Page "Plea" Paragraph 2

In the U. S. federal system, the court must also satisfy itself that there is a factual basis for the guilty plea.

However, this safeguard may not be very effective, because the parties, having reached a plea agreement, may be reluctant to reveal any information that could disturb the agreement.

When a plea agreement has been made, the judge's factual basis inquiry is usually perfunctory, and the standard for finding that the plea is factually based is very low.