Corley v. State

In Corley v. State, 585 So. 2d 765 (Miss.1991) at the plea hearing the court asked the prosecutor to recount what he thought the State could prove. In capsule form, Your Honor, the State case would show that Corley, together with another man, White, by prearrangement met Robert Eugene Parkerson on the 2nd of December, 1987, behind Prince's Drive-In North of Greenwood on Highway 7, within the jurisdiction of this Court; that after a conversation between Corley and Parkerson, Corley shot Parkerson with a large caliber handgun, causing his death. Id. 768. The court then asked, "Mr. Corley, does this substantially and in an abbreviated form describe the facts of the crime for which you enter this guilty plea?" The response was "Yes, sir. I didn't do the shooting, but I was there; but I didn't do the shooting." Id. The Supreme Court relied upon the fact that "the District Attorney's summary of the prosecution's proof shows guilt and was made in Corley's presence." Id. Corley admitted that he was present but denied that he did the shooting. However, when Corley denied doing the shooting, there was nothing specific on which to base Corley's participation in a crime. He had made arrangements to meet the deceased and another man, but for what purpose is unstated. The court held "it fairly inferrable that, even taking Corley's version of the facts, Roger T. White shot and killed Parkerson under circumstances where Corley was an accessory before the fact." Id. In Corley the testimony adduced at a preliminary hearing was added to what was said during the plea.