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James Richard Tate, Appellant, v. State of Kansas, Appellee

Kansas Supreme Court1966-03-05No. No. 44,447
196 Kan. 435411 P.2d 661

Summary

Holding. The judgment of the district court denying Tate's motion to vacate his conviction and sentence was affirmed. The court held that Tate's preliminary hearing claim was abandoned, that Kansas law does not require appointed counsel at preliminary hearings, and that his remaining grounds were not properly preserved for appellate review.

James Tate appealed a district court order denying his motion to vacate a first-degree robbery conviction and sentence. Tate had pleaded guilty to the crime in 1961 and was sentenced to ten to twenty-one years in prison. While incarcerated, he filed a motion claiming he lacked counsel at his preliminary hearing. On appeal, he raised three grounds: absence of counsel at the preliminary hearing, involuntary plea induced by coercion and threats, and newly discovered evidence of his innocence.

The appellate court found that Tate's preliminary hearing claim was abandoned on appeal because it was neither argued nor briefed. The court noted that Kansas law did not require appointed counsel at preliminary hearings and that any irregularities at that stage are waived by entry of a voluntary guilty plea. Tate's other two contentions—regarding coercion and new evidence—were not presented to the trial court and therefore could not be considered for the first time on appeal.

Summary generated by law.co from the public-domain opinion. The opinion text itself is public domain.

Key issues

  • Right to counsel at preliminary hearing
  • Waiver of preliminary hearing irregularities by guilty plea
  • Preservation of issues for appellate review
  • Voluntary nature of guilty plea

Procedural posture

Tate appealed from the district court's order denying his motion under K.S.A. 60-1507 to vacate and set aside his judgment and sentence.

Authorities cited

No cited authorities resolved to law.co cases yet.

Opinion

majority opinion

The opinion of the court was delivered by

O’Connor, J.:

This is an appeal from an order of the district court of Montgomery county denying appellant’s motion filed under the provisions of K. S. A. 60-1507 to vacate and set aside a judgment and sentence. Hereinafter appellant will be referred to as petitioner or Tate.

The facts necessary for disposal of the appeal are as follows: Tate and Joseph Newman were arrested on a warrant charging them with first degree robbery and larceny of an automobile. A preliminary hearing was held at which Tate appeared without counsel and introduced no evidence. At the conclusion of the state’s evidence Tate was bound over to the district court to stand trial on both charges.

An information was subsequently filed in the district court charging Tate with the aforementioned offenses, and on September 14, 1961, he appeared for arraignment with counsel of his own choosing, E. Lael Alkire, a member of the Sedgwick County Bar. Tate entered a plea of guilty to count one of the information charging him with robbery in the first degree (G. S. 1949, 21-527 [now K. S. A. 21-527]), and on motion by the state, count two, charging larceny of an automobile, was dismissed. Pursuant to the provisions of G. S. 1949, 21-530 (now K.S.A. 21-530) and G. S. 1957 Supp., 62-2239 (now K. S. A. 62-2239) the petitioner was sentenced to confinement in the state penitentiary for a term of not less than ten nor more than twenty-one years.

While confined in the penitentiary, Tate mailed to the district court on July 20, 1964, a letter which was treated as a motion for relief under the provisions of K. S. A. 60-1507. The only ground set forth in petitioner s motion was that he did not have counsel at his preliminary hearing. The district court, in setting the motion for hearing, found that no question of fact was raised therein which required the presence of the petitioner or the appointment of counsel for him. The court ordered that notice of time and place of hearing be given to “all those parties concerned.” An affidavit of mailing by the county attorney shows that notice was mailed to the petitioner and Mr. Russell Shultz, an attorney in Wichita. Although Mr. Shultz did not appear at the hearing on August 13, 1964, the journal entry reflects a finding by the court that the petitioner was then represented by Mr. Shultz as “new counsel of his own choosing.” The journal entry further discloses that the court, after considering the records and files of the case, concluded the judgment and sentence previously entered was valid in all respects and denied petitioner’s motion. Tate subsequently filed a motion for rehearing, which was summarily denied. From these orders he now appeals.

Petitioner, by his present, court-appointed counsel, raises three points on appeal, namely, (1) he was not represented by counsel at his preliminary hearing, (2) his plea of guilty was induced by coercion, threats and promises, and therefore was involuntary, and (3) new evidence exists consisting of an affidavit by Newman exonerating Tate of any guilt in the commission of the crime to which he pleaded guilty.

Petitioner’s complaint of lack of counsel at his preliminary hearing is the only question that was presented to the trial court for determination. Although listed as one of his points on appeal, it is neither argued nor briefed and may therefore be considered as having been abandoned. (Vaughan v. Hornaman, 195 Kan. 291, 403 P. 2d 948; Scrinopskie v. Arthur Murray, Inc., 195 Kan. 278, 403 P. 2d 1001.) A search of the record, however, fails to reveal any proceedings transpired at the preliminary hearing that were or could have been prejudicial to the petitioner upon his subsequent plea of guilty. Even were the matter not abandoned, it is a firmly established rule in this state that there is no constitutional requirement that counsel be appointed for an indigent defendant at his prehminary hearing. For a few of our more recent cases, see Cooper v. State, 196 Kan. 421, 411 P. 2d 652; Fields v. State, 195 Kan. 718, 408 P. 2d 674; Shores v. State, 195 Kan. 705, 408 P. 2d 608; Blacksmith v. State, 195 Kan. 523, 407 P. 2d 486; Zumalt v. State, 195 Kan. 520, 407 P. 2d 234; Chance v. State, 195 Kan. 430, 407 P. 2d 236, cert. den. 382 U. S. 1019, 15 L. Ed. 2d 534, 86 S. Ct. 638. Furthermore, this court has consistently held that any claimed irregularities pertaining to a preliminary examination are deemed to be waived where a defendant enters a voluntary plea of guilty in the district court. (Blacksmith v. State, supra; Chance v. State, supra; Portis v. State, 195 Kan. 313, 403 P. 2d 959.)

Tate’s brief and argument pertain primarily to his second and third points, neither of which was mentioned or presented to the district court. Under such circumstances we are in no position to consider the questions. This court will not for the first time consider issues on appeal which have not been presented to the trial court. (Call v. State, 195 Kan. 688, 408 P. 2d 668; State v. Talbert, 195 Kan. 149, 402 P. 2d 810, cert. den. 382 U. S. 868, 15 L. Ed. 2d 107, 86 S. Ct. 143; Prater v. Hand, 185 Kan. 405, 345 P. 2d 634.)

The judgment is affirmed.