Commonwealth v. Blackstone

The defendant, having originally pleaded not guilty to murder in the first degree, was permitted before trial to change his plea to one of guilty of murder in the second degree. Seven months later the defendant filed a motion to withdraw the plea and for a new trial, raising the question of his competence to change the plea. He now appeals from the denial of that motion.

From the record of the admirably thorough proceedings had at the time of the change of plea, we know that the defendant would have had a realistic chance of acquittal by reason of insanity (at least one psychiatrist would have…