People v. Beasley

In 1965, the defendant, who was 17 at the time, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree in satisfaction of an indictment charging him with (felony) murder in the first degree. Following his plea, he was sentenced to a term of from 10 to 20 years in prison.

Defendant brought this petition for a writ of error coram nobis alleging that it was error for the court to accept a plea of guilty after being notified that there was “ some misunderstanding ” with respect to the plea. Moreover, he states that certain statements made during sentencing imposed a duty on the trial court to make…