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521 So. 2d 1352

6 Div. 390.

Colvin v. State

Ronnie Lanier COLVIN v. STATE.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Decided September 8, 1987.

On Return to Remand November 24, 1987.

Rehearing Denied January 26, 1988.

Certiorari Denied April 1, 1988.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama · decided 1987-11-24

Cited by 5 later decisions — most recently September 1992

5 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“"[W]here the trial court does not make a finding in the record based upon its personal knowledge and where the State does not file an answer or return denying the allegations of fact in the petition, those facts must be accepted as true." Colvin v. State, 521 So.2d 1352, 1353 (Ala.Cr.App.1987).”

quoted by 1 later decision, including 556 So. 2d 1094 - Sheats v. State

Relies on 471 So. 2d 1257 - Ex Parte Boatwright · Ex Parte Floyd · Ex Parte Clisby

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1987-11-24

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

¶1*1353 Ronnie Lanier Colvin, pro se.

¶2Don Siegelman, Atty. Gen., and Jane Le-Croy Brannan, Asst. Atty. Gen., for the State.

¶3Alabama Supreme Court 87-572.

¶4BOWEN, Presiding Judge.

¶5This is an appeal from the summary denial of a pro se petition for writ of error coram nobis.

¶6The petitioner alleges that his guilty pleas were involuntary because he was represented by ineffective counsel. Because the coram nobis petition is "meritorious on its face," Moore v. State,502 So.2d 819 (Ala.1986); Ex parte Clisby,501 So.2d 483 (Ala. 1986), and, because the allegations of the petition stand unrefuted and unchallenged, the petitioner is entitled to an evidentiary hearing. Ex parte Boatwright,471 So.2d 1257 (Ala.1985).

¶7Contrary to the Attorney General's argument, there is absolutely nothing in the record before this Court to indicate that the circuit court judge who denied the coram nobis petition had any personal knowledge of the facts surrounding the petitioner's guilty pleas in 1980.

¶8"In considering a petition for writ of error coram nobis, a court may and should determine the `reasonableness of the allegations made in the petition and the probability or improbability of their truth.'" Holsclaw v. State,429 So.2d 1185, 1187 (Ala.Cr.App.1983). However, where the trial court does not make a finding in the record based upon its personal knowledge and where the State does not file an answer or return denying the allegations of fact in the petition, those facts must be accepted as true. Ex parte Floyd,457 So.2d 961, 962 (Ala.1984); Hall v. State,495 So.2d 717, 718 (Ala.Cr.App.1986).

¶9This cause is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

¶10REMANDED FOR FURTHER PROCEEDINGS.

¶11All Judges concur.

¶12

ON RETURN TO REMAND

¶13BOWEN, Presiding Judge.

¶14On remand, the circuit judge held an evidentiary hearing, examined documents in the files of the petitioner's cases, and concluded: "Petitioner has produced unclear, unsatisfactory statements totally contrary to the truth" and "has not established [his] right to relief by clear, full and satisfactory proof."

¶15Based on the findings of the circuit judge contained in the record, the judgment of the circuit court denying the coram nobis petition is affirmed.

¶16OPINION EXTENDED; AFFIRMED.

¶17All Judges concur.

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