Morrow v. State
Morrow v. State
Opinion of the Court
Morrow pled guilty to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, theft by taking, and two counts each of armed robbery and concealing the death of another person. The trial court entered judgments of conviction and sentences on the guilty pleas. Several years later, Morrow filed a motion for out-of-time appeal on the ground that he was never advised of his right to appeal. The trial court denied the motion and Morrow appeals.
An out-of-time appeal is occasionally appropriate where, due to ineffective assistance of counsel, no appeal has been taken. Hunter v. State, 260 Ga. 762 (399 SE2d 921) (1991); Henderson v. State, 265 Ga. 317 (2) (454 SE2d 458) (1995). However, an appeal will lie from a judgment entered on a guilty plea only if the issue on appeal can be resolved by facts appearing in the record. Smith v. State, 253 Ga. 169 (316 SE2d 757) (1984).
Morrow seeks to challenge the voluntariness of his guilty pleas, relying upon a psychological report in the record, which indicated that he was psychotic and out-of-touch with reality. According to Morrow’s briefs on appeal, this report shows that serious issues of his competency and sanity should have been resolved by a psychiatric examination and a competency hearing. However, it is well-settled that “[l]egal insanity is not established by a medical diagnosis that an individual suffers from a mental illness such as a psychosis. [Cits.]” Lawrence v. State, 265 Ga. 310, 312 (2) (454 SE2d 446) (1995). It is equally well-settled that “[a] person who is mentally ill can be competent to make a voluntary confession. [Cit.]” Johnson v. State, 256 Ga. 259, 260 (4) (347 SE2d 584) (1986). It is no less true that a mentally ill person can be competent to stand trial. Strickland v. State, 247 Ga. 219, 220 (2, 3) (275 SE2d 29) (1981); Allanson v. State, 158 Ga. App. 77, 78 (2) (279 SE2d 316) (1981). Likewise, a mentally ill person can be competent to plead guilty, as the standard of competency for pleading guilty is the same as the competency standard for standing trial. Godinez v. Moran, 509 U. S._ (II) (A) (113 SC 2680, 125 LE2d 321) (1993).
Therefore, the psychologist’s report certainly does not demand a finding that Morrow was not competent to plead guilty and that his guilty pleas were not voluntary. Neither does the report demand a finding that Morrow was competent to plead guilty. Indeed, the psychologist’s report is dated one and one-half months before entry of the guilty pleas and expresses no opinion as to Morrow’s ability at the time of trial to understand the nature and object of the proceedings against him, to comprehend his own condition in reference to such proceedings, and to render his attorneys such assistance as a proper
Mental competency is a question of fact. Strickland v. State, supra at 221 (3). Assuming that the psychological report may be some evidence that would have authorized the trial court to appoint a psychiatrist or to hold a competency hearing, it clearly is not sufficient to resolve the question of Morrow’s competence to enter a guilty plea. Therefore, the issue which Morrow seeks to raise in his out-of-time appeal cannot be resolved only by reference to facts contained in the record. See Smith v. State, supra. Compare Fuller v. State, 159 Ga. App. 512 (284 SE2d 29) (1981) (cited in Smith). Since Morrow had no right to file even a timely notice of appeal from the judgment of conviction entered on this guilty plea, he was not entitled to be informed of a non-existent “right” to appeal. It follows that the trial court correctly denied Morrow’s motion to file an out-of-time appeal in this case. Morrow’s only available remedy is habeas corpus. See Mullins v. Hopper, 242 Ga. 123 (249 SE2d 606) (1978); Peterman v. Caldwell, 229 Ga. 394 (191 SE2d 840) (1972).
Judgment affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
I dissent. The majority misconstrues the basic issue before this Court, all but eradicates the limited rights of appeal of defendants who plead guilty, and denies Morrow his fundamental due process and equal protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution by resolving the merits of any arguments that Morrow could raise on an appeal before he has had the opportunity to make those arguments.
1. First, the majority fails to recognize that the trial court improperly ruled on Morrow’s motion seeking permission to file an out-of-time appeal without making the determinations required by our precedent.
In support of his motion, Morrow argued that neither the trial court nor his attorney informed him of his right to appeal his conviction and to obtain court-appointed counsel for such an appeal. Morrow argued that his attorney’s failure to inform him of his rights of appeal rendered his attorney’s assistance ineffective, warranting the grant of the motion for out-of-time appeal. In response to Morrow’s motion, the trial court, without holding a hearing on the motion, issued a mere one-sentence order which stated only that upon consideration of the record, the motion for permission to file an out-of-time
Our case law establishes that a motion for permission to file an out-of-time appeal will be granted, inter alia, when a criminal defendant’s failure to file a timely appeal is due to his attorney’s failure to inform him of his right to appeal his conviction and obtain court-appointed counsel for such an appeal.
The trial court’s order failed to make the dispositive determination of whether Morrow’s failure to file a timely appeal was due to his attorney’s failure to inform him of his right to do so, as Morrow claims, or whether Morrow was informed of his rights of appeal, but simply slept on those rights. Nor can this crucial determination be made upon a review of the record in this case. The trial court’s failure to make this determination requires that its order denying Morrow’s motion for permission to file an out-of-time appeal be vacated, and the matter remanded so that the determination can be made.
2. Incredibly, the majority rules that because “Morrow had no right to file even a timely appeal from [his] . . . guilty plea,” he therefore “was not entitled to be informed of a non-existent ‘right’ to appeal.” Op. at 4. However, regardless of what the majority may wish was the state of our law, Morrow did not waive his appeal as of right merely by pleading guilty. So long as Morrow was entitled to an appeal as of right, he was entitled to be informed of that right, for “[t]he right to appeal an adverse judgment is indeed a hollow one if the one to whom [it] accrues is not informed of its existence.”
An appeal lies from a judgment entered on a guilty plea, so long
3. The majority ostensibly bases its affirmance of the trial court upon its belief that the issues which Morrow seeks to raise on appeal cannot be decided from the record. However, the majority contradicts its purported belief by determining that the psychological reports which Morrow seeks to rely upon, were his appeal allowed, “do[ ] not demand a finding that Morrow[’s] . . . guilty pleas were not voluntary.” Op. at 3. The majority even goes so far as to address the main argument that it conjectures Morrow would raise in an appeal, if allowed, before Morrow has even been granted either (1) the right to file an appeal, or (2) the opportunity to make an argument on appeal.
Having granted a right of appeal to all convicted criminal defendants,
I am authorized to state that Presiding Justice Fletcher joins in this dissent.
Different trial judges presided over Morrow’s entry of guilty pleas and motion for out-of-time appeal.
Birt v. Hopper, 245 Ga. 221, n. 1 (265 SE2d 276) (1980); Bell v. Hopper, 237 Ga. 810, 810-811 (229 SE2d 658) (1976); Henry v. Hopper, 235 Ga. 196, 198 (219 SE2d 119) (1975); Thornton v. State, 216 Ga. App. 202, 203 (453 SE2d 802) (1995); Cannon v. State, 175 Ga. App. 741, 742 (334 SE2d 342) (1985) (Carley, J.); Harper v. State, 154 Ga. App. 550, 551 (269 SE2d 56) (1980).
Henry, 235 Ga. at 198; Evans v. State, 198 Ga. App. 537, 538 (402 SE2d 131) (1991); Cannon, 175 Ga. App. at 742.
Evans, 198 Ga. App. at 538. Accord Cannon, 175 Ga. App. at 742.
See Cannon, 175 Ga. App. at 742-743; Hasty v. State, 213 Ga. App. 731 (445 SE2d 836) (1994).
Kreps v. Gray, 234 Ga. 745, 747 (218 SE2d 1) (1975).
Smith v. State, 253 Ga. 169 (316 SE2d 757) (1984).
Even before Morrow has been allowed to file an appeal, the majority has framed his appellate issue — “According to Morrow, [the psychological report] shows that serious issues of his competency and sanity should have been resolved by a psychiatric examination and a competency hearing.” Op. at 3. The majority also raises sanity and competency issues which it speculates would be raised on appeal. However, issues which may or may not be raised on any appeal allowed are not before the Court at this time; the only issue is the propriety of the trial court’s order.
OCGA § 5-6-33.
Evitts v. Lucey, 469 U. S. 387, 393 (105 SC 830, 83 LE2d 821) (1985); Griffin v. Illinois, 351 U. S. 12, 17-20 (76 SC 585, 100 LE 891) (1956).
Evitts, 469 U. S. at 405; accord Logan v. Zimmerman Brush Co., 455 U. S. 422, 429-430 & n. 5 (102 SC 1148, 71 LE2d 265) (1982).
Douglas v. California, 372 U. S. 353, 358 (83 SC 814, 9 LE2d 811) (1963); Evitts, supra. See Keenan v. Hardison, 245 Ga. 599, 601 (266 SE2d 205) (1980) (“ ‘nothing short of notice . . . and an opportunity to be heard . . . will satisfy the due process clause of the Constitution of this State.’ ”).
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