Bonnell v. State
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The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court denying Appellant's petition to withdraw his guilty plea under Minn. R. Crim. P. 15.05, subd. 1, holding that Appellant demonstrated that withdrawal was necessary to correct a manifest injustice.
Appellant pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree felony murder during the commission of an aggravated robbery. The district court sentenced him to life imprisonment with the possibility of release after thirty years. Appellant subsequently filed his petition to withdraw his guilty plea, alleging that the plea colloquy did not establish an adequate factual basis for felony murder during the commission of an aggravated robbery. The postconviction court denied the petition. The Supreme Court vacated the judgment plea and remanded the case for trial on the charges pending when Defendant pleaded guilty, holding that there were insufficient facts to show that Appellant's conduct fell within the charge to which he pleaded guilty and that he must be allowed to withdraw his plea to avoid a manifest injustice under Minn. R. Crim. P. 15.05, subd. 1.
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