The People of the State of New York, Respondent v. Homer Brown, Jr., Appellant

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division’s affirmation of a guilty plea that was conditioned on a three‑week furlough to see a seriously ill child, holding that the lower court abused its discretion by denying a hearing on the plea’s voluntariness, and remanded for further proceedings; the Court also clarified that a plea bargain granting a furlough is not per se invalid but may require heightened scrutiny.