Harris v. Maryland

Jackie Kevin Harris entered pleas of guilty to murder in the first degree, two counts of armed robbery and a handgun violation, and was found guilty on all counts by the Circuit Court for Baltimore County. After a sentencing proceeding as prescribed by Maryland Code (1957, 1982 Repl.Vol.), Art. 27, § 413, the trial judge imposed a sentence of death for first degree murder and consecutive sentences totaling twenty years for the related offenses. On appeal to this Court, Harris raised numerous grounds for reversal of his guilty verdicts and sentences. He claimed, inter alia, that his guilty pleas were not made voluntarily, that he was denied effective assistance of counsel, and that his waiver of a jury for sentencing was not knowing and voluntary. We ruled that Harris's guilty pleas were made freely and knowingly, Maryland Rule 731 c., but that his jury waiver was not knowing and voluntary. We did not pass on the ineffective assistance of counsel claim because we believed that it would best be resolved in a collateral evidentiary proceeding such as a post conviction hearing. Accordingly, this Court affirmed the verdicts but vacated the death sentence and remanded for a new sentencing proceeding. Harris v. State, 295 Md. 329, 455 A.2d 979 (1983).