Smith v. Warden of Maryland Penitentiary

The applicant was tried in the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County on charges of robbery with a deadly weapon, assault with intent to rob, assault and battery, etc. Upon a plea of guilty, he was sentenced to 15 years’ confinement.

In his petition under the Post Conviction Procedure Act he alleged that he did not intend to plead guilty to robbery, but thought he was entering a plea of guilty to a charge of assault; that he wrote a letter to the court immediately after his sentence stating that he did not know he was pleading guilty to robbery; and that he again wrote to the court…