boykin alabama argued march decided june petitioner negro represented appointed counsel pleaded guilty five indictments robbery judge asked questions petitioner concerning plea petitioner address alabama law providing jury trial fix punishment guilty plea prosecution presented eyewitness testimony petitioner counsel cursorily petitioner testify character background testimony presented nothing indicate prior criminal record jury found petitioner guilty sentenced death indictment alabama reviewed sentences state automatic appeal statute capital cases requires reviewing comb record prejudicial error even though raised counsel petitioner raise question voluntariness guilty plea state pass question though majority explicitly considered affirming sentences death held jurisdiction review question voluntary character plea since plain error trial judge acceptance petitioner guilty plea absent affirmative showing plea intelligent voluntary state alabama automatic appeal statute pp waiver privilege compulsory guaranteed fifth amendment applicable fourteenth right trial jury right confront one accusers involved guilty plea entered state criminal trial presumed silent record pp acceptance petitioner guilty plea circumstances case constituted reversible error record disclose petitioner voluntarily understandingly entered plea guilty pp graham gibbons appointment argued cause petitioner brief stephen hopkins david clark assistant attorney general alabama argued cause respondent brief macdonald gallion attorney general jack greenberg james nabrit iii michael meltsner melvyn zarr anthony amsterdam filed brief naacp legal defense educational fund et al amici curiae urging reversal justice douglas delivered opinion spring within period fortnight series armed robberies occurred mobile alabama victims case local shopkeepers open night forced gunman hand money robbing one grocery store assailant fired gun sending bullet door ceiling days earlier drugstore robber allowed gun discharge way bullet ricochet floor struck customer leg shortly thereafter local grand jury returned five indictments petitioner negro robbery offense punishable alabama death matter came trial determined petitioner indigent appointed counsel represent three days later arraignment petitioner pleaded guilty five indictments far record shows judge asked questions petitioner concerning plea petitioner address trial strategy may course make plea guilty seem desirable course record wholly silent point throws light alabama provides defendant pleads guilty must cause punishment determined jury except required fixed may cause witnesses examined ascertain character offense code tit present case trial dimension held prosecution presenting case largely eyewitness testimony although counsel petitioner engaged cursory petitioner neither testified presented testimony concerning character background nothing indicate prior criminal record instructing jury judge stressed petitioner pleaded guilty five cases robbery defined felonious taking money another violence putting fear carrying ten years minimum penitentiary penalty death electrocution jury upon deliberation found petitioner guilty sentenced severally die five indictments taking automatic appeal alabama petitioner argued sentence death robbery cruel unusual punishment within meaning federal constitution suggestion unanimously rejected motion however four seven justices discussed constitutionality process trial judge accepted petitioner guilty plea order affirming trial three justices dissented ground record inadequate show petitioner intelligently knowingly pleaded guilty fourth member concurred separately conceding trial judge accept guilty plea unless determined plea voluntarily knowingly entered defendant refusing aught appearing presume trial judge failed duty granted certiorari respondent suggest lack jurisdiction review voluntary character petitioner guilty plea failed raise federal question state failed pass upon question raised oral argument conclude properly presented alabama statute code tit provides automatic appeal capital cases also requires reviewing comb record error prejudicial appellant even though called attention brief counsel lee state automatic appeal statute provision plain error doctrine aware alabama criminal appellate review douglas state app words alabama perhaps well note reviewing death case automatic appeal statute may consider testimony seriously prejudicial rights appellant may reverse thereon even though lawful objection exception made thereto citations omitted review limited matters brought attention brief counsel duncan state plea guilty confession admits accused various acts conviction nothing remains give judgment determine punishment see kercheval admissibility confession must based reliable determination voluntariness issue satisfies constitutional rights defendant jackson denno requirement prosecution spread record prerequisites valid waiver constitutional innovation carnley cochran dealt problem waiver right counsel sixth amendment right held presuming waiver silent record impermissible record must show must allegation evidence show accused offered counsel intelligently understandingly rejected offer anything less waiver think standard must applied determining whether guilty plea voluntarily made said plea guilty admission conduct conviction ignorance incomprehension coercion terror inducements subtle blatant threats might perfect unconstitutionality question effective waiver federal constitutional right proceeding course governed federal standards douglas alabama several federal constitutional rights involved waiver takes place plea guilty entered state criminal trial first privilege compulsory guaranteed fifth amendment applicable reason fourteenth malloy hogan second right trial jury duncan louisiana third right confront one accusers pointer texas presume waiver three important federal rights silent record stake accused facing death imprisonment demands utmost solicitude courts capable canvassing matter accused make sure full understanding plea connotes consequence judge discharges function leaves record adequate review may later sought garner louisiana specht patterson forestalls collateral proceedings seek probe murky memories three dissenting justices alabama stated law accurately concluded reversible error record disclose defendant voluntarily understandingly entered pleas guilty reversed footnotes elements robbery alabama derived common law possible penalties fixed statute code tit unlike cardinale louisiana state perhaps unacquainted federal question issue already stated four seven justices majority discussed matter implications alabama law plea guilty voluntary confession made open also serves stipulation proof prosecution need advanced supplies evidence verdict ending controversy woodard state app federal regime rule federal rules criminal procedure governs duty trial judge accepting guilty plea see mccarthy said case defendant enters plea simultaneously waives several constitutional rights including privilege compulsory right trial jury right confront accusers waiver valid due process clause must intentional relinquishment abandonment known right privilege johnson zerbst consequently defendant guilty plea equally voluntary knowing obtained violation due process therefore void moreover guilty plea admission elements formal criminal charge truly voluntary unless defendant possesses understanding law relation facts among requiring effective waiver right plead guilty appear affirmatively record colorado rev stat ann illinois rev missouri state blaylock new york people seaton wisconsin state burke washington woods rhay majority criminal convictions obtained plea guilty convictions insulated attack trial best advised conduct record examination defendant include inter alia attempt satisfy defendant understands nature charges right jury trial acts sufficient constitute offenses charged permissible range sentences commonwealth ex rel west rundle justice harlan justice black joins dissenting today holds petitioner boykin denied due process law robbery convictions must reversed outright solely record inadequate show petitioner intelligently knowingly pleaded guilty ante thus effect fastens upon matter federal constitutional law rigid prophylactic requirements rule federal rules criminal procedure circumstances recently held application rule unnecessary federal courts see halliday moreover behest petitioner never time alleged guilty plea involuntary made without knowledge consequences possibly subscribe bizarre result petitioner sentenced immediately acceptance plea instead pursuant alabama statute ordered witnesses examined ascertain character offense presence jury fix petitioner sentence see code tit tit proceeding occurred two months petitioner pleaded guilty period petitioner made attempt withdraw plea petitioner present attorney witnesses examined petitioner heard judge state elements robbery heard announce petitioner pleaded guilty offense might sentenced death petitioner made effort withdraw plea appeal alabama petitioner claim guilty plea made involuntarily without full knowledge consequences fact petitioner raised questions concerning plea petition brief oral argument counsel petitioner never asserted plea coerced made ignorance consequences ii reversal therefore predicated entirely upon failure arraigning state judge make adequate record holding ground reversal quotes copiously mccarthy held earlier term federal district judge fails comply every respect procedure accepting guilty plea prescribed rule federal rules criminal procedure plea must set aside defendant permitted replead regardless findings plea fact voluntary omits mention mccarthy stated decision based solely upon construction rule explicitly disavowed reliance upon constitution thus mccarthy provide support whatever today constitutional edict iii defendant whose plea accepted without full compliance rule may still resort appropriate remedies attack plea voluntariness thus plea accepted prior decision mccarthy without remedy correct constitutional defects conviction hold petitioner boykin entitled outright reversal conviction simply inadequacy record pertaining guilty plea vacate judgment remand hearing voluntariness even assumed sake argument petitioner entitled hearing alleged plea involuntary matter find unnecessary decide fact never made claim hence consider petitioner present arguments relating guilty plea entitle federal relief record day open came state alabama district attorney defendant proper person attorney evan austill defendant open day arraigned indictment cases charging offense robbery plead guilty appendix however willing accept majority view jurisdiction consider question petitioner advances two additional constitutional arguments imposition death penalty robbery cruel unusual punishment violation fourteenth amendment thus permit jury inflict death penalty without standards guide discretion amounts denial due process reach issues done