Stein v. State
Stein v. State
Opinion
[¶ 1] Rocky Stein appeals from the district court's order summarily dismissing his petition for post-conviction relief. Stein seeks relief from the criminal judgment entered following his plea of guilty to a charge of manslaughter. Stein asserts he received ineffective assistance of counsel prior to his guilty plea. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand this case for further proceedings on Stein's petition for post-conviction relief.
[¶ 2] Stein was the driver of one of two vehicles involved in an accident that occurred in September 2013. The driver of the other vehicle died as a result of injuries sustained in the accident. Stein was subsequently charged with criminal vehicular homicide.
[¶ 3] While represented by counsel, Stein pleaded guilty to an amended charge of manslaughter. Stein was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment with three years suspended for a period of five years. In his petition for post-conviction relief, Stein alleged various errors made by his attorney.
[¶ 4] The State moved the district court for dismissal or summary disposition of the petition. Stein responded to the State's motion by filing a personal affidavit, his college transcripts, and his counseling treatment records. After reviewing the materials provided by Stein and the change of plea transcript, the district court found that Stein had failed to produce any reasonable inferences which raised genuine issues of material fact regarding his attorney's representation and granted the State's request for summary disposition.
[¶ 5] A district court may summarily dismiss an application for post-conviction relief if there is no genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. N.D.C.C. § 29-32.1-09(1) ;
Johnson v. State
,
[¶ 6] Stein's petition, although containing multiple allegations, can be summarized as a contention that he was not provided with effective assistance of counsel. Stein bears the burden of proving two elements or prongs to establish his claim that he received ineffective assistance of counsel.
Johnson
,
[¶ 7] Stein makes a number of allegations he contends satisfy the first prong of the Strickland test; that his attorney's performance fell below an objective standard of reasonableness. First, Stein argues his attorney failed to advise him of new developments in the law which called into question the district court's prior denial of his motion to suppress the results of a blood test performed on blood collected without his consent. Second, Stein alleges his attorney inappropriately expedited the guilty plea after his attorney learned he would be leaving the Bismarck-Mandan Public Defender's Office. He argues that as a result of his case being expedited, he never had a chance to review the presentence investigation report as required by law, information regarding his physical and mental health was excluded from the presentence investigation report, his counsel failed to provide a chemical dependency evaluation and treatment reports to the court, insufficient time was spent developing the time line of his physical health and therapy, his counsel failed to hire an expert to explain Stein's medical and mental health conditions, and he did not have adequate time to consider the plea or its consequences. Third, Stein argues he was not adequately advised of the consequences of pleading guilty. He claims his counsel failed to inform him that a plea to a charge of manslaughter would require him to serve at least 85 percent of any sentence of incarceration under N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-09.1 and that he was erroneously led to believe there was a good chance he would get only probation without any incarceration. The district court determined all of Stein's allegations failed to satisfy the first prong of the Strickland test.
[¶ 8] This Court has previously recognized that when determining whether summary
*481
disposition is appropriate on claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, the record and transcripts are generally not adequate.
Henke v. State
,
[¶ 9] In the present case, the district court reviewed Stein's allegations, compared those allegations to the record and concluded Stein's allegations were in direct conflict with a clear and unambiguous record, and therefore Stein failed to satisfy the first prong of the Strickland test. A majority of Stein's assertions are contentions that information was not entered into the record or that he was not provided information which, had he been provided the information, would have changed his decision to plead guilty.
[¶ 10] When a claim made in an application for post-conviction relief is clearly and unambiguously contradicted by the record, summary disposition is appropriate.
See e.g.,
Howard v. State
,
[¶ 11] In addition to the above allegations, Stein's application for post-conviction relief asserted he was not informed he would be required to serve at least 85 percent of any period of incarceration as provided by N.D.C.C. § 12.1-32-09.1. The district court's order does not address this allegation. No discussion of the "85 percent *482 rule" appears within the sentencing hearing transcript. Additionally, Stein contends that his counsel told him he was likely to receive a sentence limited to probation.
[¶ 12] Failure to inform about the 85 percent service requirement is not per se improper, but misinformation about the length of a sentence can be viewed as below the objective standard of reasonableness.
Sambursky v. State
,
[¶ 13] To satisfy the prejudice requirement of the
Strickland
test, "the defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's errors, he would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on going to trial."
Hill
,
[¶ 14] The facts of this case closely resemble those of Sambursky . Stein asserted to the district court in his affidavit that he was not informed he would be required to serve 85 percent of any period of incarceration imposed as part of his sentence and that his sentence was likely to be limited to probation. Stein also stated in his affidavit, "I would not have pled guilty had I ... [understood] the implications of the manslaughter plea ...." In granting the State's request for summary dismissal of Stein's application for post-conviction relief, the district court did not address Stein's allegation he was not informed he would be required to serve 85 percent of any period of incarceration imposed as part of his sentence, and that had he been informed of that requirement, he would not have pled guilty.
[¶ 15] The district court properly granted summary dismissal of the majority of Stein's claims asserting ineffective assistance of counsel. However, the district court erred in summarily dismissing Stein's claims that he was not informed of the requirement he serve at least 85 percent of any period of incarceration and that his sentence would be limited to probation. Stein is entitled to an evidentiary hearing regarding the allegations he was not informed he would be required to serve at least 85 percent of any period of incarceration and that his counsel told him his sentence was likely to be limited to probation. The district court then should determine if Stein met his burden under the Strickland test. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand this case to the district court for further proceedings.
[¶ 16] Jon J. Jensen
Lisa Fair McEvers
Daniel J. Crothers
Jerod E. Tufte
Gerald W. VandeWalle, C.J.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Rocky STEIN, Petitioner and Appellant v. STATE of North Dakota, Respondent and Appellee
- Cited By
- 13 cases
- Status
- Published