State Plea Agreement - Minnesota

STATE PLEA AGREEMENT

Counsel-use record. Minnesota Rule 15 and its official appendices control guilty-plea practice. Use the official guilty-plea petition and any required Alford, Norgaard, or aggravated-sentence addendum with this agreement.

1. GUILTY PLEA AND SPECIAL ADDENDA

Plea selected: ☐ Guilty

• ☐ Ordinary factual admission.
• ☐ Alford addendum attached.
• ☐ Norgaard addendum attached.
• ☐ Aggravated-sentence petition / addendum attached.
• ☐ Other special route: [________________________________].

Minnesota Rule 15 is a guilty-plea framework; this agreement does not offer a no-contest plea.

2. PLEA AGREEMENT TERMS

The State agrees to:

• ☐ dismiss Count(s) [________________________________];
• ☐ amend / reduce Count(s) [________________________________];
• ☐ charge a different offense under Rule 15.08: [________________________________];
• ☐ recommend / agree to the disposition below;
• ☐ not seek an aggravated sentence;
• ☐ other: [________________________________].

3. SENTENCING TERMS

Any guidelines calculation is subject to correction from the official worksheet and presentence investigation.

4. COURT ROLE UNDER RULE 15.04

A district court judge must not participate in plea negotiations. At the parties' joint request before the plea, the judge may disclose general sentencing practices, and the disclosure must be written or placed on the record.

The court must accept or reject the guilty plea on the agreement's terms, although it may postpone the decision pending a presentence investigation. If the court rejects the agreement, it must advise the parties in open court and call on the defendant to affirm or withdraw the plea.

5. FELONY PLEA INQUIRY

The sworn defendant will personally address:

• ☐ identity and communication disability / interpreter;
• ☐ charge, date, county, and specific agreement terms;
• ☐ sufficient consultation and satisfaction with counsel;
• ☐ no promises beyond the agreement and no threats;
• ☐ influence of substances, mental disability, and current treatment;
• ☐ jury unanimity, presumption of innocence, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, confrontation, subpoena, silence, and testimony rights;
• ☐ maximum, minimum, conditional-release, immigration, and aggravated-sentence consequences;
• ☐ right to withdraw if the court does not approve the agreement;
• ☐ effect of withdrawal or vacation on original and dismissed charges;
• ☐ any claim of innocence;
• ☐ factual basis or special-addendum basis.

6. FACTUAL BASIS

Defendant's sworn factual statement:

[____________________________________________________________]

[____________________________________________________________]

Prosecutor / counsel supplementation and exhibits:

[____________________________________________________________]

Use the official Appendix G or H instead of improvising an innocence or memory-loss theory.

7. WITHDRAWAL AND INADMISSIBILITY

Rule 15.05 requires withdrawal on a timely motion when necessary to correct manifest injustice. Before sentence, the court may allow withdrawal when fair and just after considering the reasons and prejudice to the prosecution. A motion may be made without asserting innocence.

Under Rule 15.06, an unaccepted or withdrawn guilty plea, plea discussions, and agreement are not admissible for or against the defendant in a criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding.

8. CONDITIONS BEFORE SENTENCING

• ☐ appear as ordered;
• ☐ complete the presentence process;
• ☐ obey release conditions;
• ☐ no new-offense condition: [________________________________];
• ☐ cooperation addendum attached;
• ☐ other: [________________________________].

An alleged violation does not automatically establish facts or make protected plea material admissible. Any remedy must be presented to the court.

9. OFFICIAL FORMS AND COMPLETE TERMS

• ☐ Appendix A felony guilty-plea petition attached.
• ☐ Appendix B misdemeanor/gross-misdemeanor petition attached.
• ☐ Appendix D plea agreement attached or used as the primary form.
• ☐ Appendix E/F aggravated-sentence petition attached.
• ☐ Appendix G Alford addendum attached.
• ☐ Appendix H Norgaard addendum attached.

All promises must appear in this agreement, the official forms, or an identified attachment.

10. SIGNATURES

Defendant

I reviewed the agreement and required Rule 15 forms with counsel and understand the court may accept or reject the plea on these terms.

Signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Printed name: [________________________________]

Defense counsel

I reviewed the charges, discovery, defenses, guidelines, plea consequences, factual basis, and required addenda with the defendant.

Signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Name / License No.: [________________________________]

Prosecutor

The State confirms that this writing and attached official forms accurately state every promise and recommendation.

Signature: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Name / License No.: [________________________________]

11. COURT-USE RECORD

• ☐ Defendant sworn
• ☐ Rule 15.01 / 15.02 inquiry completed
• ☐ Interpreter and communication needs addressed
• ☐ Official petition and addenda reviewed
• ☐ Agreement accepted
• ☐ Decision postponed for presentence investigation
• ☐ Agreement rejected; defendant called on to affirm or withdraw
• ☐ Plea voluntary and accurate
• ☐ Factual basis established
• ☐ Verbatim record / petition requirement satisfied
• ☐ Other: [________________________________]

Judge: ______________________________ Date: [__/__/____]

Sources and References

• Minnesota Rules of Criminal Procedure, Rule 15 (effective July 1, 2026)
• Minnesota Rule 15 official appendix forms
• Minnesota Supreme Court recent rules orders