STATE OF NEW JERSEY VS. MICHAEL L. SANTIAGO (20-02-0179, CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND STATEWIDE) ( 2021 )


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  •                                 NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
    APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
    This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court." Although it is posted on the
    internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
    SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
    APPELLATE DIVISION
    DOCKET NO. A-1831-20
    STATE OF NEW JERSEY,
    Plaintiff-Appellant,
    v.
    MICHAEL L. SANTIAGO,
    Defendant-Respondent.
    _________________________
    Submitted June 7, 2021 – Decided June 21, 2021
    Before Judges Rothstadt and Mayer.
    On appeal from an interlocutory order of the Superior
    Court of New Jersey, Law Division, Cumberland
    County, Indictment No. 20-02-0179.
    Jennifer     Webb-McRae,      Cumberland       County
    Prosecutor, attorney for appellant (Shari-Ann Sasu,
    Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and on the brief, and
    Andre R. Araujo, Assistant Prosecutor, of counsel and
    on the brief).
    Joseph E. Krakora, Public Defender, attorney for
    respondent (Morgan A. Birck, Assistant Deputy Public
    Defender, of counsel and on the brief).
    PER CURIAM
    By way of leave granted, the State appeals from a January 28, 2020 order
    allowing defendant to withdraw his guilty plea. We affirm.
    We summarize the relevant facts. On December 8, 2019, officers from
    the Vineland Police Department responded to a reported stabbing. Upon arrival,
    an officer spoke to the victim L.S. (Smith). 1 Smith, who suffered several stab
    wounds to his torso, told the police he was asleep and heard a knock at the door.
    When Smith opened the door, a man pushed his way inside and "started swinging
    at [Smith] with a knife in his hand." Smith punched the assailant, knocking him
    to the ground and causing him to drop the knife. Smith retrieved the knife, and
    the assailant fled.
    Smith described the assailant as "a Hispanic male wearing a denim jacket
    and jeans who he kn[ew] as 'Kahuna.'" An officer at the scene identified
    defendant as Kahuna and showed Smith a photograph of defendant. Smith
    confirmed the man in the picture was his attacker.
    The police issued a warrant for defendant's arrest on the following
    charges:    attempted   murder,   N.J.S.A.   2C:5-1(a)(1)   and   2C:11-3(a)(1);
    aggravated assault, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(1); unlawful possession of a weapon,
    1
    We use a pseudonym to protect the identity of the victim. R. 1:38-3(c)(6).
    2                                  A-1831-20
    N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(d); possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A.
    2C:39-4(d); burglary, N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2(a)(1); and aggravated assault with a
    deadly weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(b)(2). The day after the stabbing incident,
    defendant voluntarily presented himself to the police and was arrested.
    On February 19, 2020, a grand jury indicted defendant for third-degree
    aggravated assault, (count one); fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon,
    (count two); third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose (count
    three); and third-degree burglary, (count four).
    On March 9, 2020, defendant pleaded guilty to count one in exchange for
    dismissal of the remaining counts. 2     The State also agreed to recommend
    defendant be sentenced to five years' probation.
    Based on the closure of New Jersey courts due to COVID-19, defendant's
    sentencing hearing was postponed several times. On December 1, 2020, prior
    to sentencing, defendant filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea. Defendant,
    maintaining his innocence, claimed he pleaded guilty because he "did not want
    to continually sit in jail for an undetermined amount of time." He further
    asserted the victim made statements to various people, admitting "[the victim]
    2
    Defendant remained in custody from December 9, 2019, the date his arrest,
    until March 9, 2020, the date of his guilty plea.
    3                                 A-1831-20
    knew that it was not [defendant] who stabbed him." 3 The State opposed the
    motion.
    On December 8, 2020, the judge heard counsels' arguments on the motion.
    The judge decided "to adjourn both the sentencing and the motion for a period
    of [forty-five] days in order to allow the State or the defense to have contact
    with [the victim] to determine whether or not he continue[d] to be a viable
    complaining witness."
    The motion hearing reconvened on January 28, 2021.              During the
    adjournment period, neither party located the victim. The judge, understanding
    "[a] rational person could [plead guilty] while still claiming innocence" to avoid
    imprisonment, recognizing defendant's assumption of risk "by walking away
    from a probationary sentence," and hesitating "to take a guilty plea from an
    innocent person," granted defendant's plea withdrawal in the interests of justice
    pursuant to Rule 3:9-3(e). While the judge found the matter was a "close case"
    and both parties "made perfectly logical and correct legal arguments," he
    acknowledged "in a close case[,] the scales usually tip in favor of the defendant."
    He also noted withdrawal of the guilty plea was "a big roll of the [dice] for this
    3
    The record is unclear whether defendant learned of the victim's recanting
    before or after his guilty plea.
    4                                    A-1831-20
    defendant. Because [the judge] suspect[ed] if [he] withdr[e]w [the] guilty plea
    that the State [wa]s never going to give [defendant] a probationary offer again."
    The judge's decision was "tempered by the fact that prior to sentencing[,] courts
    should exercise their discretion liberally to allow pleas to be withdrawn,
    notwithstanding the fact that . . . defendant[s are told y]ou can't change your
    mind."
    In analyzing the factors under State v. Slater, 
    198 N.J. 145
    , 157-58 (2009),
    the judge concluded "defendant has . . . at least provided some plausible basis
    for the request. And the plausible basis is that his attorney can't find the
    complaining witness and that he has been told . . . the complaining witness has
    since recanted . . . ." Regarding the nature and strength of defendant's reasons
    for withdrawing the plea, while the judge did not know why defendant sought
    to withdraw his plea, the judge noted there "was a plea bargain.           It was
    advantageous to the defendant." On the fairness or prejudice to either party, the
    judge, citing the interests of justice standard governing pre-sentence withdrawal
    applications, explained he never "want[ed] to take a guilty plea from an innocent
    person."
    The State filed a motion for leave to appeal which we granted. On appeal,
    the State argues the judge "misapplied the law, considered irrelevant and
    5                                   A-1831-20
    inappropriate information, and abused [his] discretion" in granting defendant's
    plea withdrawal motion. According to the State, defendant failed to satisfy
    Slater because: (1) he offered a "bald assertion of innocence"; (2) defendant's
    desire to be released from custody was an insufficient reason to plead guilty; (3)
    the existence of a plea agreement was an insignificant factor; (4) the State was
    prejudiced by the withdrawal because the key witness was no longer available;
    and (5) "[t]he State has an interest in the finality of its guilty pleas." We reject
    the State's arguments.
    We review a decision on a motion to withdraw a guilty plea for abuse of
    discretion. State v. Tate, 
    220 N.J. 393
    , 404 (2015). An abuse of discretion
    "arises when a decision is 'made without rational explanation, inexplicably
    departed from established policies, or rested on an impermissible basis.'" State
    v. Williams, 
    458 N.J. Super. 274
    , 280 (App. Div. 2019) (quoting Flagg v. Essex
    Cnty. Prosecutor, 
    171 N.J. 561
    , 571 (2002)).
    Before sentencing, a judge reviewing a plea withdrawal applies "the
    interests of justice" standard. R. 3:9-3(e); State v. Howard, 
    110 N.J. 113
    , 123-
    24 (1988). "[C]ourts are to exercise their discretion liberally to allow plea
    withdrawals." Slater, 
    198 N.J. at 156
    . When a trial court decides a motion to
    vacate a guilty plea, the court must consider "(1) whether the defendant has
    6                                    A-1831-20
    asserted a colorable claim of innocence; (2) the nature and strength of
    defendant's reasons for withdrawal; (3) the existence of a plea bargain; and (4)
    whether withdrawal would result in unfair prejudice to the State or unfair
    advantage to the accused." 
    Id. at 157-58
    . While "[t]rial courts should consider
    and balance all of the factors[, n]o factor is mandatory; if one is missing, that
    does not automatically disqualify or dictate relief." 
    Id. at 162
    .
    Here, the judge properly applied the Slater factors in granting defendant's
    motion to withdraw his guilty plea.
    Under factor one, defendant raised a colorable claim of innocence. A
    colorable claim of innocence "rests on 'particular, plausible facts' that, if proven
    in court, would lead a reasonable factfinder to determine the claim is
    meritorious." State v. Munroe, 
    210 N.J. 429
    , 443 (2012) (citing Slater, 
    198 N.J. at 158-59
    ).   The judge concluded the inability to locate the victim added
    plausibility to defendant's claim the victim recanted his statement identifying
    defendant as the assailant. The judge did not need to find defendant had a
    winning argument, only that defendant's argument was plausible.         Slater, 
    198 N.J. at 159
     ("Courts are not to conduct a mini-trial. . . . They should simply
    7                                    A-1831-20
    consider whether a defendant's assertion of innocence is more than blanket, bald
    statement and rests instead on particular, plausible facts."). 4
    Under factor two, defendant had reasons for withdrawal of the plea. As
    the judge aptly noted, whatever the reasons for defendant's withdrawal of the
    plea, the judge could not rely on skepticism as a basis for rejecting the motion.
    Slater, 
    198 N.J. at 160
    . ("In assessing the nature and strength of the reasons for
    withdrawal, courts should not approach them with skepticism.").
    Under factor three, a plea deal had been reached. However, a plea deal
    has minimal weight in a trial court's Slater analysis. 
    Id. at 161
    . ("We recognize
    that the vast majority of criminal cases are resolved through plea bargains and
    do not suggest that this factor be given great weight in the balancing process.").
    The judge did not give significant weight to the existence of defendant's plea
    agreement other than noting the plea was advantageous to defendant.
    4
    In the presentence report, defendant stated, "the account of events the victim
    reported was not accurate," and the victim "changed his story several times about
    what happened at the time of the offense." In ruling on the motion, the judge
    expressly noted "the facts d[id not] make a lot of sense on a number of levels."
    The inconsistent facts further bolstered defendant's colorable claim of innocence
    and plausibility of his argument.
    8                                  A-1831-20
    Under factor four, the State was not unfairly prejudiced by the plea
    withdrawal. Although the judge made no express finding regarding factor four,
    the State never presented the arguments raised on appeal to the motion judge.
    For the first time on appeal, the State claims, "an interest in the finality of
    its guilty pleas, particularly where trials are suspended for the foreseeable future
    due to the COVID-19 pandemic." However, the State fails to explain why an
    interest in the finality of guilty pleas overrides a defendant's ability to withdraw
    a plea where the defendant proffers evidence in support of the Slater factors.
    Additionally, the State asserts prejudice based on the inability to locate
    the victim. While the inability to locate a witness may result in prejudice, the
    State was unable to locate the victim prior to the March 2020 plea hearing. The
    State's claimed prejudice remained unchanged since the date of defendant's
    guilty plea and therefore the State failed to demonstrate prejudice under the
    fourth prong.
    In considering motions to withdraw a plea, trial judges have broad
    discretion. Under Slater, judges are encouraged to exercise that discretion and
    balance the factors as appropriate. Despite the matter presenting a "close case,"
    "the interests of justice" standard, Rule 3:9-3(e), warranted allowing defendant
    9                                    A-1831-20
    to withdraw his guilty plea. Having reviewed the record, we are satisfied the
    judge did not abuse his discretion in granting defendant's motion.
    Affirmed.
    10                               A-1831-20
    

Document Info

Docket Number: A-1831-20

Filed Date: 6/21/2021

Precedential Status: Non-Precedential

Modified Date: 6/21/2021