People v. Griggs

The appellant, charged with murder, pleaded guilty but later moved the court for leave to withdraw that plea. This motion was denied and he was sentenced to death. The sole ground upon which he relies for a reversal of the judgment is that, under the particular circumstances shown, it was an abuse of discretion for the trial judge to deny his motion.

The ease is an unusual one. When the appellant was arrested he had the body of Gladys Long in his automobile. At that time she had been dead about ten days. He freely told the police officers that he had killed her and related the circumstances of…