United States v. Bayaud

Decision Date22 January 1883
PartiesUNITED STATES v. BAYAUD and another.
CourtU.S. District Court — Southern District of New York

W. P Fiero, for the United States.

Benj. F. Tracy, for defendants.

BENEDICT J.

This is a motion on the part of the prisoners above named for leave to withdraw a plea of guilty made by them on the fifteenth of December last, or for a postponement of sentence until a future day. The ground upon which leave to withdraw the plea is asked, is that the prisoners were induced to make it by an assurance on the part of the district attorney in respect to his official action, which has not been fulfilled. It appears that at the October term, 1882, four indictments were found against the prisoners for violations of the internal revenue laws. Two of these indictments were thereafter consolidated by the order of the court. At the December term the cases were upon the calendar for trial, and the government was ready to proceed with a large number of witnesses, whereupon the prisoners asked and obtained leave to file a plea of guilty to the consolidated indictments, and such plea was duly entered. This action on their part was taken upon the advice of intelligent and faithful counsel, who had represented them in this matter from the beginning. Before the entry of the plea of guilty it was understood between the counsel for the prisoners and the district attorney, that, in case the defendants should plead guilty to the consolidated indictments, the district attorney would enter a nolle prosequi upon the other two indictments, and would not move sentence upon the consolidated indictments until the prisoners had an opportunity to make an effort to effect a compromise of their case at Washington. In pursuance of this understanding the plea in question was duly entered, and the district attorney delayed moving for sentence until the January term, and until he had been officially informed by the commissioner of internal revenue that the prisoner's offer of compromise had been finally rejected, and that no other offer of a compromise would be entertained.

He now moves for sentence, and the prisoners move for leave to withdraw their plea of guilty.

This application is made in behalf of the prisoners by other counsel than the advisers of the plea, and there is no suggestion from those advisers that they have changed their opinion in regard to the truth of the plea, or that the plea was made under any misapprehension or mistake, or that it was procured by the district attorney or any other person; but it is said by one of the advisers of the plea that the defendants, when making the plea, were advised by their counsel that a compromise of the case would be likely to be effected with the department at Washington. The district attorney swears that he never invited the defendants, either directly or indirectly, through their counsel or through any person whatever, to make a plea of guilty, and that the suggestion of such a plea came to him from the defendants' counsel, without suggestion, promise, or inducement by him.

These are all the material facts disclosed by the affidavits that have been submitted upon this motion. The affidavits do however, disclose, in addition, that the prisoners, in pleading guilty, acted under the belief that they would be able to effect a compromise of the case at Washington; but there is nothing to show that they were encouraged...

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28 cases
  • State v. Sisco
    • United States
    • Iowa Supreme Court
    • July 24, 1969
    ...voluntarily after proper advice and with full understanding of the consequences. When one so pleads he may be held bound. United States v. Bayaud (C.C.) 23 F. 721. But, on timely application, the court will vacate a plea of guilty shown to have been unfairly obtained or given through ignora......
  • State v. Abel
    • United States
    • Missouri Supreme Court
    • June 21, 1928
    ...voluntarily after proper advice and with full understanding of the consequences. When one so pleads, he may be held bound. [United States v. Bayaud, 23 F. 721.] But, on timely application, the court will vacate a plea guilty shown to have been unfairly obtained or given through ignorance, f......
  • State v. Thomson
    • United States
    • Oregon Supreme Court
    • December 15, 1954
    ...voluntarily after proper advice and with full understanding of the consequences. When one so pleads he may be held bound. United States v. Bayaud, C.C., 23 F. 721. But, on timely application, the court will vacate a plea of guilty shown to have been unfairly obtained or given through ignora......
  • State v. Weekly
    • United States
    • Washington Supreme Court
    • December 26, 1952
    ...voluntarily after proper advice and with full understanding of the consequences. When one so pleads he may be held bound. United States v. Bayaud, C.C., 23 F. 721. But, on timely application, the court will vacate a plea of guilty shown to have been unfairly obtained or given through ignora......
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