

“The plea colloquy cannot, however, be reduced to determining whether the defendant has read and filled out the form,” the court continued, insisting on a personal, in-court, on-the-record exchange between the judge and the defendant.Īt the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, Hoppe’s plea colloquy was deemed sufficient based, in part, on State v. “A completed form can therefore be a very useful instrument to help ensure a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary plea,” the court said.

Notify the defendant of the direct consequences of a plea.Establish that the defendant understands the court is not bound by the terms of any plea agreement, including recommendations from the district attorney.Inform the defendant of the constitutional rights waived by a guilty plea and verify the defendant understands this consequence.Find whether a factual basis exists to support the plea.Establish the defendant’s understanding of the nature of the crime and the range of punishments.Ensure a poor defendant knows an attorney will be appointed at no cost.

Alert the defendant to the possibility that an attorney might discover defenses or mitigating circumstances not apparent to one untrained in the law.Ascertain whether any promises, agreements, or threats were made to induce the plea, the defendant’s appearance at the hearing, or the decision to forgo an attorney.Determine the defendant’s education and general comprehension of the issues at the hearing.The court explained that during a proper plea colloquy, the judge must personally address the defendant and: However, the justices rejected Hoppe’s motion to withdraw his guilty plea, holding that the record ultimately demonstrated that the plea was knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily entered. Hoppe, 2009 WI 41, that the judge should have inquired more deeply into Christopher Hoppe’s understanding of his plea and its ramifications when he plead guilty to 12 counts of possessing child pornography. The Wisconsin Supreme Court said in State v. – When accepting a guilty plea, the judge must do more than check to see if the defendant read and understood the standard form used to enter the plea.
