Court Opinion

ID: 9794402
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 03:05:08.311228+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:15:42.132890
License: Public Domain

LUMPKIN, Vice Presiding Judge,
concurring in part, dissenting in part.
I concur with the Court’s analysis of the use of the tape recorded conversations at *1357the sentencing hearing. However, I dissent to the Court’s determination that the conviction for Obtaining Cash by Bogus Check in CRF-87-246 must be reversed and remanded with instructions to allow the Petitioner to withdraw her guilty plea.
Petitioner entered a “blind plea” to both charges, i.e. Obtaining Cash by Bogus Check and Delivery of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Cocaine. A combined Petition to Enter a Plea of Guilty was completed, reviewed by the trial judge and filed in each case. The only agreement by the Petitioner and the State was that a pre-sentence investigation would be conducted and presented to the trial judge prior to sentencing. The range of punishment for Delivery of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Cocaine, was properly set forth in the Petition to Enter a Plea of Guilty as being from five (5) years to life imprisonment and a fine of not more than $100,-000.00. While the Petition cited the range of punishment for the Bogus Check charge as “0-7 years” the trial judge stated “I believe that carries from two (2) to ten (10) years?”. (May 23, 1988, Tr. 5) The trial court accepted the pleas to each charge, ordered a presentence investigation and set the sentencing for July 6, 1988. At the conclusion of the Sentencing Hearing Judge Doggett sentenced Petitioner to 12 years, with all but 8 years suspended, on the Delivery of Cocaine offense, and 2 years on the Bogus Check offense and ordered it to run concurrent with the 12 year sentence. While some error exists, the record does not reveal it had any effect on the free and voluntary plea entered by Petitioner. She was represented by a very able attorney, the sentence on the Bogus Check charge was minimal, and the 2 year sentence was ordered to run concurrent with the 12 year sentence given in the Delivery of Cocaine offense. At most, the error in this case was harmless and cannot be said to constitute fundamental error.