State of Minnesota v. April Jean Worrall
Minnesota Court of Appeals
State of Minnesota v. April Jean Worrall
Opinion
This opinion is nonprecedential except as provided by
Minn. R. Civ. App. P. 136.01, subd. 1(c).
STATE OF MINNESOTA
IN COURT OF APPEALS
A23-0840
State of Minnesota,
Respondent,
vs.
April Jean Worrall,
Appellant.
Filed February 14, 2024
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded
Klaphake, Judge *
Hubbard County District Court
File No. 29-CR-23-311
Keith Ellison, Attorney General, St. Paul, Minnesota; and
Jonathan Frieden, Hubbard County Attorney, Park Rapids, Minnesota (for respondent)
Cathryn Middlebrook, Chief Appellate Public Defender, Amy Lawler, Assistant Public
Defender, St. Paul, Minnesota (for appellant)
Considered and decided by Worke, Presiding Judge; Frisch, Judge; and Klaphake,
Judge.
*
Retired judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals, serving by appointment pursuant to
Minn. Const. art. VI, § 10.
NONPRECEDENTIAL OPINION
KLAPHAKE, Judge
Appellant April Jean Worrall pleaded guilty to violating a domestic-abuse no-
contact order (DANCO) after admitting to contacting the protected person, J.H. Worrall
appeals her guilty plea, arguing it was not accurate because it was not supported by an
adequate factual basis. Because our review of the record demonstrates that the plea was
supported by a proper factual basis, we affirm the acceptance of her guilty plea. However,
Worrall’s sentence exceeded the statutory maximum, so we therefore reverse and remand
to the district court for resentencing.
DECISION
Worrall asserts that she should be allowed to withdraw her guilty plea because it
was not supported by an adequate factual basis. “To be constitutionally valid, a guilty plea
must be accurate, voluntary, and intelligent.” State v. Boecker, 893 N.W.2d 348, 350(Minn. 2017). A guilty plea is inaccurate when it is not established with a proper factual basis.Id.
We review the validity of a guilty plea de novo. State v. Raleigh,778 N.W.2d 90, 94
(Minn. 2010). Worrall argues that her plea did not have a proper factual basis, because
she did not admit that she knew contacting J.H. would violate the DANCO. Specifically,
Worrall contends that she was not asked if she knew that contacting J.H. would subject her
to criminal liability and that such an admission was required for her guilty plea to be
accurate. We are not persuaded.
Under Minnesota Statutes section 629.75, subdivision 2(b) (2022), a person
commits a misdemeanor DANCO violation when she “knows of the existence of a
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domestic abuse no contact order issued against the person and violates the order.” Worrall
admitted that she knew the DANCO prohibited her from contacting J.H. and that she
telephoned J.H. after being personally served the DANCO. Under the elements of the
statute, Worrall admitted to violating the DANCO.
Worrall argues that knowing she was “not supposed to” contact J.H. was not
sufficient to show she knew the facts that placed her in violation of the DANCO. Worrall
cites State v. Andersen, 946 N.W.2d 627, 637 (Minn. App. 2020), to support her argument
that the state was required to show that she “knew the facts that placed her in violation of
the order.” The record establishes that Worrall knew the facts that placed her in violation
of the DANCO. Worrall admitted that she was aware of the DANCO, that she knew the
DANCO prohibited contact with J.H., and that she contacted J.H. in violation of the
DANCO while knowing that she was “not supposed” to have any contact with the party.
Accordingly, her guilty plea had an adequate factual basis and was constitutionally
accurate.
The district court, however, abused its discretion by placing Worrall on supervised
probation for two years, exceeding the statutory maximum. We review a district court’s
imposition of a sentence for an abuse of discretion. State v. Soto, 855 N.W.2d 303, 307-08(Minn. 2014). A district court abuses its discretion when a sentence is “based on an erroneous view of the law.” State v. Hallmark,927 N.W.2d 281, 291
(Minn. 2019). Under
Minnesota Statutes section 609.135, subdivision 2(e) (2022), a conviction for a
misdemeanor that is not otherwise specified in the subdivision may have a stay of execution
for a maximum of one year of probation. Probation is allowed for up to two years only for
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specified misdemeanors, including domestic assault, fifth-degree assault, and violations of
orders for protection. Minn. Stat. § 609.135, subd. 2(d) (2022). A misdemeanor DANCO
violation is not included in subdivision 2(d), so the maximum length of probation for a
misdemeanor DANCO violation is one year. Because Worrall’s conviction was for a
misdemeanor not specified by statute to allow two years of probation, the maximum length
of probation permissible by statute was one year.
We affirm the district court’s acceptance of Worrall’s guilty plea. We reverse
Worrall’s sentence of two years of probation and remand to the district court with
instructions to direct an entry of one year of probation, consistent with the statutory
maximum.
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
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Reference
- Status
- Unpublished
- Syllabus
- Appellant April Jean Worrall pleaded guilty to violating a domestic-abuse no-contact order (DANCO) after admitting to contacting the protected person, J.H. Worrall appeals her guilty plea, arguing it was not accurate because it was not supported by an adequate factual basis. Because our review of the record demonstrates that the plea was supported by a proper factual basis, we affirm the acceptance of her guilty plea. However, Worrall's sentence exceeded the statutory maximum, so we herefore reverse and remand to the district court for resentencing.