Barrett v. State

In Barrett v. State, 544 P.2d 830, 832 (Alaska 1975), aff'd on reh'g, 546 P.2d 161 (Alaska 1976) the Alaska Supreme Court refused to require a recitation of all the trial rights the defendant was waiving through a change of plea. "A complete catalog would be very cumbersome; to some extent it would always be incomplete. Furthermore, it is doubtful that for many defendants it would be completely comprehensible." The court concluded: "To impose such a requirement would merely lead to confusion, not clarity in determining the ultimate question: whether on the record as a whole the plea appears to be voluntarily and intelligently made." Rejecting Barrett's claim that her right to due process was violated when the court failed to advise her of her right against self-incrimination and her right to confront witnesses, the court found that "there can be no question that the defendant knew what she was doing when she pleaded guilty."