From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Coates v. Seay

Supreme Court of Georgia
Sep 8, 1977
238 S.E.2d 422 (Ga. 1977)

Opinion

32403.

SUBMITTED JUNE 10, 1977.

DECIDED SEPTEMBER 8, 1977.

Habeas corpus. Ware Superior Court. Before Judge Hodges.

Willie C. Coates, pro se. Arthur K. Bolton, Attorney General, John W. Dunsmore, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, J. Kenneth Royal, for appellee.


Appellant's application for habeas corpus attacking his sentence for escape was denied by the trial court. We granted his application for appeal to this court.

Appellant raises a number of contentions in his pro se petition but in the evidentiary hearing in the trial court he presented evidence on only two issues: One, that he was placed in double jeopardy when he entered a plea of guilty to escape since he had earlier received administrative punishment for that offense; and two, that he had ineffective assistance of counsel in that his lawyer "tricked" him into pleading guilty.

His first contention is without merit. The imposition of criminal punishment and administrative sanctions for the same act does not constitute a violation of the double jeopardy prohibition. Carruth v. Ault, 231 Ga. 547 ( 203 S.E.2d 158) (1974).

A review of the hearing transcript, including the guilty plea hearing and the attorney's deposition, contradict appellant's contention that he was "tricked" into pleading guilty. The record shows an intelligent and voluntary plea of guilty to the escape charge and a charge of theft by taking while on escape, for which he received sentences of 3 and 4 years respectively to run concurrently.

While the district attorney in the guilty plea hearing referred to escape as a misdemeanor (when under the facts of this case it was a felony) the appellant makes no contention that he was in any way influenced or misled by this mistake. Under the facts of this case we find no error. See Hill v. Hopper, 233 Ga. 633 ( 212 S.E.2d 810) (1975).

Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.


SUBMITTED JUNE 10, 1977 — DECIDED SEPTEMBER 8, 1977.


Summaries of

Coates v. Seay

Supreme Court of Georgia
Sep 8, 1977
238 S.E.2d 422 (Ga. 1977)
Case details for

Coates v. Seay

Case Details

Full title:COATES v. SEAY

Court:Supreme Court of Georgia

Date published: Sep 8, 1977

Citations

238 S.E.2d 422 (Ga. 1977)
238 S.E.2d 422

Citing Cases

Nolen v. State

Traditionally, an administrative hearing could not constitute a prosecution for the purpose of double…

Johnson v. Butcher

This transcript affirmatively demonstrates that appellant's pleas were intelligently and voluntarily made.…