High court affirms man's conviction

The Idaho Supreme Court has affirmed a Bonner County man's 2016 conviction for felony vehicular manslaughter.

Peter Franklin Goullette, 30, had appealed his conviction to the state's high court, arguing the district court erred when it accepted his Alford plea since it failed to inquire into the factual basis of his guilty plea. He also contended the court was obligated to inquire into the factual basis of his plea since both the report he submitted and his attorney's comments raised doubt as to his guilt.

However, in an opinion filed in June, the high court justices upheld Goullette's conviction, holding that while an Alford plea must be voluntary and with knowledge of the consequences, it does not require it to be supported by a strong factual basis.