Plea Form

C-2020-691

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In OCCA case No. C-2020-691, Raheem Travon Walker appealed his conviction for Assault and Battery on an Employee of a Juvenile Detention Facility. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to grant Walker's request to withdraw his guilty plea and go to trial. One judge dissented. To explain further, Walker was 17 years old when he pleaded guilty to the crime. He entered into a deal, thinking he would be part of a special program for young adults where his sentence would be delayed. However, later it was discovered that he was not eligible for this program due to a past juvenile record for robbery. Because of this ineligibility, the judge gave him a different sentence, which he believed was not what he had agreed to. After realizing that he did not get what he had bargained for, Walker asked if he could change his mind about the plea. A hearing took place, but his request was denied. He then appealed the decision, arguing that he was not helped properly by his lawyer during the process. The court found that he had a valid point since he entered the agreement expecting specific benefits, which were not provided. Because of this, the court decided he should have another chance and allowed him to withdraw his guilty plea. The dissenting opinion argued that Walker had not raised the issue of not having a proper plea form and thus had waived that right. They believed there was no mistake about the plea agreement and questioned whether Walker's claim had enough basis to warrant this new decision. Regardless, the majority found that Walker’s concerns about his plea and the sentence should be addressed by allowing him to go to trial.

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C-2009-865

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In OCCA case No. C-2009-865, Floyd Reid appealed his conviction for Robbery With a Firearm. In an unpublished decision, the court decided to affirm the trial court's ruling, meaning they agreed with the trial court's decision not to let Reid withdraw his guilty plea. One judge dissented.

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C-2009-48

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In OCCA case No. C-2009-48, Malissa Latoya Hamill appealed her conviction for First Degree Rape. In a published decision, the court decided to grant her request and remand the case for a new hearing on her motion to withdraw her plea of no contest. One member of the court dissented. Malissa Hamill had entered her plea in the District Court of Bryan County and was given a ten-year suspended sentence along with a fine. Later, she wrote a letter to the court asking to withdraw her plea, claiming it was not made knowingly and voluntarily. The court held a hearing on her motion, during which she represented herself without a lawyer. The judge believed she had waived her right to have a lawyer assist her, but the court found that this waiver wasn't clear. During the appeal, the issues were whether Hamill knowingly gave up her right to have a lawyer present and whether her plea was truly made in an informed way. The court noted that a defendant has the right to attorney assistance when trying to withdraw a plea. If this right is denied, it can be considered an error unless it's clear that the defendant wouldn't have been able to withdraw their plea anyway. Hamill's claims of innocence and concerns about the validity of her plea could not be disregarded based on the existing records, which were incomplete. Because there was no proper record of what was discussed during her initial plea, the court decided that it couldn’t confirm whether Hamill had fully understood the punishment when she made her plea. This lack of clarity led the court to conclude that Hamill should have a new hearing where she could have legal help. Therefore, the court granted her request, stating that the lower court must hold a new hearing on her motion to withdraw her plea, this time making sure she has the assistance of a lawyer.

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C-2005-398

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In OCCA case No. C-2005-398, Elisa Nielson appealed her conviction for Lewd Acts with a Child Under the Age of 16. In a published decision, the court decided to grant the petition for certiorari and remand the case for further proceedings. One judge dissented from the decision. Elisa Nielson had entered a guilty plea for her crime on February 7, 2005. The judge sentenced her to twenty years in prison, but she would only have to serve ten years if she followed certain rules. Nielson later wanted to take back her guilty plea because she thought there was confusion about what her sentence would be. She argued that a deal was made where she wouldn't be sentenced to more than five years in prison, but when it came time for sentencing, the judge did not follow that recommendation. Nielson brought her case to a higher court, saying that the trial judge should have let her change her mind about the guilty plea before sentencing. The higher court looked at all the facts and agreed with her. They found that the confusion about the plea meant she should have been allowed to withdraw it. The court decided Nielson's issue about the sentence was not relevant after they allowed her to withdraw her plea. So, they granted her request and sent the case back to the lower court to work things out according to their ruling. One judge disagreed and said that Nielson understood what she was doing when she accepted her guilty plea. He thought the agreement was clear and that the lower court had done everything correctly. He would not have granted her appeal.

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C-2003-1382

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In OCCA case No. C-2003-1382, Ronyell Lamar Shelton appealed his conviction for multiple crimes including Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Robbery with a Firearm, Knowingly Concealing Stolen Property, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. In a published decision, the court decided to affirm the convictions for conspiracy, robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm but reversed the conviction for one count of concealing stolen property, allowing Shelton to withdraw his plea for another count of this crime. One judge dissented regarding the reversal of the concealing stolen property charges, stating that both charges were valid.

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