Boykin v. Alabama
Citation
395 U.S. 238 (1969)
Facts
Boykin pleaded guilty to five counts of armed robbery; the trial record contained no inquiry by the judge into whether the plea was voluntary or whether Boykin understood the charges or the consequences of his plea, yet he was sentenced to death.
Issue
Whether due process requires an affirmative showing on the record that a guilty plea was made voluntarily and intelligently before a court may accept it.
Holding
The Court reversed the conviction, holding that accepting a guilty plea without an affirmative showing of voluntariness and intelligent waiver on the record violates due process.
Rule
Due process requires that the record affirmatively show that a guilty plea was made voluntarily and intelligently, with the defendant’s awareness of the nature of the charges and the consequences of the plea; the judge must address the defendant on the record.