Court Opinion

ID: 9533722
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 04:34:09.552205+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:29:08.677631
License: Public Domain

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE WARD, dissenting: As the majority in its recital of the involved circumstances states, the trial court denied the request of defense counsel for a pretrial conference after the prosecutor had objected because no tentative plea agreement had been reached. The trial court also indicated that the defendant’s attorney should continue his discussion with the prosecutor, obviously so that an agreement might be negotiated. The court added that in 90-95% of the cases the disposition recommended was adopted by the court. In the light of this I consider that the remarks to the defendant’s attorney could be interpreted as an encouragement to reach a plea agreement. In their context the remarks well might have lulled the defendant into an unfounded sense of security that a plea agreement, which the court appeared to be encouraging, would be acceptable. The court’s statement in this matter of grave importance to the accused was indiscreet. I do not believe its suggestive effect was erased by the formal admonition.