District court may adopt general policy against accepting Alford or nolo contendere pleas

GUILTY PLEA United States v. Buonocore, No. 03-4201, ___ F.3d ___ (10th Cir. Jul. 18, 2005)(Utah) Appeal of district court’s rejection of defendant’s guilty plea for distributing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that they would be used to manufacture methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(c)(2). HELD: District court may reject Alford plea (i.e., guilty plea accompanied by protestations of innocence) or plea of nolo contendere based on its adoption of general policy against such pleas. Read the opinion here.