the efforts of your attorney, as well as the agreement of the State, there is an agreement here, and as I have read it. Do you have any questions about the plea agreement? [BARNETT]: No, I do not. Barnett then signed the guilty plea form in open court. After the guilty plea, Barnett submitted a presentence letter to the Adult Probation Division illustrating his alleged understanding that he would be sentenced to a single life term with the possibility of parole in Cr. No. 92-0196 and with all other sentences running concurrently. The letter stated in relevant part: As my friends and family, I ask simply that you take the time to understand that a life sentence is a misnomer; it has very little to do with how much time I will actually spend in prison. Before agreeing to this offer I was fortunate to have not only the guidance of my own attorney, but also input from several other high-powered attorneys who advised that a single life sentence is better than a series of 10 or 20 year sentences to be served consecutively. A single life sentence consolidates and simplifies the entire sentencing scheme. Most importantly, a life sentence does not represent spending the rest of my life in prison. Rather, a life sentence is an enhanced version of a 20 year sentence.