Commonwealth Ex Rel. West v. Rundle

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Roberts,

Once again we are faced with a type of case that has unfortunately become all too typical. After a 1958 plea of guilty to murder, appellant Sank West was sentenced to 10 to 20 years imprisonment. The record of this proceeding failed to show any examination by the trial court made in an attempt to determine whether West’s plea was intelligently and voluntarily made.

This silent record, combined with allegations by West which if proven were sufficient to demonstrate that his guilty plea was constitutionally infirm, prompted this Court to order a hearing. See Common…