Court Opinion

ID: 9467180
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 01:41:07.855162+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:40:13.002805
License: Public Domain

MERRILL, Circuit Judge,
concurring:
One ground on which the district judge denied habeas corpus was that appellants had failed to show that their convictions resulted from the police conduct of which they complained, or that that conduct had contributed to their convictions. I would affirm judgment on that ground. Thus, I concur in the result reached by the majority-
However, I disagree with the conclusion of the majority that by pleading guilty under § 1237.5 of the California Penal Code appellants lost their right to seek federal habeas corpus review of pre-plea constitutional violations. As I read Lefkowitz v. Newsome, 420 U.S. 283, 95 S.Ct. 886, 43 L.Ed.2d 196 (1975), it holds contrary to the majority’s reasoning.
In Newsome, the Court held that “when state law permits a defendant to plead guilty without forfeiting his right to judicial review of special constitutional issues, the defendant is not foreclosed from pursuing those constitutional claims in a federal habeas proceeding.” 420 U.S. at 293, 95 S.Ct. at 892.
Neither the source of the state right to appeal following a guilty plea nor the legislative purpose behind it is the critical consideration; rather, the right to seek federal habeas corpus review lies in the fact that state law permits an appeal under the particular circumstances. Newsome imposes no conditions nor reserves any exceptions to this right.
Thus, I cannot agree with the majority that since the state appeal here was taken under a statutory provision different from that in Newsome, Newsome does not apply. Here, appellants had moved to dismiss the indictment for alleged violations of the Sixth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. When that motion was denied, they pleaded guilty, reserving their right to appeal denial of their motion. They complied with the procedural requirements of § 1237.5 and their appeal was duly entertained by the state court of appeal. It hardly lies with us to assert in effect that they had no right to appeal under state law. (See majority opinion, pages 771-772.)
Where the state has indicated a policy of permitting an appeal on constitutional issues following a guilty plea; where it is recognized that that policy serves the public purpose of eliminating time consuming trials where constitutional rights, rather than guilt, are at issue; I fail to see how we can *774construe that policy as limited to appeals asserting Fourth Amendment rights. The result is that a defendant, factually guilty beyond question, would feel compelled to plead not guilty and undergo trial to preserve review of his constitutional contentions. This is the outcome Newsome wanted to avoid. To invite that result here makes little sense to me.