State v. Minerva Lopez

¶ 1. This is a review of an unpublished decision of the court of appeals, State v. Lopez, No. 2011AP2733-CR, unpublished slip op. (Wis. Ct. App. Sept. 26, 2012), reversing the Dane County Circuit Court's1 denial of Minerva Lopez's ("Lopez") presentence motion to withdraw her pleas.

¶ 2. We address how appellate courts should review a circuit court's denial of a defendant's motion to withdraw a plea before sentencing. In general "a circuit court should 'freely allow a defendant to withdraw his plea prior to sentencing for any fair and just reason, unless the prosecution [would] be substantially…