Court Opinion

ID: 9845814
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:28:42.058765+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:16:22.383095
License: Public Domain

*378Zenoff, D. J.,
concurring:
The record of this case compels me to- concur reluctantly with the majority but only for the bare fact that the defendant did state in one instance at the conference that she was innocent of the charges. In all other respects Judge Gregory followed long established custom in disposing of the criminal matter without trial at the request of the defendant.
True it is that it was without the presence of her attorney. But she represented repeatedly to the assembled group, which included the district attorney and her family friend (who- with the defendant’s husband initiated the conference), that she hadn’t seen or heard from her attorney for many months, and this representation was made when the judge at the outset sought to- telephone the defendant’s counsel. Belying upon this, the judge clearly outlined the proceedings and indicated that (paraphrasing) she would very likely be granted probation. That the judge and defendant were friends of long standing is apparent. Her main concern was publicity that might jeopardize her job availability, but nowhere does it appear that anyone present at the conference represented that there would be no publicity attending her guilty plea. It was only after the plea of guilty, and radio publicity followed, that she regretted her action. She then sought her lawyer who moved to set aside the guilty plea.
Defendant’s affidavit supporting the- motion was replete with self help and liberality with the truth. As one example, she asserted that she had not stated she was unable to reach her attorney, in fact, had seen him daily for a year. If true, she must have kept him pretty busy. She further stated in the conference in chambers that she had constantly denied her guilt, this in direct contradiction to the statements of all of the others present who agreed that she did so state but only one time.
It is clear that no one compelled her to meet with the judge in chambers, she never denied the very active instigation of her husband which created the conference, she met the family friend and district attorney for *379coffee and then likewise freely and voluntarily walked with them from a restaurant to the judge’s chambers, and just as clearly could have left at any time had she so desired. What took place in the courtroom merely was the procedure pre-arranged more fully in the court’s chambers.
From the opposing affidavits, it can truly be concluded that no false inducements were made, nor undue influence exercised, to compel her change of plea from not guilty to guilty. However, it being conceded that she denied her guilt once, once was enough.
My concern is for the future, that trial judges will refuse to consider change of pleas in chambers because of a natural apprehension of later accusations that negligent or false conduct misled the person accused and caused him to change his plea, or that he did not get what he was promised, or that he was threatened or coerced in the judge’s chambers, and ad infinitum. The only safe course would be a formal proceeding in open court, hardly conducive to a pre-trial conference.
The trial courts of Nevada are already overburdened with criminal matters that by reason of a statutory priority, are depriving civil litigants of their day in court. If the trial court cannot safely accept change of plea opportunities the number of costly time consuming criminal trials will be multiplied immeasurably.
My concern is directed at the crass audacity of the defendant who took advantage of a situation created by her own conduct and that of her husband, and now points an accusing finger at the judge who gave her the probation which she obviously sought and bargained for.