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254 Ark. 137

Stallins v. State

Supreme Court of Arkansas

Decided March 26, 1973

Supreme Court of Arkansas · decided 1973-03-26

Cited by 7 later decisions — most recently March 1979

7 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“Before accepting the plea and sentencing appellant to twenty years in the Department of Corrections, the trial court not only satisfied himself that appellant was voluntarily pleading guilty to a crime he had committed but caused a record to be made of the proceedings had. This record clearly demonstrates that there is no merit to the many contentions that appellant now makes.”

quoted by 1 later decision, including Bates v. State

Relies on North Carolina v. Alford

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1973-03-26

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Conley Byrd, Justice.

¶1The trial court without a formal hearing denied appellant William H. Stallins’ petition for post conviction relief from a 20 year sentence on a guilty plea to assault with intent to rape. The trial court’s action was proper under Criminal Procedure Rule No. 1 (c). See also North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970).

¶2The record shows that after an original plea of not guilty to a charge of first degree rape there was some negotiation between appellant’s employed counsel and the prosecuting attorney. On January 26, 1970, the State reduced the charge to assault with intent to rape but the trial court would not accept appellant’s plea because he stated that he used no force and that the girl consented. Thereafter the State amended the information to again charge first degree rape. February 1, 1970, appellant again requested that he be permitted to plead guilty to assault with intent to rape. Before accepting the plea and sentencing appellant to twenty years in the Department of Corrections, the trial court not only satisfied himself that appellant was voluntarily pleading guilty to a crime he had committed but caused a record to be made of the proceedings had. This record clearly demonstrates that there is no merit to the many contentions that appellant now makes.

¶3Affirmed.

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