Commonwealth v. Patton

The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals reversing Defendant’s sentence and conviction and remanding for a new trial, having determined that Defendant’s guilty plea did not satisfy Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238 (1969).A jury convicted Defendant of first-degree rape and third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor. After a Boykin colloquy, Defendant subsequently entered a guilty plea in exchange for a seventeen-year prison sentence. The Court of Appeals reversed, concluding that Defendant’s guilty plea did not satisfy Boykin. The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals and reinstated Defendant’s conviction and sentencing, holding that, based on the totality of the circumstances, Defendant’s guilty plea was made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently. View "Commonwealth v. Patton" on Justia Law