People v. Bahlhorn
People v. Bahlhorn
Opinion of the Court
Defendant pled guilty to possession of a controlled substance, MCL 333.7403(2)(a)(iv); MSA 14.15(7403)(2)(a)(iv), and was sentenced to 14 months to 2 years imprisonment. Defendant now appeals of right. There was a plea pursuant to a sentence bargain agreement reached with the prosecutor. On July 26, 1979, the
This Court is split as to whether a trial judge must grant the defendant an opportunity to withdraw a guilty plea when the prosecutor’s sentence recommendation, bargained for by the defendant, is not followed. In People v Briggs, 94 Mich App 723; 290 NW2d 66 (1980), lv gtd 408 Mich 958 (1980), the Court held that a defendant was entitled to an opportunity to withdraw the plea. The opposite result was reached by a different panel in People v Yates, 99 Mich App 396; 297 NW2d 680 (1980).
We acknowledge that it is a close question, but we lean to the rationale of People v Briggs, supra, 726, in which the Court cited the ABA Standards, Pleas of Guilty, § 3.3(b) (Approved Draft, 1968) and "principles of fairness” to hold that "the defendant [should] be given an opportunity to withdraw his plea upon learning that the sentence recommendation, which played at least a partial role in his decision to forego trial and plead guilty, will not be followed”. A cautionary instruction by the trial court that it was not bound to accept the prosecutor’s sentence recommendation would not, in our view, change a defendant’s expectation that the plea agreement will be carried out.
The case is remanded to the trial court with instructions to give the defendant an opportunity to withdraw her plea if she so desires. If she does not move to set aside her plea within 20 days of the date of the certification of this opinion, her conviction and sentence are affirmed. We do not retain jurisdiction.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting). I respectfully dissent. Prior to accepting defendant’s plea, the trial court clearly and specifically informed defendant that the court was not bound by the prosecutor’s recommendation, which the defendant acknowledged she understood. The trial judge did all that was required of him under the circumstances, People v Hagewood, 88 Mich App 35, 39; 276 NW2d 585 (1979) (Cynar, J., concurring), and People v Yates, 99 Mich App 396, 399; 297 NW2d 680 (1980). I would affirm.
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