United States Supreme Court

For a right-to-counsel waiver at the plea stage to be "knowing and intelligent," it is sufficient that the trial court inform the accused of the nature of the charges against him, of his right to be counseled regarding his plea, and of the range of allowable punishments attendant upon the entry of a guilty plea. He need not be warned of the risk that a viable defense will be overlooked, or that he will lose the opportunity to obtain an independent opinion on whether it is wise for him to plead guilty.

Appellate Information

• Decided 03/08/2004
• Published 03/08/2004

Judges

Court

• United States Supreme Court

Counsel