State v. Laing

JACOBSON, Judge.

Defendant Paul Leslie Laing has appealed his conviction and sentence, following his plea of guilty, to the crime of involuntary manslaughter.

The only issue raised on appeal which, it is alleged, invalidates the plea of guilty was the failure of the trial court to explain to the defendant the elements of the crime of involuntary manslaughter. We have held on numerous occasions that such an explanation is not required if the court, prior to sentencing satisfies itself that the factual basis for the plea establishes the crime charged and that factual basis appears in the record.…