Opinion ID: 1716842
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: insuring the plea is voluntary freely, understandingly and voluntarily

Text: Rule 785.7(2) provides: The court shall not accept a plea of guilty or nolo contendere without personally addressing the defendant and determining that the plea is freely, understandingly and voluntarily made. The rule does not require a judge to make this determination in any particular manner. He need not, contrary to the contention in Burkett, ask the defendant whether his plea of guilty is freely, understandingly and voluntarily made. The judge's determination that the plea is freely, understandingly and voluntarily made may be concluded from the judge's acceptance of the plea even though he makes no separate finding of fact on this issue. The rule permits the judge to take the plea under advisement. GCR 1963, 785.7(4). The failure of the judge in Young formally to accept the plea before sentencing does not justify reversal. By sentencing the defendant the judge implicitly accepted the plea.