Opinion ID: 1058595
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Application of a Writ of Coram Vobis

Text: Assuming the circuit court had jurisdiction to hear his appeal, Neighbors contends the circuit court also erred in ruling his guilty plea could not be challenged by a writ of coram vobis based on his claim of lack of capacity. The Commonwealth responds that the circuit court was correct in this regard because Neighbors had other remedies including a timely appeal under Code § 16.1-132 or a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The Commonwealth also responds that our jurisprudence in Dobie and Blowe recognizes Code § 8.01-677 has significantly restricted the use of a writ of coram vobis. Code § 8.01-677 makes clear that the limited purpose of a writ of coram vobis is to correct only clerical error or certain error in fact. As we noted earlier, this Court explained in Blowe that the writ of coram vobis should not be used for any purpose other than to correct a `clerical error or error in fact.' 208 Va. at 74, 155 S.E.2d at 356. This limited application has not been extended to serve as a writ of error to bring the original judgment under review, Dobie, 198 Va. at 771, 96 S.E.2d at 753, or to permit a change of a defendant's plea after trial. Blowe, 208 Va. at 76, 155 S.E.2d at 357-58. The purpose of the writ does not involve correcting errors of fact where the facts complained of were known before or at the trial, or where at the trial the accused or his attorney knew of the existence of such facts but failed to present them. Dobie, 198 Va. at 769, 96 S.E.2d at 752. Neighbors' general allegation that he suffered from some undefined lack of capacity due to medication at the time of his guilty plea is not a clerical error. Neither is it a claim of an error in fact. Accordingly, under the record in this case, a writ of coram vobis would not lie as a means by which Neighbors could collaterally challenge his guilty plea. The circuit court did not err in that portion of its judgment which determined the writ of coram vobis was thus not available to Neighbors.