Roland Wayne Wright v. Walter E. Craven, Warden

The District Court, in this habeas corpus action, ruled that under California law an admission by a defendant of prior felony convictions, where those convictions are to be used to enhance his sentence on the present offense, is the “functional equivalent” of a plea of guilty to a separate charge [see, Womack v. Craven, 431 F.2d 1191, 1192 (9th Cir. 1970)], and, therefore, it may not be accepted unless the defendant understands the consequences of the admission. We are in accord with the analysis of the court in its well-reasoned opinion, reported at 325 F.Supp. 1253.

After conducting an…