North Carolina v. Alford
United States Supreme Court
400 U.S. 25 (1970)
Relevant factsFree
Facing a capital first-degree murder charge, Alford (defendant), represented by counsel, pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of second-degree murder while testifying he had not actually committed the killing, explaining he was pleading guilty only because of the state's strong evidence against him. The trial judge accepted the plea and imposed the 30-year maximum sentence for second-degree murder, and Alford later sought post-conviction relief challenging the plea's validity given his simultaneous claim of innocence.
IssueFree
Whether a guilty plea can be accepted where the defendant simultaneously testifies that he is innocent of the charged crime.