Court Opinion

ID: 9451955
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 17:27:40.29631+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:32:59.377164
License: Public Domain

BAZELON, Chief Judge
(dissenting):
Three factors must clearly and affirmatively appear in the record before the trial court in exercising its discretion to accept a plea of guilty. First, that the defendant, advised by counsel, fully understands the significance of his action.1 Second, that he is acting intelligently and voluntarily and not as a result of any threats, promises or incapacity.2 Third, that there is at least prima facie evidence tending to establish that the defendant committed the crime to which he is pleading guilty.3 This can be supplied not only by an admission of guilt, but also from the government’s evidence, or from other information before the court.
Here, the third requirement was satisfied by the government’s evidence at trial, presented before the question of pleading guilty arose. The trial judge, however, rejected the defendant’s guilty plea. The judge was apparently of the view that only an unequivocal confession of guilt would suffice. Since the judge acted on an incorrect premise, I would remand the case for a proper consideration of the offer to plead guilty.

. Kercheval v. United States, 274 U.S. 220, 223, 47 S.Ct. 582, 71 L.Ed. 1009 (1927).

. Ibid.; Bishop v. United States, 121 U.S. App.D.C. 243, 349 F.2d 220 (1965); Over-holser v. Lynch, 109 U.S.App.D.C. 404, 408-409, 288 F.2d 388, 392-393 (1961), reversed on other grounds, 369 U.S. 705, 82 S.Ct. 1063, 8 L.Ed.2d 211 (1962).

. Unless rejected by Congress, Rule 11, Fed.R.Crim.P., will include the following sentence after July 1, 1966: “The court shall not enter a judgment upon a plea of guilty unless it is satisfied that there is a factual basis for the plea.”