Heard v. State

The appellant, Michael Lewis Heard, was indicted for first degree robbery, a violation of § 13A-8-41, Ala. Code 1975. In the indictment, the State alleged that the appellant robbed the Top Dollar Pawn Shop while armed with a handgun and shot the store clerk during the commission of this crime. Although the appellant initially pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, he later withdrew this plea and entered a plea of guilty. At the sentencing hearing, the appellant, represented by counsel other than the counsel who had represented him at the guilt stage proceeding, moved to withdraw his guilty…