United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Quicksall v. Michigan, 339 U.S. 660 (1950)

Quicksall v. Michigan

No. 33

Argued February 6, 1950

Decided June 5, 1950

339 U.S. 660

Syllabus

Upon his plea of guilty of murder, petitioner was sentenced by a Michigan state court to imprisonment for life. The State had long before abolished capital punishment. Almost ten years later, petitioner moved to vacate the sentence and for a new trial, claiming that a federal constitutional right to assistance of counsel had been infringed and that his plea of guilty had been induced by misrepresentations by the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff. The motion was heard before the same judge who had received his plea of guilty and sentenced him. The motion was denied, and the State Supreme Court affirmed.

Held: upon the record in this case, petitioner has failed to sustain the burden of proving such a disregard of fundamental fairness in the imposition of punishment by the State as would justify this Court in setting aside the sentence as violative of the Due Process Clause. Pp. 339 U. S. 661-665.

(a) In the circumstances of this case, the failure of the record to show that petitioner was offered counsel does not offend the Due Process Clause. Pp. 339 U. S. 665-666.

(b) When a crime subject to capital punishment is not involved, each case depends on its own facts. P. 339 U. S. 666.

(c) To invalidate a plea of guilty, a state prisoner must establish that an ingredient of unfairness actively operated in the process that resulted in his confinement. P. 339 U. S. 666.

322 Mich. 351, 33 N.W.2d 904, affirmed.

Petitioner's motion to vacate a sentence of life imprisonment theretofore imposed upon him, and for a new trial, was denied by a Michigan state court. The State Supreme Court affirmed. 322 Mich. 351, 33 N.W.2d 904. This Court granted certiorari. 336 U.S. 916. Affirmed, p. 339 U. S. 666.

Page 339 U. S. 661