Commonwealth v. Ward

Opinion by

Me. Justice Pomeeoy,

On January 9, 1961, the appellant, represented by counsel, entered a plea of guilty to murder generally. Following a degree of guilt hearing at which the District Attorney certified to the court that the crime rose no higher than murder in the second degree, appellant was found guilty of that crime by the trial court. No appeal was taken. In 1969 the appellant filed a petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act, Act of January 25, 1966, P. L. (1965) 1580, 19 P.S. §§1180-1 et seq. alleging (1) that his guilty plea was primarily motivated by an involuntary…