Howard v. State

Christine Howard complains that her guilty pleas to shoplifting of goods under the value of $100 and possession of narcotics in a quantity sufficient to indicate an intent to distribute were not voluntary because the trial judge, prior to the acceptance of the plea, erroneously informed her the maximum sentence for both charges was twenty-one and one-half years. The governing statutes authorize, in addition to the stated incarceration, the imposition of monetary fines. Md. Code, Art. 27, § 551A (d) and § 286 (b)(1). The sentences actually imposed were eighteen months for the *46shoplifting…