Court Opinion

ID: 9459238
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:14:21.180328+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:04.868882
License: Public Domain

GOLDBERG, Circuit Judge
(specially concurring):
I concur in the result and add only a few lines, which may or may not be superfluous. I merely emphasize that not every prosecutorial flaw is waived by entering a plea of guilty — it is only non-jurisdictional defects that occurred prior to the plea that are waived by knowingly, willingly, and voluntarily pleading guilty. See United States v. Cox, supra, 464 F.2d at 940. Thus, even a defendant who pleads guilty may later assert that the indictment fails to state an offense. Here, appellant challenged count V on this ground, and the government conceded error. A second example of a right that is not surrendered by pleading guilty is the power to attack the constitutionality of the criminal *790statute involved. Haynes v. United States, 1968, 390 U.S. 85, 88 S.Ct. 722, 19 L.Ed.2d 923. Here, appellant challenges 21 U.S.C. § 841 as being violative of the tenth amendment and 21 U.S.C. § 952(a) as failing to require “knowledge and intent.” Both points border on the frivolous. Section 841 was held proper under the Commerce Clause in United States v. Lopez, 5 Cir. 1972, 459 F.2d 949, and § 952, when read with § 960, as it must be, requires knowledge and intent. Appellant’s points must fail'.