State v. Basquin
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The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's plea-based conviction for a drug offense, a class "C" felony, holding that Defendant's challenges to the validity of his plea were unavailing.
At issue was this Court's supervisory orders promulgated in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic temporarily allowing written pleas. On appeal, Defendant argued that the rules of criminal procedure, precedent, and due process required an in-person plea colloquy in open court and that the supervisory orders violated due process and separation of powers principles. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) Defendant met the good cause requirement by presenting questions of first impression as the the validity of this Court's supervisory orders and Defendant's written guilty plea to a felony; but (2) this Court's supervisory orders are lawful exercises of this Court's constitutional and inherent authority during the pandemic.
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