We granted the defendant’s application for further appellate review to consider whether the Juvenile Court judge properly denied the defendant’s motion for a new trial. The defendant sought to vacate his plea because he did not knowingly and voluntarily admit to sufficient facts where no interpreter was present during his plea colloquy and where he was denied effective assistance of counsel. The Appeals Court, in a
Facts and procedure. We present the facts as found by the judge, supplemented by uncontested facts in the record.
The defendant and his mother, Cambodian refugees and native Khmai speakers, came to the United States when the defendant was four years old.
It appears that, related to these charges, the defendant’s need for an interpreter was recognized. The docket shows that interpreters were ordered for certain court dates, although no entry on the docket indicates that interpreters were actually present when scheduled. Thus when the defendant’s case was continued from September 12 to September 19, 1995, the docket shows that the judge rescheduled an interpreter for the new date.
Ultimately, the defendant admitted to sufficient facts on
In 1996, the defendant was committed to the Department of Youth Services (DYS) after he violated the terms of his probation. In 2009, the defendant, as an adult, sought to vacate his pleas, asserting that no interpreter had been present at his plea hearing, and therefore he was denied the assistance of his parent, and that his counsel did not provide effective assistance. In the affidavit that he submitted in support of his motion, the defendant stated that he did not understand that he was admitting to a sexual offense, did not know what a trial was, had spoken to his mother in court in Khmai, did not remember speaking to an attorney until the day of his plea, and did not remember an interpreter ever being in court with him and his mother.
The defendant’s mother submitted an affidavit stating that, at the time of the defendant’s plea colloquy, she did not read or write English. She also stated that no interpreter was present to help her during court proceedings, although “[t]here was someone translating for the other family . . . but he would not help [her].”
As evidence he did not understand his guilty plea, the defendant included a 1996 report by DYS, as well as a 1996 educational report discussing his educational skills. The educational report
After conducting a hearing, the judge, who had also been the plea judge, denied the defendant’s motion. She found that the practice for recording the presence of interpreters was that an interpreter would be ordered, and proceedings would be continued if the interpreter was not there. She stated that the court has never documented and is not bound to document the presence of an interpreter. The judge also stated that, as a matter of practice, she adapts the colloquy given to juveniles to “about a sixth-grade
The judge noted disparities in the affidavits concerning the presence of an interpreter, including the statement of the defendant’s mother that someone in the court room was interpreting, but not for her. The judge had “a very hard time with the affidavits and relying on them to support [the defendant’s] position.” The judge found that, based on the record and the affidavits, the defendant failed to prove he was not provided an interpreter, and therefore did not prove he lacked understanding or knowledge when he admitted to sufficient facts.
The defendant moved for reconsideration. At the hearing on that motion, the defendant introduced an affidavit from the chief financial officer of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) stating that the organization’s financial records indicate that counsel was appointed for the defendant in 1995. The records do not show, however, any payment for the defendant’s representation. The affidavit also states there is no indication that CPCS paid for interpreter services for this case. The judge found that the missing financial accounting did not change the balance. The judge stated that the law presumes pleas are voluntary, and noted, as she had previously, that the affidavits demonstrated that there was someone in the court room interpreting during the plea proceedings. The Appeals Court affirmed
Discussion. A defendant may withdraw a guilty plea where the plea was not made freely and voluntarily. Commonwealth v. Sherman,
When accepting a plea, a judge must be “satisfied that the plea [was] voluntary and that the defendant [understood] the nature of the charges.” Commonwealth v. Quinones,
Generally, the prosecution bears the burden to show that a defendant understandingly and voluntarily pleaded guilty, but where there is a delay “for a lengthy period of time, so that the contemporaneous record of the plea is lost,” the burden shifts to the defendant, who must rebut the presumption that he had a fair trial. Commonwealth v. Lopez,
The defendant claims that the judge did not adhere to G. L. c. 221C, which mandates the court provide an interpreter to a non-English speaker.
The defendant’s argument that, absent an interpreter, he did not have the opportunity to speak with an informed adult also does not hold sway. When a juvenile is fourteen or older and waiving a constitutional right, he should have a consultation with “the parent, interested adult, or attorney” (emphasis supplied). Commonwealth v. MacNeill, supra at 78. Even if the judge had fully accepted the defendant’s and his mother’s affidavit, the defendant stated that he spoke to an attorney on the day he pleaded to sufficient facts. He also stated that he spoke to his mother in Khmai in court, when she asked what was happening. Thus, the record indicates that he had an opportunity to speak with at least one interested adult, his attorney,
The defendant also asserts that, even if an interpreter had been present, he could not have knowingly and voluntarily pleaded to sufficient facts because of his lack of competency, as evidenced in his 1996 educational report. Even if we did not presume the regularity of the proceedings, the record does not indicate the defendant’s competency was in question. The educational report, written almost eight months after the defendant’s plea, states that the defendant lacked subject matter
The defendant’s second claim is that he should be granted a new trial because he was denied effective assistance of counsel. He argues that counsel took “no discernible action to protect [the defendant’s] rights,” including not conducting a competency hearing, not requesting funds for an investigator, not assessing the defendant’s language ability, and failing to file appropriate motions.
The defendant bears the burden to show that he is entitled to a new trial based on a claim that he was denied effective assistance of counsel. Commonwealth v. Comita,
Here, the defendant brings this claim more than ten years after he pleaded to sufficient facts, and the existing record is
Order denying motion for a new trial affirmed.
Notes
We reference the “Khmai,” not “Khmer,” language because, in his affidavit, the defendant states his native language is Khmai.
The charge of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of fourteen that the defendant admitted to, and for which he subsequently had to register with the sex offender registry board, was for “grabbing] [the victim’s] front parts.” The victim, another Cambodian young man, later filed an affidavit in support of the defendant’s motion for a new trial in which he recanted his allegation. See infra.
The docket comprises nearly the entire record in this case because the actual case file could not be located in the Judicial Court archives and tape recordings of the proceedings are inaccessible. We have accepted in the past that unavailable court material presumably has been destroyed in accordance with court rules. See Commonwealth v. Grant,
In her affidavit, the defendant’s mother also stated that her son’s attorney did not speak Khmai, that she did not understand the judge while in court, and that she believed her son was in court because of tattooing, not because of a sexual offense.
An affidavit submitted by the victim states that the defendant had not sexually assaulted him, did not force him to join a gang, and did not force him to get a tattoo.
General Laws c. 221C, § 2, provides that a “non-English speaker, throughout a legal proceeding, shall have a right to the assistance of a qualified interpreter.” The statute defines a “non-English speaker” as “a person who cannot speak or understand, or has difficulty in speaking or understanding, the English language because he uses only or primarily a spoken language other than English.” G. L. c. 221C, § 1.
In his brief, the defendant cites articles from law journals and other sources concerning juveniles involved in the court system. The defendant also referenees reports concerning interpreters in courts. According to one report, as of October, 2000, there were only three certified Khmer interpreters and one uncertified Khmer interpreter employed in Massachusetts courts. National Center for State Courts, Operational Review of the Provision of Court Interpreter Services in the Courts of Massachusetts: Technical Assistance Report at 21 (2001). Because this report speaks generally to the court system, not to the specifics of this case, it does not assist the defendant.
As discussed supra, the docket shows that, when the defendant’s court date was changed, the judge issued a new order for an interpreter.
We agree with judge’s statement that there was no requirement to docket the presence of an interpreter. We have previously noted that disputes regarding the
The defendant claims the attorney was not competent, but we do not agree. See infra.
In his brief, the defendant cited to law review articles and other journal articles to support his view that juveniles may not necessarily know or understand proceedings in court because of their age. We appreciate and understand the “unique and protected status” of juveniles, Commonwealth v. A Juvenile,
In her affidavit, appellate counsel averred that the defense attorney did not recall the case. Even if the judge had accepted this affidavit, this information does not help the defendant.