People v. Rufus Williams

The defendant, Rufus Williams, pled guilty to second-degree murder. The plea was accepted and on October 19, 1959 he was sentenced to life in prison.

The questions presented concern the sufficiency of the judge’s interrogation of Williams before his plea of guilty was accepted.

This appeal follows the trial court’s denial of Williams’ petition, filed June 13, 1966, to withdraw his guilty plea. In his petition Williams alleged that he was intoxicated at the time the crime was committed and that the elements of the charged offense, first-degree murder, and the distinction between first- and…