Commonwealth v. Hughes

390 A.2d 811, 257 Pa. Super. 258, 1978 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3145

• Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania
• Decided: July 12, 1978
• Docket: 851
• Status: Published

Opinions

OPINION

PER CURIAM:

Appellant pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and a firearm’s violation on May 17, 1976. Appellant now questions the voluntariness of his plea on direct appeal. He did not file a petition to withdraw his plea in the lower court.

Appellant’s guilty plea occurred after this court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Roberts, 237 Pa.Super. 336, 352 A.2d 140 (1975). Roberts requires that in order to attack a guilty plea on direct appeal, appellant must first file a petition to withdraw that plea in the court below since it is in the best position to initially correct any error which may have been committed. Appellant offers no reason for his failure to follow the proper procedure, and therefore, the issue of the validity of his guilty plea must be considered waived.

For the foregoing reasons, the judgment of sentence of the lower court is affirmed.

SPAETH, J., files a dissenting opinion in which HOFFMAN, J., joins. WATKINS, former President Judge, did not participate in the consideration or decision of this case.