C-2003-1334
In OCCA case No. C-2003-1334, Rodney Taylor Glenn appealed his conviction for various crimes. In a published decision, the court decided to allow Glenn to withdraw his plea for some charges but affirmed his conviction for others. One judge dissented. Rodney Taylor Glenn was charged with several crimes in Washington County. He made a deal with the State where some charges were dropped in exchange for him accepting a plea of nolo contendere, which means he didn't admit guilt but accepted the punishment. The judge sentenced him to a total of 35 years for some crimes and 20 years for others, with some sentences running consecutively and others concurrently. Glenn later wanted to change his plea, saying he wasn't fully advised of the possible punishments for his actions. He claimed that the court didn't check whether he was mentally fit to plead, and that he received wrong information about the sentencing ranges for some of his charges. He argued that he should be allowed to withdraw his plea since there was no solid factual basis for one of the charges—assault and battery with a deadly weapon. The court looked at Glenn's arguments carefully. They agreed that the trial court had checked enough to see that Glenn was able to plead. However, they found that they could not support the charge of assault and battery with a deadly weapon based on the facts presented. The court also agreed that Glenn had been given wrong information about the possible punishments for his actions. Because of these issues, the court ruled that Glenn could withdraw his plea for the assault and battery with a deadly weapon and a charge related to a firearm, but they upheld the convictions for the other charges. The final decision meant Glenn was allowed to change his plea for some charges, but the original convictions on others were kept. One judge did not agree with the decision to let Glenn withdraw his plea, arguing that Glenn had made a bargain and should not benefit from mistakes made during the process. This dissent highlighted the complexity of plea agreements and the expectation that all parties would honor the deal made.