Petition of Baldwin

The respondent was convicted on January 6, 1967, in Essex County Court on his plea of guilty to the charge of lewd and lascivious acts with his fifteen-year-old daughter. On April 7, 1968, respondent filed a motion to expunge his plea of guilty, to vacate sentence and for a new trial on the ground that his plea of guilty was induced solely as a result of fear or coercion. After hearing, the court below made findings and denied the motion from which action the respondent has appealed.

The law is abundantly clear that a guilty plea must not be induced in any manner that deprives it from being…