Opinion ID: 590960
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Factual basis for accepting plea

Text: 23 Neal states that because of his hesitancy and confusion, there was an insufficient factual basis for his guilty plea. However, the court may properly accept a plea of guilty if there is a factual basis regardless of the defendant's reluctance to enter the plea. North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 37-38, 91 S.Ct. 160, 167-168, 27 L.Ed.2d 162 (1970). An individual accused of a crime may voluntarily, knowingly, and understandably consent to the imposition of a prison sentence even if he is unwilling or unable to admit his participation in the acts constituting the crime. Id. at 37, 91 S.Ct. at 167. After his guilty plea was rejected, Neal admitted to his participation in the robbery 2 and his guilty plea was accepted.