Padie v. State

OPINION

BURKE, Justice.

In this case we are called upon to decide whether the parties to a criminal action are entitled to select, as a matter of right, the particular judge before whom the defendant will enter a plea of guilty or nolo con-tendere. Believing this question to be of sufficient substance and importance to justify deviation from the normal appellate process, whereby we generally review only issues raised by way of an appeal from a final judgment, we have granted the petitioner’s request for immediate review. 1 See Rule 23 and 24, Alaska R.App.P.

Roger A. Padie, petitioner, was…