Opinion ID: 1867526
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Post-Statement Proceedings

Text: On September 16, a grand jury indicted Blom for first-degree murder, Minn.Stat. § 609.185(3) (2002). [6] Among the evidence presented to the grand jury was Blom's September 8 statement. A closed hearing in state court also was held that day, but no plea was entered. At that hearing, Blom's counsel, for the first time, informed the court that Blom was uncomfortable entering a guilty plea before the completion of DNA testing on the bones found on his property. Counsel also expressed reluctance to have Blom enter a guilty plea because counsel believed that Blom's version of the disposal of Poirier's body by burning was impossible. The state responded by explaining that the DNA testing could take as long as three months and would not necessarily be conclusive. [7] The court then asked Blom's counsel to verify with Blom that he was telling the truth about Poirier's abduction and murder and to determine his intention regarding a guilty plea. The court then adjourned so that counsel could talk to Blom. The next day, the federal government withdrew the agreement it had offered to Blom, citing Blom's refusal to plead guilty to the state charges and noting that his federal trial was set to begin in less than six weekson October 25. At a subsequent closed state court hearing on September 22, Blom stated that he had not rejected the federal agreement, but that the federal government had. In order to reassure Blom that his sentence would be served in North Dakota if he were to plead guilty, the court explained that because the state charges were made before the federal charges, Blom's sentence to a state prison would take precedence over any federal sentence. The court explained to Blom that the federal judge assigned to his case was in agreement on this point. The court stated that Blom had the right to withdraw his plea if the agreement to imprisonment in North Dakota fell through. Blom appeared to understand that the federal government had accepted the terms in the letter. The court then commented that the federal government did not have any leverage and that this agreement could be accomplished only through the state proceedings. [8] The next day, September 23, the federal government provided a letter in which it formally agreed to reinstate its terms for one day. This reinstatement letter came fifteen days after the completion of negotiations and Blom's statement; seven days after the grand jury indicted Blom for first-degree murder and he failed to enter a plea; and six days after the government had initially withdrawn its terms. At a hearing that day, Blom's state defense counsel acknowledged that waiting for the DNA testing results was not part of the original agreement. The district court asked Blom if there was any part of the plea agreement he had misunderstood or was not reflected in the written agreement. Blom replied that there were a few things. The court then explained to Blom that according to the federal government's reinstated terms, September 23 was the last day to plead guilty to the state charges. Blom responded to the district court by emphasizing that he did not want much from the agreement other than for his family to be left alone. He stated that his family was still not being left alone and noted that, soon after the September 8 agreement, discovery documents had been opened to the public, his trailer had been burned down, his wife continued to receive threatening calls, and he was being threatened at night. Although he asserted that this letter was different from the state's letter, Blom did not describe what was different. The court asked Blom's state defense counsel whether Blom had given his statement without understanding the agreement. Blom's counsel replied that this was an omnibus issue and asserted there were terms in the federal September 8 letter that were not part of the state's September 7 letter, but he did not specify which terms. The district court then asked Blom's federal defense counsel if he had talked to the federal prosecutor about the oral agreement and the state's letter. Defense counsel stated that the oral agreement was accurately reflected in the state's letter, but that there were one or two differences between the oral agreement and the federal government's September 8 letter. The court asked if counsel had contacted the federal prosecutor upon receiving the September 8 letter. Counsel replied there had been no communication regarding any conflicts between the oral agreement and the September 8 letter. The court then asked the state if there was anything discussed and negotiated that was not reflected in the agreement. The state replied that everything that was talked about was in its September 7 letter. When the district court indicated that it was about to end the closed hearing, Blom's state defense counsel interjected and described for the record his understanding of the federal government's position based on its September 23 reinstatement letter. Counsel stated that the government's plea offer was only open for one day and added that this term was not in the original agreement. He also noted that the September 23 letter required Blom to meet two particular conditions of the September 8 letternamely, enter a plea of guilty to first-degree murder on September 23 and at the same time waive his right to appeal. He added that the September 23 letter required Blom to meet every condition of the September 8 letter before the federal government would be bound by the letter's terms. The district court then interposed that the state and federal agreements were separate. This comment was followed by Blom's state defense counsel explaining that the federal and state charges were to be resolved together and that the federal terms were part of the state's September 7 letter. When the court asked if there was any part of the federal letter that was contradictory to his understanding of the agreement, Blom's state defense counsel replied Absolutely, but did not explain this response other than to say it was an omnibus issue. Shortly after the end of the closed hearing, when asked by the court at an open hearing if he wished to enter a plea, Blom told the court that he was not going to enter a plea. Blom never did enter a plea. In essence, the state's position at the September 23 hearing was that everything that was discussed and negotiated was reflected in its September 7 letter. Blom's federal defense counsel took the position that the oral agreement with the federal prosecutor was summarized in the September 7 letter and the September 8 letter generally reflected the terms of this agreement; but there were one or two differences which counsel did not specify. Blom's state defense counsel stated there were terms in the September 23 letter that were not part of the State agreement apparently referring to the deadline, the requirement that Blom meet two particular terms of the September 8 letter on September 23, and that the federal government was not bound until Blom met all of the conditions in the September 8 letter.