Commonwealth v. Jackson

Opinion b y

Mr. Justice Roberts,

Appellant, Bernard Jackson, was indicted for the murder of Charles Davis and, on February 25, 1972, entered a plea of guilty. Following certification by the Commonwealth that the charge rose no higher than voluntary manslaughter, an on-the-record colloquy was conducted, as required by Pa. R. Crim. P. 319. Having concluded “after inquiry of [appellant] that the plea [was] voluntarily and understandingly made”,1 the trial court accepted appellant’s plea and found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Appellant was sentenced to 1 y2 to 7 years imprisonment. This…