Mabry, Commissioner, Arkansas Department of Correction v. Johnson (467 U.S. 504)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided June 11, 1984 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 467 U.S. 504 · 104 S. Ct. 2543
- Decided
- June 11, 1984
- Term
- October Term 1983
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Stevens
- Issue area
- Criminal Procedure
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. The question presented is whether a defendant’s acceptance of a prosecutor’s proposed plea bargain creates a constitutional right to have the bargain specifically enforced. In the late evening of May 22, 1970, three members of a family returned home to find a burglary in progress. Shots were exchanged resulting in the daughter’s death and the wounding of the father and respondent — one of the burglars. Respondent was tried and convicted on three charges: burglary, assault, and murder. The murder conviction was set aside by the Arkansas Supreme Court, Johnson v. State, 252 Ark. 1113, 482 S. W. 2d 600 (1972). Thereafter, plea negotiations ensued.. At the time of the negotiations respondent was serving his concurrent 21- and 12-year sentences on the burglary and assault convictions. On Friday, October 27, 1972, a deputy prosecutor proposed to respondent’s attorney that in exchange for a plea of guilty to the charge of accessory after a felony murder, the prosecutor would recommend a sentence of 21 years to be served concurrently with the burglary and assault sentences. On the following day, counsel communicated the offer to respondent who agreed to accept it. On the next Monday the lawyer called the prosecutor “and communicated [respondent’s] acceptance of the offer.” App. 10. The prosecutor then told counsel that a mistake had…
Excerpt of a 13,802-character opinion. The full text and citation network load in the interactive viewer above.