People v. Blakley

This appeal requires us to decide whether a prosecutor may condition an offer to recommend a reduced plea upon the defendant’s withdrawal of his claim that his right to a speedy trial has been violated. We conclude that the nature of the speedy trial guarantee renders such a condition inherently coercive in a plea bargaining situation and that the plea so conditioned must be vacated. Having so concluded, we also reach, in the interests of judicial economy, the underlying speedy trial claim, and hold that the defendant’s right to a speedy trial has been violated and that the indictment must be…