A. Courtenay Craig                                        Darrell V. McGraw, Jr.
Huntington, West Virginia                            Attorney General
Attorney for Petitioner                                  Daynus Jividen
                                                                            Senior Assistant Attorney General
                                                                            Charleston, West Virginia
                                                                            Attorneys for Respondents

Chief Justice Davis delivered the Opinion of the Court.

        1.    “The West Virginia [Parole] Board . . . must act in a way which is not unreasonable, capricious, or arbitrary.” Syllabus point 3, State ex rel. Eads v. Duncil, 196 W. Va. 604, 474 S.E.2d 534 (1996).

        2.    Principles of law developed in relation to plea agreements between the State and a criminal defendant apply with equal force to written conditional agreements entered between the West Virginia Parole Board and a parolee.

Davis, Chief Justice:

        Kevin Ray Gardner, petitioner (hereinafter referred to as “Mr. Gardner”), filed this writ of habeas corpus seeking relief from a decision by the West Virginia Parole Board, respondent   (See footnote 1)  (hereinafter referred to as “Parole Board”), revoking his parole. Mr. Gardner contends that revocation of his parole was unlawful because he fulfilled a conditional agreement with the Parole Board that precluded revocation of his parole. After reviewing the briefs and hearing oral arguments, we agree with Mr. Gardner.

        In searching for guidance in resolving issues surrounding the effects and implications of an agreement entered into by the Parole Board and a parolee, we observe that there is a close relationship between this type of an agreement and a plea agreement. Indeed, the major difference between these two types of agreements is that a plea agreement is not valid until accepted by a trial court. See Syl. pt. 3, in part, State ex rel. Brewer v. Starcher, 195 W. Va. 185, 465 S.E.2d 185 (1995) (“Although the parties in criminal proceedings have broad discretion in negotiating the terms and conditions of a plea agreement . . ., the decision whether to accept or reject a plea agreement is vested almost exclusively with the circuit court.”). Because these two types of agreements are so similar in use and effect, we find that the law applicable to each should be the same. Consequently, we hold that principles of law developed in relation to plea agreements between the State and a criminal defendant apply with equal force to written conditional agreements entered between the West Virginia Parole Board and a parolee. Accordingly, to resolve the issues raised in connection with the parole agreement before us, we look to principles that are applicable to a plea agreement between the State and a criminal defendant.

        We have recognized that “[a]s a matter of criminal jurisprudence, a plea agreement is subject to principles of contract law insofar as its application insures a defendant receives that to which he is reasonably entitled.” State ex rel. Brewer v. Starcher, 195 W.Va. 185, 192, 465 S.E.2d 185, 192 (1995). Such agreements require “ordinary contract principles to be supplemented with a concern that the bargaining and execution process does not violate the defendant's right to fundamental fairness[.]” State v. Myers, 204 W.Va. 449, 458, 513 S.E.2d 676, 685 (1998). This Court made clear in syllabus point 4 of Myers, in part, that “[w]hen a defendant enters into a valid plea agreement with the State . . ., an enforceable 'right' inures to both the State and the defendant not to have the terms of the plea agreement breached by either party.” See State ex rel. Gray v. McClure, 161 W.Va. 488, 492, 242 S.E.2d 704, 707 (1978) (“The rule we follow . . . is that a prosecuting attorney . . . is bound to the terms of a plea agreement once the defendant enters a plea of guilty or otherwise acts to his substantial detriment in reliance thereon.”). We have further recognized that “'[d]ue process concerns arise in the process of enforcing a plea agreement.'” Myers, 204 W.Va. at 457, 513 S.E.2d at 684 (quoting State v. Smith, 207 Wis.2d 258, 558 N.W.2d 379, 385 (1997)). Furthermore, in Gray we noted that “[p]ermitting the prosecution to breach a plea bargaining agreement has been characterized as 'extremely detrimental to the administration of justice if it should be established.'” Gray, 161 W.Va. at 491, 242 S.E.2d at 706 (quoting People v. Siciliano, 185 Misc. 149, 152, 56 N.Y.S.2d 80, 82 (1945)). Thus, “when a plea rests in any significant degree on a promise or agreement . . . so that it can be said to be part of the inducement or consideration, such promise must be fulfilled.” Santobello v. New York, 404 U.S. 257, 262, 92 S.Ct. 495, 499, 30 L.Ed.2d 427 (1971).

        Under the above principles, the Parole Board and Mr. Gardner were bound by the express terms of their written agreement. Pursuant to that agreement Mr. Gardner had to remain free of any violation of his parole during the period from December 21, 2000, to January 21, 2001. Mr. Gardner fulfilled his end of the agreement. See Syl., in part, State v. Ward, 112 W.Va. 552, 165 S.E. 803 (1932) (“An agreement between [the State] and an accused . . . should be upheld ordinarily when the accused has fulfilled his part of the agreement.”). The Parole Board, however, breached its end of the agreement by revoking Mr. Gardner's parole for conduct occurring before December 21, 2000. See Myers, 204 W.Va. at 459, 513 S.E.2d at 686 (“If the State fails to uphold its commitment under a plea agreement by breaching a promise upon which a guilty plea is based, the resulting conviction simply cannot stand.”).

        The Parole Board has offered two implausible arguments to justify its violation of the agreement. First, the Parole Board contends that the guilty plea entered by Mr. Gardner was different from the parole violation charges. It is the position of the Parole Board that the parole violation charges did not include pleading guilty to the offenses of September 2000, thus, the guilty plea was new. This contention is meritless. The parole violation charges brought against Mr. Gardner were based upon offenses committed by him during the September 2000 incident. The fact that Mr. Gardner eventually pled guilty to those offenses did not somehow transform such offenses into new offenses. Were this Court to allow the Parole Board to make such agreements and violate them in the manner done in this case, the Parole Board would have free reign to entice parolees to plead guilty to offenses under the belief that their parole would not thereby be revoked. In fact, the Parole Board could then revoke their parole under the guise of new and different parole violation charges based upon a plea of guilty to pending charges.

        Another argument made by the Parole Board is that the agreement made with Mr. Gardner only precluded the Parole Board from going forward with the parole revocation charges initially filed. The Parole Board contends that nothing in the agreement precluded the Division of Corrections or the Southwestern Regional Parole Services Office from bringing charges against Mr. Gardner because of his guilty plea. We find this argument untenable. Once the Parole Board entered such an agreement with Mr. Gardner, that agreement bound all State entities that may have had authority to file parole violation charges against Mr. Gardner.

        In syllabus point 8 of Brewer, we noted, in part, that “[t]here are two possible remedies for a broken plea agreement--specific performance of the plea agreement or permitting the defendant to withdraw his plea.” In the instant proceeding, Mr. Gardner is entitled to specific performance of the agreement he made with the Parole Board.

Footnote: 1

        Although we make no ruling on the validity or status of the second parole revocation, we are of the opinion that the question of the validity of the first parole revocation is not moot. In view of the possibility that Mr. Gardner may in fact succeed in having the second parole revocation order dismissed, this would still leave in tact the first parole revocation order. We therefore deny the motion to dismiss filed by the Parole Board.