Commonwealth v. Hiskin

While on trial for murder in the first degree and other crimes, the defendant Michael Hiskin pleaded guilty to murder in the second degree and to the other crimes as charged. Twelve years later, he moved for a new trial and to withdraw *634his guilty pleas. He maintained that his pleas were not “knowing, intelligent, and voluntary” and that justice was not done because (1) he was coerced into pleading guilty by his defense counsel; (2) the plea colloquy was defective under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, art. 12 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights, and Mass.R.Crim.P.…