Kling v. State

SULLIVAN, Justice.

Our decision last year in Collins v. State, 817 N.E.2d 230, 231 (Ind.2004), held that an individual who pleads guilty to an offense in an "open plea" and who challenges the sentence imposed must do so on direct appeal and not by means of a petition for post-conviction relief Collins has given rise to questions concerning the relative roles and responsibilities of county appellate public defenders and the State Public Defender in handling belated appeals of sentences imposed following open pleas. We address those questions in this opinion.

Background

Because this case involves…