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Fortson v. State

Defendant had a constitutional right to appointed counsel at his hearing to withdraw his guilty plea because a plea withdrawal proceeding is a critical stage of a defendant's prosecution.

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Shedrick Fortson pled guilty to felony murder and firearm possession in January 1998. In February 1998 Fortson filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea alleging that because his appointed counsel was ineffective his plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered. Fortson did not have counsel at the time of the hearing on the guilty plea withdrawal. The trial court denied the motion to withdraw. Because Fortson was not informed of his right to be represented by counsel during the plea withdrawal proceedings, we reverse.

Fortson was charged in a 13-count indictment with various crimes arising from the armed robbery and shooting death of Reuben Jackson.1 With the assistance of appointed counsel, he pled guilty to felony murder and firearm possession and was sentenced to life imprisonment plus a consecutive term of five years to be served on probation. Within 30 days after pleading guilty, and within the same term of court, Fortson filed a pro se motion to withdraw his guilty plea. He asserted ineffectiveness of counsel in the plea proceeding thus claiming that his guilty plea was not knowingly and voluntarily entered. Fortson’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea was denied following an evidentiary hearing at which Fortson appeared pro se. Fortson now appeals with the assistance of appointed counsel contending in his sole enumeration of error that the trial court erred in failing to provide counsel to assist in his motion to withdraw the guilty plea, or to conduct an inquiry as to whether he waived the right to counsel.

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