Court Opinion

ID: 9739527
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:16:58.024217+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:12.825503
License: Public Domain

*1359DeBRULER, Justice,
dissenting.
The Sixth Amendment provides that "[iJn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right ... to be confronted with the witnesses against him." A major goal of this constitutional confrontation rule is to give the criminal defendant an opportunity to cross-examine the witnesses against him. Pointer v. Texas, 380 U.S. 400, 85 S.Ct. 1065, 18 L.Ed.2d 923 (1965). The governing Indiana guilty plea statute also views the right of confrontation as contemplating both a physical confrontation with witnesses and an opportunity to cross-examine them. I.C. 85-85-1-2(a)(2)(B). Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 89 S.Ct. 1709, 23 L.Ed.2d 274 (1969), requires that a record of guilty plea proceedings show that the accused was offered a trial at which he would have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses against him and that he intelligently and understandingly rejected the offer.
According to the findings of the trial court, a written plea agreement of unspecified date was filed at the time the plea was received in which the appellant was advised that he had the right to cross-examine witnesses, and at that time the judge advised him that he had the right to "see and hear" all of the witnesses, but did not mention the cross-examine aspect. There is no finding or conclusion at all that appellant rejected an offer of a trial at which he could cross-examine the witnesses against him. The standard set forth in White v. State (1986), Ind., 497 N.E.2d 893, does not affect the requirements of Boykin that the record at some point reflect that the defendant was offered a trial with confrontation and that he intelligently and understandingly rejected that offer. Herman v. State (1988), Ind., 526 N.E.2d 1183, 1185. This record does not so reflect. I would therefore reverse and remand with instruction to grant post-conviction relief in the form of permission to withdraw the plea of guilty.