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Smart Summary

Summary of Opinion: People v. Baker, Docket No. 13477 (Mich. Ct. App. Apr. 24, 1973)

Factual and Procedural Background

On November 6, 1970, Paul Floyd Baker was arrested pursuant to warrants and complaints charging him with two separate offenses arising from two separate transactions: (1) assault with intent to commit murder (MCLA 750.83; MSA 28.278) and (2) breaking and entering (MCLA 750.110; MSA 28.305). After plea negotiations, Baker agreed to plead guilty to the breaking and entering charge in return for dismissal of the assault charge. On April 8, 1971, Baker entered a guilty plea to breaking and entering before Circuit Court Judge Richard Robinson, and on April 29, 1971, he was sentenced to a prison term of 4 to 10 years, which he was serving at the time of this opinion.

On November 12, 1971, Baker filed a motion to dismiss the assault charge based on the earlier plea bargaining agreement. The prosecutor acknowledged the plea negotiations and acquiesced in dismissal; the prosecutor's prior effort to nolle prosequi the remaining charge had been denied by Judge Mikesell by written order. On January 13, 1972, Circuit Judge Willard Mikesell denied Baker's motion to dismiss. Baker appealed that denial to the Michigan Court of Appeals by leave. The Court of Appeals reversed and remanded.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the plea bargaining agreement in which the defendant pleaded guilty to breaking and entering in exchange for dismissal of the assault with intent to commit murder charge is enforceable.
  2. What remedy is appropriate when a plea bargain is at issue — specifically whether specific enforcement of the bargain is an appropriate form of relief where the prosecutor has fulfilled the bargain and the defendant seeks enforcement rather than withdrawal of his guilty plea.
  3. Whether the trial court erred in denying the defendant's motion to dismiss the assault charge in light of the plea agreement and the parties' positions.

Arguments of the Parties

The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257; 92 S Ct 495; 30 L Ed 2d 427 (1971) Recognized the validity of plea bargaining and permitted a defendant, when a prosecutor breaches a plea bargain, to seek either specific enforcement of the agreement or withdrawal of the plea; exemplified by remanding for appropriate relief when the prosecutor failed to fulfill his bargain. The court contrasted Santobello (where the prosecutor failed to fulfill the bargain) with the present case (where the prosecutor fulfilled the bargain), and cited Santobello as authorizing specific enforcement or withdrawal as appropriate remedies for plea-bargain disputes.
People v. Eck, 39 Mich. App. 176, 179 (1972) Accepted the guideline from Justice Douglas's concurring opinion in Santobello that a defendant's preference as to remedy should be given considerable, if not controlling, weight when a prosecutor breaches a plea bargain. The court cited Eck for the proposition that a defendant's preference for remedy (here, enforcement rather than withdrawal) is entitled to substantial weight; relying on Eck, the court found specific enforcement appropriate in this case.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court of Appeals reviewed the factual posture: a plea bargain resulted in the defendant's guilty plea to breaking and entering in exchange for dismissal of the separate assault charge. The court noted that Santobello v. New York recognizes plea bargaining and provides remedies when a prosecutor breaches such agreements, allowing either specific enforcement of the agreement or withdrawal of the plea. The court distinguished Santobello because, unlike that case where the prosecutor failed to fulfill the bargain, here the prosecutor had fulfilled the bargain and both parties sought enforcement.

The court then relied on People v. Eck, which adopted Justice Douglas's guideline that a defendant's preference regarding remedy should be given considerable weight. Applying that guideline, the panel saw no reason why specific enforcement of the plea bargain would be inappropriate in the present circumstances where the prosecutor had honored the agreement and the defendant sought enforcement rather than withdrawal. Based on that analysis, the court concluded that the trial court's denial of the motion to dismiss was incorrect.

Holding and Implications

HOLDING: The judgment of the trial court denying defendant's motion to dismiss was REVERSED AND REMANDED.

Implications: The direct effect is that the trial court's denial of the motion to dismiss the assault charge is reversed, and the case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with the opinion (noting the court's endorsement of specific enforcement of the plea bargain in the circumstances presented). The opinion does not state or announce any new broad precedent beyond applying Santobello and the Eck guideline to the facts before the court.

PEOPLE v. BAKER

BRONSON, J.

On November 6, 1970, pursuant to warrants and complaints issued the same day, defendant was arrested and charged with two crimes: assault with intent to commit murder and breaking and entering. MCLA 750.83; MSA 28.278 and MCLA 750.110; MSA 28.305. These charges were the result of two separate transactions. Following plea bargaining negotiations, defendant agreed to plead guilty to the breaking and entering offense in return for a dismissal of the assault with intent to murder offense. On April 8, 1971, the bargain was consummated by the entry of defendant's guilty plea before Circuit Court Judge Richard Robinson. On April 29, 1971, defendant was sentenced to a prison term of 4 to 10 years on the breaking and entering offense, which he is currently serving.

On November 12, 1971, defendant filed a motion to dismiss the assault charge. Defendant based this motion upon the prior plea bargaining agreement entered into with the prosecutor. The prosecutor acknowledged the existence of the plea negotiations and acquiesced in defendant's request for dismissal. On January 13, 1972, Circuit Judge Willard Mikesell denied defendant's motion to dismiss, from which defendant appeals by leave of this Court.

Plaintiff's prior effort to nolle prosequi the remaining charge was unsuccessful, Judge Mikesell denying the motion by written order.

There is no question that defendant's conviction for breaking and entering was the result of plea bargaining culminating in the acceptance of his guilty plea. The quid pro quo for defendant's plea was the prosecutor's dismissal of the assault charge. Both the prosecutor and defendant seek the enforcement of their bargain. In Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257; 92 S Ct 495; 30 L Ed 2d 427 (1971), the United States Supreme Court recognized the validity of plea bargaining and attempted to protect a defendant from a prosecutor's breach by permitting him to either specifically enforce the agreement or withdraw his plea. The Santobello Court remanded the case to the trial court to enter the appropriate relief because of the prosecutor's failure to fulfill his bargain.

Unlike Santobello the prosecutor has fulfilled his bargain and defendant seeks to enforce the bargain rather than withdraw his guilty plea. In People v. Eck, 39 Mich. App. 176, 179 (1972), we accepted the following guideline offered by Justice Douglas in his concurring opinion:

"`In choosing a remedy, however, a court ought to accord a defendant's preference considerable, if not controlling weight, inasmuch as the fundamental rights flouted by a prosecutor's breach of a plea bargain are those of a defendant, not of the State.' 404 US at 267; 92 S Ct at 501; 30 L Ed 2d at 436."

Like the Eck panel, we see no reason why specific enforcement of the plea bargain is not the appropriate relief to be provided in the instant case. Accordingly, we reverse and remand for further proceedings not inconsistent with this opinion.

Reversed and remanded.

All concurred.

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PEOPLE v. BAKER
(Apr 24, 1973)