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Criminal Law Keyed to Abrams
United States v. Goodwin
Citation:
457 U.S. 368, 102 S.Ct. 2485, 73 L.Ed.2d 74 (1982)Facts
Goodwin (Defendant) was charged with various misdemeanor and petty offenses including assault after eluding a police officer in a high-speed chase. Goodwin initiated plea negotiations with the prosecutor, but later decided he did not wish to plead guilty and wanted to proceed to trial. Then, the prosecutor obtained a new indictment charging Goodwin with an additional felony count. The jury then convicted Goodwin on the felony count and on one misdemeanor count. Goodwin moved to set aside the verdict on the ground of prosecutorial vindictiveness because he had decided not to go through with plea negotiations, and the district court denied the motion. The Court of Appeals affirmed. The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari.
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