Gonzalez v. Municipal Court

In Gonzalez v. Municipal Court (1973) 32 Cal. App. 3d 706, the defendant pled guilty to drunk driving and admitted prior drunk driving convictions. Before sentencing, the defendant successfully moved to strike the prior convictions on constitutional grounds. The trial court then, based on an argument that the motion to strike the priors was an implied motion to withdraw the guilty plea to the current charge, set aside the guilty plea, and later denied the defendant's motion to dismiss based on double jeopardy. The defendant sought writ review. The appellate court reversed, holding a motion to strike priors, permitted on statutory and constitutional grounds, cannot be construed as a motion to withdraw a guilty plea to the current charge. Because that was the only ground asserted in support of the trial court's action, double jeopardy required the current charges be dismissed with prejudice.