Court Opinion

ID: 9582588
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 22:29:07.994867+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:38:00.517122
License: Public Domain

Judge RULAND
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent.
I recognize that trial counsel’s advice to defendant concerning parole prior to entry of his plea was consistent both with what attorneys were advising their clients at the time and with the parole board’s interpretation and application of the statutory scheme. See Thiret v. Kautzky, 792 P.2d 801 (Colo.1990). However, our supreme court has held in Aue v. Diesslin, 798 P.2d 436 (Colo.1990) that it was reasonably foreseeable that the parole board’s interpretation of the statute would be overturned. Hence, in the context of defendant’s due process rights here, I conclude that the usual standard for review of counsel’s advice should not apply.
Instead, in my view, the standard of review here should be that applied when a defendant has been grossly misinformed relative to the application of parole to his sentence. See Strader v. Garrison, 611 F.2d 61 (4th Cir.1979) (defendant incorrectly advised by counsel that his parole eligibility date would be several years earlier than it actually was); O’Tuel v. Osborne, 706 F.2d 498 (4th Cir.1983) (defendant incorrectly advised that parole eligibility would be in 10 years and not 20 years).
I view defendant as being grossly misinformed here because, instead of being eligible for parole at the end of eight years by complying with applicable Department of Corrections rules, he may never receive parole, and thus, he may serve his full sentence of 16 years in prison.
In my view, the fact that eligibility for parole is sometimes characterized as a collateral consequence of a plea should not be dispositive of defendant’s contention. Failure to investigate and advise the defendant on significant collateral consequences of a plea may constitute ineffective assistance in this jurisdiction. See People v. Pozo, 746 P.2d 523 (Colo.1987) (failure to advise defendant of his exposure to deportation as an alien); People v. Garcia, 799 P.2d 413 (Colo.App.1990), aff'd, 815 P.2d 937 (1991) (failure to advise defendant of the inability to pursue certain civil claims).
I also disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the case should be remanded to determine whether the defendant’s plea was entered knowingly. Based upon the undisputed facts in the record before us, in my view, the plea was not entered knowingly as a matter of law.
To satisfy this requirement for entry of a valid guilty plea, the defendant must understand the possible penalty. Crim.P. 5(b)(4). To understand the penalty, a defendant should have correct information concerning his eligibility for parole if, as here, that is an issue of direct concern to him. When the defendant is provided incorrect information, I am unable to conclude that his plea is entered knowingly.