Brady v. United States
United States Supreme Court
397 U.S. 742 (1970)
Relevant factsFree
Brady (defendant), facing a possible death sentence on a kidnapping charge, changed his plea to guilty after learning his co-defendant might testify against him; the trial judge questioned him twice about the plea's voluntariness before accepting it. Brady was sentenced to 50 years (later reduced to 30) and later sought post-conviction relief, arguing his plea was coerced by the threat of the death penalty if he went to trial and lost.
IssueFree
Whether a defendant's guilty plea is invalid under the Fifth Amendment when it is voluntary, knowing, and intelligent but motivated by a desire to avoid the risk of a harsher penalty, such as death, at trial.