Collum v. State
Collum v. State
Concurring Opinion
concurring specially.
I concur. Although we cite USCR 33.9, which governs also in the state courts, as the authority for the requirement that a factual basis be shown on the record, this has been mandated since Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U. S. 238 (89 SC 1709, 23 LE2d 274) (1969). The Georgia Supreme Court, in 1971, held that the state trial judge has the same duty as the federal trial judge under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11. The state trial judge shall not enter a judgment on a guilty plea “ ‘unless it is satisfied that there is a factual basis for the plea.’ ”
Several cases in this court since Boykin do not require an express finding of factual basis and hold that there is compliance if the record contains a factual basis of which the court was aware or the record at least shows that the trial judge was aware of a factual basis: Golden v. State, 190 Ga. App. 477, 478 (379 SE2d 230) (1989); Clark v. State, 186 Ga. App. 106, 107 (2) (366 SE2d 361) (1988); Brannon v. State, 176 Ga. App. 49 (2) (335 SE2d 163) (1985); Harris v. State, 167 Ga. App. 153 (3) (306 SE2d 79) (1983). USCR 33.9, which governs now, states that “the judge should not enter a judgment upon such plea without making such inquiry on the record as may satisfy [the judge] that there is a factual basis for the plea.”
This defect could not be cured at the hearing on the motion to withdraw the plea. Although a record of what occurred at the entry of the plea could be, and was, made at the motion hearing, the state could not supplement that record by adding a factual basis at the motion hearing.
Thus it is necessary to reverse and allow withdrawal of the plea rather than remand for a hearing on whether a factual basis existed, i.e., whether the evidence would show that defendant committed the crimes. That issue now must be decided by a jury or in a bench trial, where a proper plea is entered.
The actual current wording of Rule 11 (f) differs somewhat.
Concurring Opinion
concurring specially.
As the other opinions indicate, the difficulty here is with the lack of any record of a factual basis for a guilty plea. There is no transcript of the plea hearing, although there is a transcript of the hearing on the motion to withdraw the plea. I agree that there is nothing in the record to show the trial court made an inquiry at the plea hearing as to the factual basis for the plea, and I further agree that the record does not otherwise contain a factual basis for the plea or an indication that the trial court was aware of a factual basis for it. However, I do not fully agree with the assertion in Judge Beasley’s special concurrence that such a deficiency “could not be cured at the hearing on the motion to withdraw the plea.”
While it is true that the state could not add a factual basis at the motion hearing if there had been none at the plea hearing, I know of no reason why either the state or the trial court could not properly make a record at that later hearing of a factual basis that existed at the plea hearing and of which the trial court was aware at that time.
If the transcript of the motion hearing contained such a factual basis, either established or existing at the time of the plea hearing, or
Opinion of the Court
■ Appellant, represented by counsel, pled guilty to driving without insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence and following too closely. He appeals from the denial of his motion to withdraw guilty plea.
The record reveals that following an automobile accident on
“Before accepting a plea of guilty, a trial court must determine that the plea is voluntarily made and that the defendant ‘ “intelligently and understanding^” ’ waives his constitutional rights, which requires a showing on the record that the defendant has freely and voluntarily entered the plea with an understanding of the nature of the charges against him and the consequences of his plea. [Cit.]” Wood v. State, 190 Ga. App. 179, 180 (1) (378 SE2d 520) (1989). The trial judge should not enter a judgment on a guilty plea before determining that there is a factual basis for the plea. Uniform Superior Court Rule 33.9; Head v. State, 262 Ga. 795 (2) (426 SE2d 547) (1993). “When a defendant enters a plea of guilty and subsequently challenges the validity of the guilty plea, the State may meet its burden of demonstrating the plea was intelligently and voluntarily entered ‘ “by two means, (1) showing on the record of the guilty plea hearing that the defendant was cognizant of all of the rights he was waiving and the possible consequences of his plea; or (2) fill(ing) a silent record by use of extrinsic evidence that affirmatively shows that the guilty plea was knowing and voluntary.” (Cit.)’ [Cit.]” Wood, supra at 180.
However, “the record does not affirmatively show that the court ascertained the factual basis for appellant’s plea as required by [Uniform Superior Court Rule] 33.9.” Watt v. State, 204 Ga. App. 839, 840 (1) (420 SE2d 769) (1992). Since the record does not show that the trial court determined that a factual basis existed for the guilty plea, we conclude that the State did not meet its burden of showing affirmatively by the record that appellant’s guilty plea was knowingly and voluntarily entered. Watt, supra at 840. Consequently, the trial court should have granted appellant’s motion to withdraw guilty plea.
Judgment reversed.
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- Collum v. the State
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