Dow v. State

OPINION

MANNHEIMER, Judge.

This case presents one more instance of a recurring problem. The criminal charges against Ross L. Dow were resolved when Dow entered a Cooksey plea-i.e., a plea of no contest which, with the consent of the State, incorporated the right to litigate a dispositive issue on appeal. See Cooksey v. State, 524 P.2d 1251, 1255-57 (Alaska 1974). But when the parties appeared in court to present this negotiated settlement of the case, neither the lawyers nor the judge carefully described the issue or issues that were being reserved for appeal.

Most of the evidence against Dow…