brady argued november decided may peter adang albuquerque petitioner joseph connolly washington respondent justice white delivered opinion petitioner charged kidnaping violation since indictment charged victim kidnaping liberated unharmed petitioner faced maximum penalty death verdict jury recommend petitioner represented competent counsel throughout first elected plead guilty apparently trial judge unwilling try case without jury petitioner made serious attempt reduce possibility death penalty waiving jury trial upon learning codefendant confessed authorities plead guilty available testify petitioner changed plea guilty plea accepted trial judge twice questioned voluntariness plea petitioner sentenced years imprisonment later reduced petitioner sought relief claiming plea guilty voluntarily given operated coerce plea counsel exerted impermissible pressure upon plea induced representations respect reduction sentence clemency also alleged trial judge fully complied rule federal rules criminal procedure hearing district district new mexico denied relief according district findings petitioner counsel put impermissible pressure petitioner plead guilty representations made respect reduced sentence clemency held constitutional found petitioner decided plead guilty learned codefendant going plead guilty petitioner pleaded guilty reason matters reason statute acts trial judge concluded plea voluntarily knowingly made appeals tenth circuit affirmed determining district findings supported substantial evidence specifically approving finding petitioner plea guilty voluntary granted certiorari consider claim appeals error reaching contrary result authority decision jackson affirm jackson supra defendants indicted district dismissed count indictment holding statute unconstitutional permitted imposition death sentence upon jury recommendation thereby made risk death price jury trial held statute valid except death penalty provision respect latter agreed trial death penalty provision imposes impermissible burden upon exercise constitutional right problem determine constitution permits establishment death penalty applicable defendants assert right contest guilt jury inevitable effect provision said discourage assertion fifth amendment right plead guilty deter exercise sixth amendment right demand jury trial legitimate goal limiting death penalty cases jury recommends achieved without penalizing defendants plead guilty elect jury trial death penalty provision penalize assertion constitutional right therefore unconstitutional since effect death penalty provision said needless encouragement pleas guilty waivers jury trial brady contends jackson requires invalidation every plea guilty entered section least fear death shown factor plea petitioner however read far much jackson opinion made clear jackson holding inherently coercive guilty pleas fact federal kidnaping act tends discourage defendants insisting upon innocence demanding trial jury hardly implies every defendant enters guilty plea charge act involuntarily cited support statement laboy new jersey plea guilty non vult similar statute sustained voluntary spite fact found district defendant greatly upset possibility receiving death penalty moreover jackson rejected suggestion death penalty provision saved prohibiting capital kidnaping cases guilty pleas jury waivers clear defendants guilt however strong desire acknowledge order spare families spectacle expense protracted courtroom proceedings hat jury waivers guilty pleas may occasionally rejected ground automatically rejecting guilty pleas statute rule rob criminal process much flexibility plainly seems us jackson ruled neither pleas guilty encouraged fear possible death sentence involuntary pleas encouraged pleas invalid jackson prohibits imposition death penalty decision neither fashioned new standard judging validity guilty pleas mandated new application test theretofore fashioned courts since reiterated guilty pleas valid see boykin alabama guilty plea grave solemn act accepted care discernment long recognized central plea foundation entering judgment defendant defendant admission open committed acts charged indictment thus stands witness shielded fifth amendment compelled minimum requirement plea voluntary expression choice plea admission past conduct defendant consent judgment conviction may entered without waiver right trial jury judge waivers constitutional rights must voluntary must knowing intelligent acts done sufficient awareness relevant circumstances likely consequences neither score brady plea guilty invalid ii trial judge found plea voluntary accepting district evidentiary hearing found plea voluntarily made appeals specifically approved finding voluntariness see reason record disturb judgment courts petitioner advised competent counsel tendered plea codefendant already given confession determined plead guilty became available testify petitioner development district found triggered brady guilty plea voluntariness brady plea determined considering relevant circumstances surrounding cf haynes washington leyra denno one circumstances possibility heavier sentence following guilty verdict trial may brady faced strong case recognizing chances acquittal slight preferred plead guilty thus limit penalty life imprisonment rather elect jury trial result death penalty even assume brady pleaded guilty except death penalty provision assumption merely identifies penalty provision cause plea statute caused plea sense necessarily prove plea coerced invalid involuntary act state degree encourages pleas guilty every important step criminal process people breach state law alone sufficient reason surrendering accepting punishment others apprehension charge threatening acts government jar admitting guilt still cases accumulation evidence may convince defendant counsel trial worth agony expense defendant family pleas guilty valid spite state responsibility factors motivating pleas pleas improperly compelled decision defendant close state evidence trial must take stand face certain conviction course agents state may produce plea actual threatened physical harm mental coercion overbearing defendant nothing sort claimed case evidence brady gripped fear death penalty hope leniency help counsel rationally weigh advantages going trial advantages pleading guilty brady claim different sort violates fifth amendment influence encourage guilty plea opportunity promise leniency guilty plea coerced invalid influenced fear possibly higher penalty crime charged conviction obtained state put proof insofar voluntariness plea concerned little differentiate brady defendant jurisdiction judge jury range sentencing power pleads guilty lawyer advises judge probably lenient jury defendant jurisdiction judge alone sentencing power advised counsel judge normally lenient defendants plead guilty go trial defendant permitted prosecutor judge plead guilty lesser offense included offense charged defendant pleads guilty certain counts understanding charges dropped brady case defendant might never plead guilty absent possibility certainty plea result lesser penalty sentence imposed trial verdict guilty decline hold however guilty plea compelled invalid fifth amendment whenever motivated defendant desire accept certainty probability lesser penalty rather face wider range possibilities extending acquittal conviction higher penalty authorized law crime charged issue deal inherent criminal law administration guilty pleas constitutionally forbidden criminal law characteristically extends judge jury range choice setting sentence individual cases state defendant often find advantageous preclude possibility maximum penalty authorized law defendant sees slight possibility acquittal advantages pleading guilty limiting probable penalty exposure reduced correctional processes begin immediately practical burdens trial eliminated state also promptly imposed punishment admission guilt may effectively attain objectives punishment avoidance trial scarce judicial prosecutorial resources conserved cases substantial issue defendant guilt substantial doubt state sustain burden proof mutuality advantage perhaps explains fact present well criminal convictions country rest pleas great many doubt motivated least part hope assurance lesser penalty might imposed guilty verdict trial judge jury course prevalence guilty pleas explainable necessarily validate pleas system produces hold unconstitutional state extend benefit defendant turn extends substantial benefit state demonstrates plea ready willing admit crime enter correctional system frame mind affords hope success rehabilitation shorter period time might otherwise necessary contrary holding require federal government forbid guilty pleas altogether provide single invariable penalty crime defined statutes place sentencing function separate authority knowledge manner conviction case obtained event necessary forbid prosecutors judges accept guilty pleas selected counts lesser included offenses reduced charges fifth amendment reach far bram held admissibility confession depended upon whether compelled within meaning fifth amendment admissible confession must free voluntary must extracted sort threats violence obtained direct implied promises however slight exertion improper influence recently malloy hogan carried forward bram definition compulsion course holding applicable fifth amendment privilege compelled bram inconsistent holding brady plea compelled even though law promised lesser maximum penalty go trial bram dealt confession given defendant custody alone unrepresented counsel circumstances even mild promise leniency deemed sufficient bar confession promise illegal act defendants times sensitive inducement possible impact great ignore difficult assess bram progeny hold possibly coercive impact promise leniency dissipated presence advice counsel miranda arizona held possibly coercive atmosphere police station counteracted presence counsel safeguards brady situation bears resemblance bram brady first pleaded guilty prior changing plea guilty subjected threats promises encounters authorities competent counsel full opportunity assess advantages disadvantages trial compared attending plea guilty hazard impulsive improvident response seeming unreal advantage plea guilty entered open judge obviously sensitive requirements law respect guilty pleas brady plea unlike bram confession voluntary standard voluntariness guilty pleas must essentially defined judge tuttle appeals fifth circuit plea guilty entered one fully aware direct consequences including actual value commitments made prosecutor counsel must stand unless induced threats promises discontinue improper harassment misrepresentation including unfulfilled unfulfillable promises perhaps promises nature improper proper relationship prosecutor business bribes page standard plea guilty invalid merely entered avoid possibility death penalty iii record us also supports conclusion brady plea intelligently made advised competent counsel made aware nature charge nothing indicate incompetent otherwise control mental faculties confederate pleaded guilty became available testify chose plead guilty perhaps ensure face life imprisonment term years brady aware precisely admitted kidnaped victim released unharmed true brady counsel advised empowered jury impose death penalty nine years later jackson supra held jury power long judge impose lesser penalty trial plea guilty facts require us set aside brady conviction often decision plead guilty heavily influenced defendant appraisal prosecution case apparent likelihood securing leniency guilty plea offered accepted considerations like frequently present imponderable questions certain answers judgments may made light later events seem improvident although perfectly sensible time rule plea must intelligently made valid require plea vulnerable later attack defendant correctly assess every relevant factor entering decision defendant entitled withdraw plea merely discovers long plea accepted calculus misapprehended quality state case likely penalties attached alternative courses action particularly absent misrepresentation impermissible conduct state agents cf von moltke gillies voluntary plea guilty intelligently made light applicable law become vulnerable later judicial decisions indicate plea rested faulty premise plea guilty triggered expectations competently counseled defendant state strong case subject later attack defendant lawyer correctly advised respect existing law possible penalties later pronouncements courts case hold maximum penalty crime question less reasonably assumed time plea entered fact brady anticipate jackson supra impugn truth reliability plea find requirement constitution defendant must permitted disown solemn admissions open committed act charged simply later develops state weaker case defendant thought maximum penalty assumed applicable held inapplicable subsequent judicial decisions say guilty plea convictions hold hazards innocent methods taking guilty pleas presently employed country necessarily valid respects mode conviction foolproof full trials jury accordingly take great precautions unsound results continue whether conviction plea trial serious doubts case encouragement guilty pleas offers leniency substantially increased likelihood defendants advised competent counsel falsely condemn view contrary based expectations courts satisfy pleas guilty voluntarily intelligently made competent defendants adequate advice counsel nothing question accuracy reliability defendants admissions committed crimes charged case us nothing record impeaches brady plea suggests admissions open anything truth although brady plea guilty may well motivated part desire avoid possible death penalty convinced plea voluntarily intelligently made reason doubt solemn admission guilt truthful affirmed justice black adhering belief jackson wrongly decided concurs judgment substantially opinion case footnotes knowingly transports interstate foreign commerce person unlawfully seized confined inveigled decoyed kidnaped abducted carried away held ransom reward otherwise except case minor parent thereof shall punished death kidnaped person liberated unharmed verdict jury shall recommend imprisonment term years life death penalty imposed eight days petitioner pleaded guilty brought sentencing time questioned petitioner second time voluntariness plea read presentence report statement made probation officer want certain know know entered plea guilty day want let plea guilty stand want withdraw plead guilty brady want let plea stand sir understand admitting confessing truth charge contained indictment enter plea guilty voluntarily without persuasion coercion kind right brady yes honor brady yes plead guilty charge brady yes app petitioner pleaded guilty rule read follows defendant may plead guilty guilty consent nolo contendere may refuse accept plea guilty shall accept plea without first determining plea made voluntarily understanding nature charge defendant refuses plead refuses accept plea guilty defendant corporation fails appear shall enter plea guilty rule amended reads follows defendant may plead guilty guilty consent nolo contendere may refuse accept plea guilty shall accept plea plea nolo contendere without first addressing defendant personally determining plea made voluntarily understanding nature charge consequences plea defendant refuses plead refuses accept plea guilty defendant corporation fails appear shall enter plea guilty shall enter judgment upon plea guilty unless satisfied factual basis plea mccarthy held failure comply rule required defendant pleaded guilty allowed plead anew halliday held mccarthy rule apply cases guilty plea accepted april date mccarthy decision requirement plea guilty must intelligent voluntary valid long recognized see nn infra new element added boykin requirement record must affirmatively disclose defendant pleaded guilty entered plea understandingly voluntarily yet passed question retroactivity new requirement machibroda waley johnston walker johnston chambers florida kercheval see brookhart janis adams ex rel mccann johnson zerbst patton since intelligent assessment relative advantages pleading guilty frequently impossible without assistance attorney scrutinized special care pleas guilty entered defendants without assistance counsel without valid waiver right counsel see pennsylvania ex rel herman claudy von moltke gillies opinions black frankfurter jj williams kaiser since gideon wainwright clear guilty plea felony charge entered without counsel without waiver counsel invalid see white maryland arsenault massachusetts importance assuring defendant plead guilty except full understanding charges possible consequences plea heart recent decisions mccarthy supra boykin alabama see nn supra possibility seems rejected district proceedings found plea guilty made petitioner reason matters reason statute make reference situation prosecutor judge deliberately employ charging sentencing powers induce particular defendant tender plea guilty brady case claim prosecutor threatened prosecution charge justified evidence trial judge threatened brady harsher sentence convicted trial order induce plead guilty elaborate discussion factors may justify reduction penalty upon plea guilty see american bar association project standards criminal justice pleas guilty commentary pp approved draft estimated perhaps criminal convictions pleas guilty felony convictions estimated guilty plea newman conviction determination guilt innocence without trial malloy hogan see also haynes washington lynumn illinois wilson presence counsel cases us today adequate protective device necessary make process police interrogation conform dictates privilege compelled presence insure statements made atmosphere product compulsion miranda arizona shelton cir en banc rev confession error grounds conclusion regard seems coincide conclusions lower federal courts considered whether guilty plea avoid possible death penalty involuntary see ex rel brown lavallee cir thomas cir pindell mcfarland aff may cert denied laboy new jersey gilmore california cir busby holman cir cooper holman cir cert denied godlock ross supp ex rel robinson fay cir cert denied overman cir cert denied martin cir cert denied see shaw alford north carolina cir prob juris noted restored calendar reargument