Mitchell v. State
Mitchell v. State
Opinion
[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] *Page 503
The unpublished memorandum issued on November 19, 2004, is withdrawn, and the following opinion is substituted therefor.
Pursuant to a plea agreement with the State, John Bryant Mitchell pleaded guilty to the unlawful manufacture of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) in the second degree, a violation of §
On appeal, Mitchell presents two issues for our review: (1) whether the crime of unlawful manufacture of methamphetamine under §
The record reflects that, as part of his plea agreement with the State, before entering his plea Mitchell expressly reserved the right to appeal as to issue (1), as set out above. The written plea agreement states: "[Mitchell] specifically reserves the issue of the proper interpretation of [§]
"Specifically, Your Honor, we raise the issue with the interpretation of the Code of Alabama Section 13A-[12]-217 as to it's meaning under the terms of subsection [(a)(2)] substances versus substances [sic] which are listed in the precursory list under that statute. . . . Mr. Mitchell's understanding that it's meant to include two or more of those substances before a conviction can be made."
(R. 8.) Later during the colloquy, the trial court again noted that Mitchell was reserving his issue relating to §
However, Mitchell never presented issue (1) to the trial court before reserving it for appeal. The record contains no motion to dismiss the indictment or any other pretrial motion seeking to have the trial court interpret the language he now challenges in §
In Robinson v. State,
"Next, Robinson contends that the trial court should have suppressed the marijuana evidence because, he says, the State failed to prove the chain of custody of that evidence.
". . . .
"The only issue Robinson raised in the trial court was the State's failure to produce a document detailing the chain of custody of the marijuana evidence. Robinson never requested that the State present testimony as to its chain of custody, and he never moved to suppress the marijuana evidence; in fact, other than a cursory motion to dismiss, Robinson never even alleged, as he now does on appeal, that there was no chain of custody. Although Robinson expressly reserved the right to appeal the issue whether the chain of custody was proven at the time he entered his guilty plea, the record reflects that Robinson never moved to suppress the marijuana evidence on the ground that the State failed to prove the chain of custody before he entered his plea. Robinson cannot expressly reserve the right to appeal a pretrial issue that was, in fact, never presented to the trial court before trial.
"Consequently, the issue now presented by Robinson is not properly before this Court for review. `An issue raised for the first time on appeal is not subject to appellate review because it has not been properly preserved and presented.' Pate v. State,
601 So.2d 210 ,213 (Ala.Crim.App. 1992). Furthermore, `[t]he statement of specific grounds of objection waives all grounds not specified, and the trial court will not be put in error on grounds not assigned at trial.' Ex parte Frith,526 So.2d 880 ,882 (Ala. 1987). Whether the marijuana evidence should have been suppressed because there was no chain of custody is not properly before this Court for review."
In this case, Mitchell reserved issue (1) for appeal; however, he failed to preserve it by filing a timely motion and/or objection with the trial court and obtaining an adverse ruling on the motion or objection. Therefore, it is not properly before this Court for review.
Issue (2), as set out above, is likewise not properly before this Court for review because it, too, was never presented to the trial court. Mitchell did not object to the trial court's sentencing order or file a motion to withdraw his plea. "An issue raised on an appeal from a guilty plea must be preserved by an objection, a motion to withdraw the plea, or a motion for a new trial." Cochran v. State,
Based on the foregoing, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
UNPUBLISHED MEMORANDUM OF NOVEMBER 19, 2004, WITHDRAWN; OPINION SUBSTITUTED; APPLICATION OVERRULED; AFFIRMED.
McMILLAN, P.J., and COBB, BASCHAB, and WISE, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- John Bryant Mitchell v. State of Alabama.
- Cited By
- 27 cases
- Status
- Published