Opinion ID: 714853
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Guilty Plea Withdrawal.

Text: 11 The plea of guilty is a solemn act not to be disregarded because of belated misgivings about [its] wisdom. United States v. Morrison, 967 F.2d 264, 268 (8th Cir.1992) (citation omitted). Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(e) permits the withdrawal of a guilty plea if the defendant shows any fair and just reason. We review the denial of a motion to withdraw for clear error, assessing: 12 (1) whether defendant established a fair and just reason to withdraw his plea; (2) whether defendant asserts his legal innocence of the charge; (3) the length of time between the guilty plea and the motion to withdraw; and (4) if the defendant established a fair and just reason for withdrawal, whether the government would be prejudiced. 13 United States v. Boone, 869 F.2d 1089, 1091-92 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 822, 110 S.Ct. 81, 107 L.Ed.2d 47 (1989). Fitzhugh waited over nine months to move to withdraw, and he does not assert his innocence, so his reasons to withdraw must have considerably more force. Fed.R.Crim.P. 32(e) advisory committee notes to 1983 amendment, quoting United States v. Barker, 514 F.2d 208 (D.C.Cir.), cert. denied, 421 U.S. 1013, 95 S.Ct. 2420, 44 L.Ed.2d 682 (1975). 14 A. Fitzhugh's Physical Condition. At the plea hearing, after the court determined that Fitzhugh was competent and represented by competent counsel, Fitzhugh admitted knowingly committing the crime alleged in the superseding information. He now contends that his heart condition impaired his memory and thus rendered this guilty plea involuntary. He presented no medical testimony supporting this claim, only doctors' letters stating that any loss of memory possibly resulted from the blocked artery. 15 The district court found this medical evidence very uncertain and Fitzhugh's testimony about his selective memory loss not credible. The court then compared that weak showing with Fitzhugh's lengthy and cogent colloquy at the plea hearing, when he advised the court that he understood the charge, was competent to plead, and was voluntarily changing his plea to guilty, and when his attorney also expressed no doubt about Fitzhugh's competency to plead guilty. Solemn declarations in open court carry a strong presumption of verity. Blackledge v. Allison, 431 U.S. 63, 74, 97 S.Ct. 1621, 1629, 52 L.Ed.2d 136(1977). The district court did not err in denying the motion to withdraw on this ground. See United States v. McNeely, 20 F.3d 886, 888 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 115 S.Ct. 171, 130 L.Ed.2d 107 (1994); United States v. Vaughan, 13 F.3d 1186, 1187 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 114 S.Ct. 1858, 128 L.Ed.2d 481 (1994). 16 B. The Alleged Exculpatory Evidence. Fitzhugh next argues that the prosecution failed to disclose allegedly exculpatory evidence--a 1990 Rose Law Firm billing statement, evidence that Webster Hubbell had represented Harry Townsend and his mother before joining the Department of Justice, a $250,000 settlement payment by Prudential-Bache to Townsend's mother, and testimony of witnesses in grand jury proceedings. In a largely unintelligible argument, Fitzhugh apparently contends that he should be allowed to withdraw his guilty plea because he now is able to defend his indictment and ... believes he was framed and was indicted in an attempt to become a political scapegoat for other politically influential persons. 17 The record reveals that Fitzhugh knew or had access to most if not all of this information before he pleaded guilty. Moreover, Fitzhugh cannot explain how this evidence tends to show he was framed, either for the crime for which he was indicted, or the crime to which he pleaded guilty. Thus, he has failed to prove breach of the prosecution's duty to disclose. Finally, we fail to see how any of this information would have rationally affected his decision to plead guilty. See White v. United States, 858 F.2d 416, 424 (8th Cir.1988), cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1029, 109 S.Ct. 1163, 103 L.Ed.2d 221 (1989). This argument does not establish a fair and just reason to withdraw the plea; if anything, it tends to confirm the district court's conclusion that we have here a classic case of post plea regret. 18 C. Conclusion. Fitzhugh on appeal suggests several other reasons his guilty plea was involuntary. All are plainly without merit. The district court committed no clear error in denying his motion to withdraw that plea. 19