*1 M.D. Appeal Dkt. 53 2017 IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

MIDDLE DISTRICT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, : No. 262 MAL 2017

:

Respondent :

: Petition for Allowance of Appeal from : the Order of the Superior Court v. :

:

:

MICHAEL NORTON, :

:

Petitioner :

ORDER

PER CURIAM

AND NOW , this 19th day of September, 2017, the Petition for Allowance of Appeal is GRANTED . The issue presented by Petitioner and rephrased for clarity is:

Whether a defendant’s assertion of innocence based on the sufficiency of the evidence and his inability to reconcile entering a plea when he maintained his innocence well before the time of his sentencing and when the Commonwealth made no argument of prejudice, is sufficient to establish a fair and just reason for withdrawing his plea of nolo contendere?