I agree with that, but I’m not sure what the judge in this case can really do. This was a plea deal, not a conviction. What’s he going to do — tell Flynn he can’t plead guilty to the charges?
” What’s he going to do — tell Flynn he can’t plead guilty to the charges?”
Judges refuse plea deals everyday, for all kinds of reasons, and have no obligation to follow the wishes of the prosecutor nor the defense.
He can dismiss the case with prejudice if he finds Mueller was running an illegal entrapment operation with a pure political motive.
Judges question the defendants or attorneys for either side all the time in the presentation of a plea deal. If the Judge finds irregularities or incorrect findings of fact or failure of process he can set aside anything he wants.
Some of the Federal attorneys in the Stevens case he sanctioned are on the Mueller team.