Indiana Code

Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (2026)

Withdrawal of plea; motion; requisites; procedures

✓ current as of May 2026
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     Sec. 4. (a) A motion to withdraw a plea of not guilty for the purpose of entering a plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, may be made orally in open court and need not state any reason for the withdrawal of the plea.

     (b) After entry of a plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, but before imposition of sentence, the court may allow the defendant by motion to withdraw his plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, for any fair and just reason unless the state has been substantially prejudiced by reliance upon the defendant's plea. The motion to withdraw the plea of guilty or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime made under this subsection shall be in writing and verified. The motion shall state facts in support of the relief demanded, and the state may file counter-affidavits in opposition to the motion. The ruling of the court on the motion shall be reviewable on appeal only for an abuse of discretion. However, the court shall allow the defendant to withdraw his plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, whenever the defendant proves that withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice.

     (c) After being sentenced following a plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, the convicted person may not as a matter of right withdraw the plea. However, upon motion of the convicted person, the court shall vacate the judgment and allow the withdrawal whenever the convicted person proves that withdrawal is necessary to correct a manifest injustice. A motion to vacate judgment and withdraw the plea made under this subsection shall be treated by the court as a petition for postconviction relief under the Indiana Rules of Procedure for Postconviction Remedies. For purposes of this section, withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice whenever:

(1) the convicted person was denied the effective assistance of counsel;

(2) the plea was not entered or ratified by the convicted person;

(3) the plea was not knowingly and voluntarily made;

(4) the prosecuting attorney failed to abide by the terms of a plea agreement; or

(5) the plea and judgment of conviction are void or voidable for any other reason.

The motion to vacate the judgment and withdraw the plea need not allege, and it need not be proved, that the convicted person is innocent of the crime charged or that he has a valid defense.

     (d) A plea of guilty, or guilty but mentally ill at the time of the crime, which is not accepted by the court or is withdrawn shall not be admissible as evidence in any criminal, civil, or administrative proceeding.

     (e) Upon any motion made under this section, the moving party has the burden of establishing his grounds for relief by a preponderance of the evidence. The order of the court upon a motion made under subsection (b) or (c) of this section shall constitute a final judgment from which the moving party or the state may appeal as otherwise provided by law. The order of the court upon a motion made under subsection (a) of this section is not a final judgment and is not appealable but is reviewable upon appeal from a final judgment subsequently entered.

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.298, SEC.4. Amended by Acts 1982, P.L.204, SEC.25; P.L.320-1983, SEC.17.

 

IC 35-35-2Chapter 2. Pleadings

 

           35-35-2-1Pleadings; motions, requisites, and answers
           35-35-2-2Rules of procedure applicable

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 142 cases (11 in the last 5 years), 1983–2026 · leading case: Turner v. State, 843 N.E.2d 937 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006).
Turner v. State, 843 N.E.2d 937 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 10× “Ind.Code § 35-35-1-4(b) (emphases added).”
Primmer v. State, 857 N.E.2d 11 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006). · cites it 8× “"); Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (c). Here, Primmer never filed a motion, much less a written, verified motion, to withdraw his guilty plea.”
Graham v. State, 941 N.E.2d 1091 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 4× “" I.C. § 35-35-1-4(b). A trial court must grant a motion to withdraw a guilty plea if the defendant proves that withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice.”
Butler v. State, 658 N.E.2d 72 (Ind. 1995). · cites it 4× “This standard is also appropriate where the defendant asks that his plea be set aside through a motion for post-conviction relief on grounds that the factual basis was inadequate.”
Lineberry v. State, 747 N.E.2d 1151 (Ind. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 4× “" Ind.Code § 35-35-1-4. A trial court should not to accept a plea of *1156 guilty unless it has determined that the plea is voluntary.”
Newsome v. State, 797 N.E.2d 293 (Ind. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 2× “1996) (rejecting an interpretation of Indiana Code Section 35-35-1-4 that would not vest any discretion in the trial court as to whether to accept a plea), Meadows, 428 N.”
Stephen Wirthlin v. State of Indiana, 99 N.E.3d 699 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 6× “For purposes of this section, withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice whenever: (1) the convicted person was denied the effective assistance of counsel .”
David Hooker v. State of Indiana, 120 N.E.3d 639 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019). · cites it 10× “Post-Conviction Rule 1(5) ; see also Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (e) (identifying this burden of proof for post-sentencing matters regarding the withdrawal of a plea of guilty).”
Smallwood v. State, 773 N.E.2d 259 (Ind. 2002). · cites it 2× “Motions to withdraw guilty pleas are governed by Ind.Code § 35-35-1-4. After the plea of guilty but before sentencing, a court may grant the motion for “any fair or just reason.”
Badger v. State, 637 N.E.2d 800 (Ind. 1994). · cites it 4× “Code § 35-35-1-2 (a)(4) (1993) (requiring the trial court, before accepting a defendant's guilty plea, to inform the defendant that it will be bound by the terms of the plea agreement it accepts); Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (1993) (governing the withdrawal of both pleas of guilty and…”
Norris v. State, 896 N.E.2d 1149 (Ind. 2008). · cites it 2× “I.C. § 35-35-1-4(c)(3). But here the defendant is not asserting a claim challenging the knowing and voluntary nature of his plea nor seeking to withdraw his plea.”
Mills v. State, 868 N.E.2d 446 (Ind. 2007). · cites it 2× “Indiana Code § 35-35-1-4 permits an individual to move to withdraw a guilty plea before sentencing.”
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(a) — 1 case
Douglas v. State, 663 N.E.2d 1153 (Ind. 1996).
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(b) — 76 cases
Turner v. State, 843 N.E.2d 937 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006). “Ind.Code § 35-35-1-4(b) (emphases added).”
Graham v. State, 941 N.E.2d 1091 (Ind. Ct. App. 2011). “" I.C. § 35-35-1-4(b). A trial court must grant a motion to withdraw a guilty plea if the defendant proves that withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice.”
Primmer v. State, 857 N.E.2d 11 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006). “"); Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (c). Here, Primmer never filed a motion, much less a written, verified motion, to withdraw his guilty plea.”
Butler v. State, 658 N.E.2d 72 (Ind. 1995). “This standard is also appropriate where the defendant asks that his plea be set aside through a motion for post-conviction relief on grounds that the factual basis was inadequate.”
McGraw v. State, 938 N.E.2d 1218 (Ind. Ct. App. 2010).
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(c) — 23 cases
Stephen Wirthlin v. State of Indiana, 99 N.E.3d 699 (Ind. Ct. App. 2018). “For purposes of this section, withdrawal of the plea is necessary to correct a manifest injustice whenever: (1) the convicted person was denied the effective assistance of counsel .”
Cornelious v. State, 846 N.E.2d 354 (Ind. Ct. App. 2006).
David Hooker v. State of Indiana, 120 N.E.3d 639 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019). “Post-Conviction Rule 1(5) ; see also Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (e) (identifying this burden of proof for post-sentencing matters regarding the withdrawal of a plea of guilty).”
State v. Hicks, 453 N.E.2d 1014 (Ind. 1983).
State of Indiana v. John J. Arnold, 27 N.E.3d 315 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015).
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(c)(1) — 1 case
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(c)(3) — 2 cases
Norris v. State, 896 N.E.2d 1149 (Ind. 2008). “I.C. § 35-35-1-4(c)(3). But here the defendant is not asserting a claim challenging the knowing and voluntary nature of his plea nor seeking to withdraw his plea.”
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(c)(4) — 1 case
Bezy v. Loftus, 581 N.E.2d 965 (Ind. Ct. App. 1991).
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(c)(5) — 1 case
In Re Jaw, 504 N.E.2d 334 (Ind. Ct. App. 1987).
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(d) — 1 case
— Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4(e) — 11 cases
David Hooker v. State of Indiana, 120 N.E.3d 639 (Ind. Ct. App. 2019). “Post-Conviction Rule 1(5) ; see also Ind. Code § 35-35-1-4 (e) (identifying this burden of proof for post-sentencing matters regarding the withdrawal of a plea of guilty).”
Brian Kinman v. State of Indiana (Ind. Ct. App. 2020).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.