Court Opinion

ID: 9762152
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:14:11.989552+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:31.242810
License: Public Domain

BARDGETT, Judge
(dissenting).
The majority opinion adopts the opinion prepared by Judge Higgins, Commissioner in Division One, through the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law, and to its statement of the state’s (appellant’s) contention. The majority opinion then observes that the findings of the trial court did not include a specific “statement” that defendant entered his plea voluntarily, and nevertheless undertakes to reverse the trial court’s findings to the contrary and the grant of relief to movant on a “view” that such is the only reasonable conclusion that could be reached from the findings that were made.
I do not believe this to be an authorized determination of this case within the scope of review of this proceeding as limited by Rule 27.26(j), V.A.M.R. If denial of relief to a movant is to be affirmed when such denial is not “clearly erroneous”, the court must be consistent with its own rule and affirm the grant of relief to a movant when such grant is not “clearly erroneous”.
In application of that premise to this case, I adopt the remainder of Judge Higgins’s opinion as part of my dissent.
“Appellant contends the court erred in granting movant relief on the court’s failure to comply with Criminal Rule 25.04, ‘since, in fact, the trial court had made findings of facts at the 27.26 hearing that the record disclosed that petitioner when he entered his plea of guilty was fully apprised of the nature of the crime for which he was accused and the consequences of pleading guilty thereto.’
“In meeting appellant’s contention, respondent reminds that Criminal Rule 27.26 (j), V.A.M.R., defines the scope of an appeal by either the prisoner or the state, and under the rule, ‘Appellate review shall be limited to a determination of whether the findings, conclusions and judgment of the trial court are clearly erroneous.’ See State v. Edmondson, Mo., 438 S.W.2d 237, 241-242 [1, 2].
“Appellant cites a number of cases affirming a denial of withdrawal of guilty pleas, e. g., State v. Mountjoy, Mo., 420 S.W.2d 316, State v. Sayre, Mo., 420 S.W.2d 303, Drew v. State, Mo., 436 S.W.2d 727, Mooney v. State, Mo., 433 S.W.2d 542, Bellew v. Swenson, Mo., 459 S.W.2d 351, with particular emphasis on holdings to the effect that failure of the trial court to comply with Rule 25.04 is immaterial if the evidence at the 27.26 hearing establishes that the plea was made voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge, e. g., Watson v. State, Mo., 446 S.W.2d 763. Appellant cites also a number of cases governing voluntariness of a guilty plea, e. g., Kercheval v. United States, 274 U.S. 220, [47 S.Ct. 582, 71 L.Ed. 1009] Ford v. United States, 8 Cir., 418 F.2d 855, North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, [91 S.Ct. 160, 27 L.Ed.2d 162] Brady v. United States, 397 U.S. 742, [90 S.Ct. 1463, 25 L.Ed.2d 747] Parker v. United States, 397 U.S. 790, [90 S.Ct. 1458, 25 L.Ed.2d 785] Fleck v. State, Mo., 443 S.W.2d 100.
“The purpose of such citations is to support an argument that the court in granting relief to movant ‘engaged in a true non sequitur. The court’s finding of fact * * establishes beyond any doubt that the trial *51court was convinced that when the plea of guilty was entered by petitioner it was made voluntarily and with a full understanding of the nature and consequences of the charge of murder in the second degree.’
“The difficulty with appellant’s argument is that the court’s six numbered findings do not constitute necessarily a finding of a voluntary plea of guilty. The court might very well have made such a finding on the evidence in this case, and the burden might then be on the prisoner to demonstrate the finding to be ‘clearly erroneous’. The situation, however, is different than the appellant would have it because the court did not make the ultimate finding of a voluntary plea of guilty which, if supported, could override a failure to comply with Rule 25.04, Watson v. State, supra. Instead, the court simply has found against movant on six of his grounds for relief, and has found for him and granted relief on the ground the court failed to explain the charge, his rights, including rights to trial by jury and to confront witnesses, and that such was a failure also to determine that the plea was made voluntarily. Appellant concedes the insufficiency of the plea record to show compliance with Rule 25.04.
“Consequently, Judge McFarland’s finding of his own failure to comply with Rule 25.04 is supported by the evidence; it is not self contradicting; it is in correction of the court’s own error; and, accordingly, it may not be said to be clearly erroneous. Support in the case law may be found in the trial court’s own authority, State v. Blaylock, Mo., 394 S.W.2d 364, and State v. Roach, Mo., 447 S.W.2d 553. See also Bellew v. Swenson, supra, 459 S.W.2d l. c. 355. In contrast, under similar circumstances and assertions, compare the painstaking compliance with Rule 25.04 in Lansdown v. State, Mo., 472 S.W.2d 342.”
Additionally it is significant that the trial judge did not make a finding that defendant entered his plea voluntarily. The absence of such a finding is consistent with the judgment of the trial court setting aside the plea of guilty. This is particularly so in this case because the same trial judge who took the guilty plea set it aside.
In these circumstances the trial court’s judgment permitting the guilty plea to be withdrawn is compatible with the failure to find the plea was voluntarily entered and was supported by evidence and consequently is not clearly erroneous.
The majority opinion holds that “the trial court found, in effect, that the plea of guilty was entered voluntarily with understanding of the charge and our review of the evidence has caused us to agree with that finding.” (Emphasis supplied.) Thus it seems acknowledged that this court’s holding that the plea was entered voluntarily is an inferred finding on this court’s part. This inferential finding is inconsistent with the trial court’s judgment.
Adherence to the “clearly erroneous” rule for review, while permitting in some instances the indulgence on appeal in inferential findings to affirm a trial court’s judgment, may not be resorted to as the basis for reversing a judgment of the trial court.
In my opinion the judgment of the trial court was not clearly erroneous and should be affirmed. For the foregoing reasons, I dissent from the majority opinion filed herein.