21. Guilty pleas

Question presented Whether the court of appeals erred in holding that any degree of judicial participation in plea negotiations, in violation of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 11(c)(1), automatically requires vacatur of a defendant’s guilty plea, irrespective of whether the error prejudiced the defendant. Lower court opinion (United States v. Davila, 664 F.3d 1355 (11th Cir. 2011) (per… Read more

State v. Justin L. Garrett, Case No. 12AP1341-CR, District 2, 12/19/12 Court of appeals decision (1 judge; ineligible for publication); case activity Garrett failed to make a prima facie showing that his plea colloquy was defective, so his motion to withdraw plea was properly denied without an evidentiary hearing: ¶10      Garrett argues that he did not… Read more

State v. Mark A. Gierczak, 2012AP965-CR, District 4, 12/13/12 court of appeals decision (1 judge; ineligible for publication); case activity For purposes of obstructing an officer § 946.41, “officer” includes someone with authority “to take another into custody,” and therefore includes a correctional officer at a county jail, ¶¶11-12. The court of appeals thus rejects Gierczak’s challenge to the factual… Read more

State v. Robert Edwin Burkhardt, 2009AP2174-CR, District 1/4, 12/6/12 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity Search & Seizure – Consent  Consent to search isn’t vitiated by nonpretextual threat to obtain a search warrant: ¶16      … (I)t is well established that, “[t]hreatening to obtain a search warrant does not vitiate consent if ‘the… Read more

State v. Dennis C. Strong, Jr., 2012AP1204-CR, District 3, 11/30/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, ineligible for publication); case activity The trial court undertook an appropriate colloquy with Strong before allowing him to waive counsel and represent himself, leading to guilty pleas. The court thus rejects his claim that his pleas were premised on a… Read more

State v. Travis J. Guttu, 2012AP129-CR, District 3/4, 11/28/12 court of appeals decision (not recommended for publication); case activity After entering guilty pleas to multiple counts, Guttu unsuccessfully sought presentencing plea-withdrawal. After sentencing, he sought to withdraw the pleas on different grounds, more particularly: counsel was ineffective for failing to assert Guttu’s lack of knowledge… Read more

State v. Calvin L. Brown, 2012 WI 139 (recommended for publication); case activity A guilty plea colloquy need not include an explanation of ptac liability when the defendant directly committed the crime: ¶13      …  Although the trial court did not explain that, by directly committing the La Quinta robbery, Brown was “concerned” in… Read more