Legal Question in Criminal Law in Tennessee

There is no general right to amend a plea agreement or to withdraw from a settlement in which all of the terms were fixed by agreement. The judge, under certain circumstances, can reduce a sentence for good cause (generally, Rule 35 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure allow a judge to reduce a sentence within 120 of entering the judgment.)

The standard to withdraw a guilty plea depends on when you want to withdraw the plea:

- Prior to sentence = "for good cause shown."

- After sentence is imposed = "to prevent a manifest injustice."