State v. Palen

Defendant pleaded guilty to a charge of murder on September 10, 1946. Thereafter the court held a hearing to determine the degree of the crime and the punishment to be imposed. At the conclusion of the hearing the court found the crime to be murder in the first degree and sentenced the defendant to death by hanging. Defendant’s motion to modify the judgment having been denied, he appealed to this court. This court remanded the case to the district court for the purpose of hearing further evidence on the issue of defendant’s mental condition at the time of the homicide produced by alleged…