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495 So. 2d 717

Hall v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Decided August 12, 1986

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama · decided 1986-08-12

Cited by 6 later decisions — most recently October 1991

6 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“'the unrefuted facts set out by the petitioner must be taken as true.”

quoted by 2 later decisions, including 589 So. 2d 815 - Teat v. State, 517 So. 2d 643 - Chaverst v. State

Relies on 471 So. 2d 1257 - Ex Parte Boatwright · Ex Parte Floyd · 406 So. 2d 439 - Ellison v. State

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1986-08-12

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1

¶2This is an appeal from the denial of a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis. The appellant alleges that his appointed trial counsel, David Flack, represented to him that if he pleaded guilty to charges of assault in the first degree and assault in the second degree he would "definitely" receive a concurrent sentence of five years' imprisonment in each case pursuant to a plea bargain agreement with the District Attorney. The appellant alleges that this agreement was violated because he received consecutive sentences of nine years' and five years' imprisonment. Attached to the coram nobis petition are the corroborating affidavits of the appellant's mother and sister. The appellant alleges that his 1982 guilty plea was not voluntarily and intelligently made and that appointed counsel was negligent and ineffective. The petition also alleges that appointed counsel "refused to appeal the actions as the Petitioner requested him to do."

¶3The State filed no response and the petition was summarily denied without an evidentiary hearing. This was improper.

¶4The petition is meritorious and requires an evidentiary hearing. Ex parte Boat-wright, 471 So.2d 1257 (Ala. 1985);Ellison v. State, 406 So.2d 439 (Ala.Cr.App. 1981). "[S]ince the State did not file an answer or return denying the allegations of fact in the petition, the facts as set out in the petition must be taken as true." Williams v. State,461 So.2d 1339 (Ala. 1984) (Torbert, C.J., concurring specially). "[T]he unrefuted facts set out by the petitioner must be taken as true." Ex parte Floyd, 457 So.2d 961, 962 (Ala. 1984).

¶5For these reasons, the judgment of the circuit court is reversed and this cause is remanded with the direction that the appellant be afforded the evidentiary hearing to which he is entitled under the facts of this case.

¶6REVERSED AND REMANDED.

¶7All Judges concur.

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