State v. Sousa

On June 20, 1969, the defendant pleaded nolo to an indictment charging him with the illegal sale of cannabis. Sentence was deferred, and the defendant was placed on probation. Six months later, in January 1970, the defendant returned to the Superior Court having allegedly violated his deferred sentence agreement. The trial justice imposed a 10-year sentence, execution of the sentence was suspended, and the defendant was placed on probation for 10 years.

On June 27, 1974, some 4½ years later, defendant was back in the Superior Court where he conceded that about a month earlier he had sold…