Court Opinion

ID: 9600958
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 01:33:54.607718+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:01:54.722384
License: Public Domain

Ness and Harwell, Justices,
(dissenting):
We respectfully dissent and would reverse and allow the defendant to withdraw his guilty plea.
The withdrawal of a guilty plea is generally within the sound discretion of the trial judge. State v. Neal, 267 S. C. 53, *151226 S. E. (2d) 236 (1975). We believe appellant’s plea was not entered knowingly because he misunderstood the scope of the agreement on sentencing. Cf. State v. Hazel, 275 S. C. 392, 271 S. E. (2d) 602 (1980) (plea not knowingly made because defendant misunderstood requirement of statutory mandatory sentence). See also Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U. S. 238, 89 S. Ct. 1709, 23 L. Ed. (2d) 274 (1969); State v. Peeler, S. C. 283 S. E. (2d) 826 (1981). When the judge discovered the misunderstanding, he should have allowed appellant to withdraw the plea. His failure to do so was an abuse of discretion. Hazel. See also State v. Smith, S. C. 280 S. E. (2d) 200 (1981).