Court Opinion

ID: 9679996
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 07:15:21.196183+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:23.855287
License: Public Domain

CORNELIUS, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. Whatever plea Mendez originally made, and whatever the formal documents show, the record clearly shows that he received a full trial before the trial judge as fact finder. It may be that the trial judge effectively withdrew Mendez’s nolo contendere plea when at trial he produced evidence of his innocence; or the trial judge may have misunderstood the nature of a nolo contendere plea. In any event, Mendez received a full trial after waiving a jury trial. There is sufficient evidence to support the trial judge’s finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and nothing else is presented for review. I would affirm the judgment.