La. Admin. Code tit. 22 § XV-1909

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XV-1909 - Performance Standard 4: Agreed Dispositions

A. Duty of Counsel to Seek an Agreed Disposition

1. Counsel at every stage of the case have an obligation to take all steps that may be appropriate in the exercise of professional judgment in accordance with these Standards to achieve an agreed-upon disposition.

2. After interviewing the client and developing a thorough knowledge of the law and facts of the case, counsel at every stage of the case should explore with the client the possibility and desirability of reaching an agreed-upon disposition of the charges rather than proceeding to a trial or continuing with proceedings seeking judicial or executive review. In doing so counsel should fully explain the rights that would be waived by a decision to enter a plea or waive further review, the possible collateral consequences, and the legal factual and contextual considerations that bear upon that decision. Counsel should advise the client with complete candor concerning all aspects of the case, including a candid opinion as to the probable outcome. Counsel should make it clear to the client that the ultimate decision to enter a plea of guilty or waive further review has to be made by the client.

3. Counsel should keep the client fully informed of any discussions or negotiations for an agreed disposition and promptly convey to the client any offers made by the prosecution for an agreed disposition. Counsel shall not accept or reject any agreed-upon disposition without the client's express authorization.

4. Initial refusals by the prosecutor to negotiate should not prevent counsel from making further efforts to negotiate. Despite a clients initial opposition, counsel should engage in an ongoing effort to persuade the client to pursue an agreed disposition that is in the clients best interest. Consideration of an agreed disposition should focus on the clients interests, the clients needs and the clients perspective.

5. The existence of ongoing negotiations with the prosecution does not in any way diminish the obligations of defense counsel respecting investigation and litigation. Ongoing negotiations should not prevent counsel from taking steps necessary to preserve a defense nor should the existence of ongoing negotiations prevent or delay counsel's investigation into the facts of the case and preparation of the case for further proceedings, including trial.

B. Formal Advice Regarding Agreed Dispositions

1. Counsel should be aware of, and fully explain to the client:

a. the maximum penalty that may be imposed for the charged offense(s) and any possible lesser included or alternative offenses, and any mandatory (minimum) punishment, sentencing enhancements, habitual offender statutes, mandatory consecutive sentence requirements including restitution, fines, assessments and court costs;

b. any collateral consequences of potential penalties less than death including but not limited to forfeiture of assets, deportation or the denial of naturalization or of reentry into the United States, imposition of civil liabilities, loss of parental rights, the forfeiture of professional licensure, the ineligibility for various government programs including student loans, the prohibition from carrying a firearm, the suspension of a motor vehicle operator's license, the loss of the right to vote, the loss of the right to hold public office, potential federal prosecutions, and the use of the disposition adverse to the client in penalty phase proceedings of other prosecutions of him, as well as any direct consequences of potential penalties less than death, such as the possibility and likelihood of parole, place of confinement and good-time credits;

c. any registration requirements including sex offender registration and job specific notification requirements;

d. the general range of sentences for similar offenses committed by defendants with similar backgrounds, and the impact of any applicable sentencing guidelines or mandatory sentencing requirements including any possible and likely sentence enhancements or parole consequences;

e. the governing legal regime, including but not limited to whatever choices the client may have as to the fact finder and/or sentence;

f. available drug rehabilitation programs, psychiatric treatment, and health care;

g. the possible and likely place of confinement;

h. credit for pretrial detention;

i. the effect of good-time credits on the clients release date and how those credits are earned and calculated;

j. eligibility for correctional programs, work release and conditional leaves;

k. deferred sentences, conditional discharges and diversion agreements;

l. probation or suspension of sentence and permissible conditions of probation;

m. parole and post-prison supervision eligibility, applicable ranges, and likely post-prison supervision conditions; and

n. possibility of later expungement and sealing of records.

2. Counsel should be completely familiar with, and fully explain to the client:

a. concessions the client may make as part of an agreed disposition, including:

i. to waive trial and plead guilty to particular charges;

ii. to decline from asserting or litigating any particular pretrial motions; or to forego in whole or in part legal remedies such as appeals, motions for post-conviction relief, and/or parole or clemency applications. However, the client should receive independent legal advice before being asked to waive any future claim of ineffective assistance of counsel.

iii. to proceed to trial on a particular date or within a particular time period;

iv. to enter an agreement regarding future custodial status, such as one to be confined in a more onerous category of institution than would otherwise be the case, or to fulfill specified restitution conditions and/or participation in community work or service programs, or in rehabilitation or other programs;

v. to provide the prosecution with assistance in prosecuting or investigating the present case or other alleged criminal activity;

vi. to enter an agreement to permit a judge to perform functions relative to guilt or sentence that would otherwise be performed by a jury or vice versa;

vii. to enter an agreement to engage in or refrain from any particular conduct, as appropriate to the case;

viii. to enter an agreement with the victims family, which may include matters such as: a meeting between the victims family and the client, a promise not to publicize or profit from the offense, the issuance or delivery of a public statement of remorse by the client, or restitution; and

ix. to enter agreements such as those described in the above subsections respecting actual or potential charges in another jurisdiction.

b. benefits the client might obtain from a negotiated settlement, including, but not limited to an agreement:

i. that the death penalty will not be sought;

ii. to dismiss or reduce one or more of the charged offenses either immediately, or upon completion of a deferred prosecution agreement;

iii. that the client will receive, with the agreement of the court, a specified sentence or sanction or a sentence or sanction within a specified range;

iv. that the client will receive, or the prosecution will recommend, specific benefits concerning the accused's place and/or manner of confinement and/or release on parole and the information concerning the accused's offense and alleged behavior that may be considered in determining the accused's date of release from incarceration;

v. that the client may enter a conditional plea to preserve the right to further contest certain legal issues;

vi. that the prosecution will not oppose the client's release on bail pending sentencing or appeal;

vii. that the client will not be subject to further investigation or prosecution for uncharged alleged or suspected criminal conduct;

viii. that the prosecution will take, or refrain from taking, at the time of sentencing and/or in communications with the preparer of the official pre-sentence report, a specified position with respect to the sanction to be imposed on the client by the court;

ix. that the prosecution will not present certain information, at the time of sentencing and/or in communications with the preparer of the official pre-sentence report, or will engage in or refrain from engaging in other actions with regard to sentencing;

x. such as those described in Subsections (i)-(ix) respecting actual or potential charges in another jurisdiction.

c. the position of any alleged victim (and victims family members) with respect to conviction and sentencing. In this regard, counsel should:

i. consider whether interviewing or outreach to an alleged victim (or a victims family members) is appropriate;

ii. consider to what extent the alleged victim or victims (or a victims family members) might be involved in the plea negotiations;

iii. be familiar with any rights afforded the alleged victim or victims (and a victims family members) under La. Const. Art I, § 25, R.S. 46:1841 et seq., or other applicable law; and

iv. be familiar with the practice of the prosecutor and/or victim-witness advocate working with the prosecutor and to what extent, if any, they defer to the wishes of the alleged victim.

3. In conducting plea negotiations, counsel should be familiar with and should fully explain to the client:

a. the various types of pleas that may be agreed to, including a plea of guilty, a nolo contendere plea in which the client is not required to personally acknowledge his or her guilt (North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25 (1970)), and a guilty plea conditioned upon reservation of appellate review of pre-plea assignments of non-jurisdictional error (State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La. 1976));

b. the advantages and disadvantages of each available plea according to the circumstances of the case; and

c. whether any plea agreement is or can be made binding on the court and prison and parole authorities, and whether the client or the state has a right to appeal the conviction and/or sentence and what would happen if an appeal was successful.

4. In conducting plea negotiations, counsel should become familiar with and fully explain to the client, the practices, policies, and concerns of the particular jurisdiction, judge and prosecuting authority, probation department, the family of the victim and any other persons or entities which may affect the content and likely results of plea negotiations.

5. In conducting plea negotiations counsel should be familiar with and fully explain to the client any ongoing exposure to prosecution in any other jurisdiction for the same or related offending and where possible, seek to fully resolve the clients exposure to prosecution for the offending and any related offending.

C. The Advice and Decision to Enter a Plea of Guilty

1. Subject to considerations of diminished capacity, counsel should abide by the clients decision, after meaningful consultation with counsel, as to a plea to be entered.

2. Counsel should explain all matters relevant to the plea decision to the extent reasonably necessary to permit the client to make informed decisions regarding the appropriate plea. In particular, counsel should investigate and explain to the client the prospective strengths and weaknesses of the case for the prosecution and defense at both guilt and penalty phase and on appellate post-conviction and habeas corpus review.

3. Counsel should carefully and thoroughly explore the clients understanding of the matters explained including, in particular, the procedural posture of his case, the trial and appellate process, the likelihood of success at trial, the likely disposition at trial and the practical effect of each disposition, the practical effect of each available plea decision and counsels professional advice on which plea to enter.

4. In providing the client with advice, counsel should refer not only to law but to other considerations such as moral, economic, social and political factors that may be relevant to the client's situation. Counsel may enlist the assistance of others to assist in ensuring that the client is able to make an informed decision having regard to these considerations.

5. Counsel should pursue every reasonable avenue to overcome any barriers to communication and trust in discussing a possible agreed disposition. Counsel should take all reasonable steps to ensure that the clients capacity to make a decision in his own best interests is not impaired, for example, by the effects of mental health, family dysfunction or conditions of confinement.

6. The considerations applicable to the advice and decision to enter a plea of guilty will also apply to the decision to enter into an agreed disposition in an appellate or post-conviction posture.

D. Entering the Negotiated Plea before the Court

1. Notwithstanding any earlier discussions with the client, prior to the entry of the plea, counsel should meet with the client in a confidential setting that fosters full communication and:

a. make certain that the client understands the rights he or she will waive by entering the plea and that the clients decision to waive those rights is knowing, voluntary and intelligent;

b. make certain that the client receives a full explanation of the conditions and limits of the plea agreement and the maximum punishment, sanctions and collateral consequences the client will be exposed to by entering a plea;

c. explain to the client the nature of the plea hearing and prepare the client for the role he or she will play in the hearing, including answering questions of the judge and providing a statement concerning the offense;

d. make certain that if the plea is a non-negotiated plea, the client is informed that once the plea has been accepted by the court, it may not be withdrawn after the sentence has been pronounced by the court;

e. ensure that the client is mentally competent and psychologically capable of making a decision to enter a plea of guilty;

f. be satisfied that the client admits guilt or believes there is a substantial likelihood of conviction at trial, and believes that it is in his or her best interests to plead guilty under the plea agreement rather than risk the consequence of conviction after trial; and

g. be satisfied that the state would likely be able to prove the charge(s) against the client at trial.

2. When entering the plea, counsel should make sure that the full content and conditions of the plea agreement are placed on the record before the court.

3. Subsequent to the acceptance of the plea, counsel should review and explain the plea proceedings to the client, and respond to any questions or concerns the client may have.

La. Admin. Code tit. 22, § XV-1909

Promulgated by the Office of the Governor, Public Defender Board, LR 4163 (1/1/2015).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 15:148.