Brett Noble v. Iowa District Court for Muscatine County
Brett Noble v. Iowa District Court for Muscatine County
Opinion
Defendant Brett Noble filed this direct appeal from the denial of his second motion to correct an illegal sentence. There is no appeal as a matter of right from the denial of a motion to correct illegal sentence.
See
State v. Propps
,
I.
In 2010, Noble was charged by trial information with murder in the first degree and theft in the first degree. The defendant entered into a plea agreement in which he pleaded guilty to four counts in *628 an amended trial information: attempt to commit murder, theft in the first degree, voluntary manslaughter, and assault while participating in a felony. As part of the plea agreement, as set forth in a signed plea memorandum, the defendant stipulated "that the offense conduct supporting each count is separate." The defendant also "specifically waive[d] any claim he might have that the convictions or sentences under these counts would merge or that he could claim estoppel or any other claim premised on an alleged inconsistency between the elements of the counts." During the guilty plea colloquy, the defendant and defendant's counsel affirmed the "[d]efendant specifically waive[d] any claim he might have that the convictions or sentences under count-these counts would merge under the rules of sentencing or that he could claim estoppel or any other claim premised on alleged inconsistencies between the elements of the counts." The district court accepted the defendant's plea to the amended trial information and imposed agreed-upon consecutive sentences for a total term of incarceration not to exceed fifty years.
In 2011, Noble filed a motion to correct illegal sentence. In his motion, he contended his sentence for attempted murder should be vacated on the ground the convictions for attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter arose out of the same act against the same person. Noble contended his convictions violated the constitutional protection against double jeopardy. The district court denied Noble's motion. The supreme court dismissed Noble's appeal as frivolous.
The motion at issue in this appeal is Noble's second motion to correct illegal sentence filed in February 2017. In his second motion, Noble contended his conviction for attempted murder was void and his sentence illegal because a "person cannot be convicted of both killing someone and attempt[ing] to" kill someone. In support of his motion, Noble relied on
State v. Ceretti
,
In
Ceretti
, the defendant pleaded guilty to, among other things, attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter.
See
Ceretti
,
In this case, the district court was not persuaded by Noble's second motion. The district court denied Noble's motion on the grounds the issue had been previously litigated and Noble's claim was a challenge to the factual basis of his guilty plea rather than a challenge to his sentence.
*629 II.
The State defends the district court's denial of Noble's motion to correct illegal sentence on several grounds. First, the State contends Ceretti is inapplicable here because the defendant stipulated "that the offense conduct supporting each count is separate." Second, the defendant expressly waived any challenges regarding merger, estoppel, or inconsistency between the counts. Third, the State argues, the district court correctly held Noble's claims are barred res judicata.
A.
We first address whether
Ceretti
is even applicable under the circumstances presented.
Ceretti
held a "defendant may not be convicted of both an attempted homicide and a completed homicide when the convictions are based on the same acts directed against the same victim."
Ceretti
,
The difficulty presented is the stipulation is contrary to the remainder of the record. During the plea colloquy, the district court explained to Noble the State would have to prove the following with respect to attempted murder: the defendant kicked the victim in the head; in so doing, the defendant set in motion a force or chain of events that would cause or result in the death of the victim; and when the defendant kicked the victim the defendant specifically intended to cause the death of the victim. When Noble was asked whether it was his specific intent to cause the death of the victim, he stated, "Yes it was. I kicked her." With respect to manslaughter, the district court advised Noble the State would have to prove he "intentionally kicked the victim in this case; No. 2, that the victim died as a result of being kicked; and No. 3, that the kicking was done solely by reason of a sudden and violent and irresistible passion resulting from serious provocation." Noble stated he understood these elements. The minutes of testimony do not provide any support for finding separate offense conduct. The minutes contain a summary of a police interview with Noble. In the interview, Noble stated he and another woman went to the victim's house with the intent the woman would beat up the victim and then they would leave. According to the minutes, the victim pointed an unloaded shotgun at Noble, Noble took the shotgun and struck the victim in the face with it, the victim fell to the ground, and Noble kicked the victim in the face with steel-toed boots. Based on the plea colloquy and the minutes of testimony, it is clear the offense conduct supporting the convictions for attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter is one and the same-the kick to the victim's face with steel-toed boots.
The defendant's stipulation that the offense conduct supporting each conviction is separate is of no legal consequence when the stipulation is contrary to the record. "The public interest that a result be reached which promotes a well-ordered society is foremost in every criminal proceeding. That interest is entrusted to our consideration and protection .... Furthermore, our judgments are precedents, and the proper administration of the criminal law cannot be left merely to the stipulation of parties."
Young v. United States
,
We thus conclude the defendant pleaded guilty to committing the crimes of attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter based on the same act against the same victim; specifically, kicking the victim in the head with steel-toed boots. The defendant's convictions and sentences are in violation Ceretti , and the defendant is entitled to relief unless he has waived the issue or is precluded from raising the issue.
B.
The State contends the defendant "specifically waive[d] any claim he might have that the convictions or sentences under these counts would merge or that he could claim estoppel or any other claim premised on an alleged inconsistency between the elements of the counts." We disagree Noble waived the challenge presented here. There are three points relevant to our conclusion.
First, the mere fact the defendant pleaded guilty to these offenses and agreed to the sentences is insufficient to establish waiver. This issue was raised in
Ceretti
. In that case, "the State urge[d] that Ceretti waived the right to appeal the sentences imposed by pleading guilty and agreeing to the State's sentencing recommendations."
Ceretti
,
Second, it is not clear the express terms of the waiver encompass the specific legal challenge presented in this case. In the plea agreement, the defendant expressly waived any claim regarding merger. In
Ceretti
, the defendant contended his convictions "violated the merger statute."
Third, even if the
Ceretti
claim fell squarely within the terms of the express waiver, the express waiver would be of no legal effect. It is well established the parties cannot agree upon an illegal sentence.
See
State v. Copenhaver
,
Our courts commonly reiterate that a guilty plea waives all defenses and objections not intrinsic to the plea. See State v. Utter ,803 N.W.2d 647 , 651 (Iowa 2011). But "a guilty plea does not waive challenges that do not affect the *632 validity of the conviction ." State v. Mann ,602 N.W.2d 785 , 789 (Iowa 1999) (holding "waiver of constitutional challenges to a sentencing statute is not implicit in a defendant's guilty plea"); see also Woody ,613 N.W.2d at 218 (holding "[n]either party may rely on a plea agreement to uphold an illegal sentence" and vacating habitual offender sentence that was not supported by the record and not permitted by statute); [ State v. ] Mapp ,585 N.W.2d 746 , 749 (Iowa 1998) (vacating bargained-for sentence). Neither party contends the problem lies with Fix's convictions. The one-homicide rule guards against multiple punishments for a single slaying.
As part of the negotiated plea bargain, the State and Fix agreed to consecutive sentences that violated the common law one-homicide rule. It is likely neither the prosecutor nor defense counsel realized the violation. But the inadvertence does not change the calculus. Our supreme court has not allowed double punishment for a single homicide to stand, even when the issue has not been raised by the parties. We hold a violation of the one-homicide rule is an illegal sentence that under Mann , Woody , and Mapp cannot be waived even by a counseled, negotiated guilty plea.
For the same reasons set forth in Fix , we conclude the violation of the Ceretti rule constitutes an illegal sentence that cannot be waived.
C.
The State contends Noble's claim was resolved in his first motion to correct illegal sentence and his current claim is barred res judicata. "The doctrine of res judicata embraces the concepts of claim preclusion and issue preclusion."
Spiker v. Spiker
,
Whether the State's argument is considered one of claim preclusion or issue preclusion, we conclude Noble's claim is not barred. First, the claims and issues are not identical. Noble's first motion raised a double jeopardy challenge to his convictions based on principles of merger. As noted above,
Ceretti
is a substantive rule of criminal law analogous to the common law one-homicide rule. The
Ceretti
rule is not a double jeopardy claim based on principles of merger. The issues in the first and second motion are thus not identical.
See
Winger v. CM Holdings, L.L.C.
,
*633 We thus conclude Noble's claim is not barred res judicata.
D.
In sum, we conclude the offense conduct supporting Noble's conviction for attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter is not separate. The plea record establishes each conviction is predicated on the same act against the same victim. Noble did not and could not waive his challenge to these convictions and sentences. The mere fact that he pleaded guilty is insufficient to constitute waiver of his Ceretti challenge. The express terms of the waiver do not encompass the substantive challenge presented in this appeal. And the convictions and sentences here constitute an illegal sentence beyond the district court's authority to impose even when bargained for. Finally, the claims presented in Noble's second motion to correct illegal sentence are not barred res judicata. The district court erred in denying Noble's motion to correct illegal sentence.
III.
Having concluded Noble's convictions and sentences are in violation of Ceretti and were not waived or otherwise barred, we must address the question of remedy.
It seems to us there are two potential remedies.
See
Woody
,
We conclude the best disposition of the claim is to allow the prosecutor to elect one of these two remedies. While annulling the judgment and sentence for voluntary manslaughter and enforcing the remainder of the plea bargain might allow the defendant to turn a favorable plea into a better deal, in some circumstances the State may consider that a preferable remedy to vacating the plea bargain and all of the convictions and beginning anew. The passage of time inevitably works to the detriment of the prosecution-evidence is lost or degrades; witnesses move or pass away; of those witnesses who remain, memories fade.
See
Estate of Kuhns v. Marco
,
*634 These are legitimate concerns left best left to the prosecutor's discretion.
IV.
We hold the defendant's convictions for attempted murder and voluntary manslaughter are predicated on the same act directed against the same victim and violate the rule announced in
Ceretti
. We remand this matter for further proceedings. At the State's election, the district court shall either: (1) vacate the defendant's conviction and sentence for voluntary manslaughter and resentence the defendant on the remaining convictions; or (2) vacate the plea bargain and the resulting convictions. In the event the State elects the latter remedy, "the State may reinstate any charges dismissed in contemplation of a valid plea bargain, if it so desires, and file any additional charges supported by the available evidence."
Ceretti
,
WRIT SUSTAINED AND REMANDED.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.