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Stephens v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
Oct 13, 1995
672 So. 2d 1359 (Ala. Crim. App. 1995)

Opinion

CR-93-432.

September 30, 1994. Rehearing Denied November 10, 1994. Certiorari Quashed October 13, 1995 Alabama Supreme Court 1940305.

Appeal from Etowah Circuit Court (CC-92-1213); Donald Stewart, Judge.

Charles Hart, Gadsden, for appellant.

James H. Evans, Atty. Gen. and Steve Willoughby, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.


AFFIRMED. NO OPINION.

All Judges concur except TAYLOR, J., dissents with opinion.


I respectfully dissent from the majority's holding in its unpublished memorandum that the failure of the court to indicate its satisfaction that a factual basis for the plea existed before accepting the appellant's plea was harmless error under Rule 45, Ala.R.App.P. The harmless error analysis is not appropriate here. Rule 14.4, Ala.R.Crim.P., requires that the court be satisfied that there is a factual basis for the plea before accepting a guilty plea. The potential for injury in abrogating this requirement is both obvious and implicit.


Summaries of

Stephens v. State

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
Oct 13, 1995
672 So. 2d 1359 (Ala. Crim. App. 1995)
Case details for

Stephens v. State

Case Details

Full title:Van Buren STEPHENS v. STATE

Court:Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama

Date published: Oct 13, 1995

Citations

672 So. 2d 1359 (Ala. Crim. App. 1995)