Court Opinion

ID: 9584650
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:51:10.505174+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:12:02.009536
License: Public Domain

Beasley, Presiding Judge,
concurring specially.
I concur. Although we cite USCR 33.9, which governs also in the state courts, as the authority for the requirement that a factual basis be shown on the record, this has been mandated since Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U. S. 238 (89 SC 1709, 23 LE2d 274) (1969). The Georgia Supreme Court, in 1971, held that the state trial judge has the same duty as the federal trial judge under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. The state trial judge shall not enter a judgment on a guilty plea “ ‘unless it is satisfied that there is a factual basis for the plea.’ ” *161Purvis v. Connell, 227 Ga. 764, 766 (182 SE2d 892) (1971).1
Several cases in this court since Boykin do not require an express finding of factual basis and hold that there is compliance if the record contains a factual basis of which the court was aware or the record at least shows that the trial judge was aware of a factual basis: Golden v. State, 190 Ga. App. 477, 478 (379 SE2d 230) (1989); Clark v. State, 186 Ga. App. 106, 107 (2) (366 SE2d 361) (1988); Brannon v. State, 176 Ga. App. 49 (2) (335 SE2d 163) (1985); Harris v. State, 167 Ga. App. 153 (3) (306 SE2d 79) (1983). USCR 33.9, which governs now, states that “the judge should not enter a judgment upon such plea without making such inquiry on the record as may satisfy [the judge] that there is a factual basis for the plea.”
This defect could not be cured at the hearing on the motion to withdraw the plea. Although a record of what occurred at the entry of the plea could be, and was, made at the motion hearing, the state could not supplement that record by adding a factual basis at the motion hearing.
Thus it is necessary to reverse and allow withdrawal of the plea rather than remand for a hearing on whether a factual basis existed, i.e., whether the evidence would show that defendant committed the crimes. That issue now must be decided by a jury or in a bench trial, where a proper plea is entered.

 The actual current wording of Rule 11 (f) differs somewhat.