Commonwealth v. Freeman

263 A.2d 403, 438 Pa. 1, 1970 Pa. LEXIS 743
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 20, 1970
DocketAppeal, 257
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 263 A.2d 403 (Commonwealth v. Freeman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Freeman, 263 A.2d 403, 438 Pa. 1, 1970 Pa. LEXIS 743 (Pa. 1970).

Opinions

Opinion by

Mr. Chief Justice Bell,

On May 15, 1965, Donald Freeman (appellant), while represented by two Court-appointed counsel, was convicted by a jury of murder in the second degree. No post-trial motions were filed. On June 7, 1965, he was sentenced to imprisonment for not less than ten nor more than twenty years. Subsequently, Freeman filed a petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act. He alleged that he was denied his right to counsel on appeal, as required by Douglas v. California, 372 U.S. 353, and that he did not knowingly and intelligently waive that right. It is by now well established that a person convicted of crime is entitled to appeal and to be represented in his appeal by an attorney, and, if indigent, by a Court-appointed free attorney. These rights can be waived only by a knowledge of and a voluntary waiver of his rights. Defendant also contends that two con[4]*4fessions which were used against him at trial were taken from him in violation of his Constitutional rights. From the Order of the lower Court which denied his petition, defendant took this appeal.

I. Waiver of Douglas Rights

The record shows, we repeat, that Freeman was represented at trial by two experienced Court-appointed attorneys. Within a few days after his conviction, both of them met with him at the jail. Both counsel testified at the post-conviction hearing that at their meeting with Freeman, he was informed of his right to move for a new trial and, if his motion was denied, to appeal to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Arlington Williams, one of appellant’s counsel, testified that his co-counsel, James C. Scanlon, “explained to him [Freeman] these rights and then told him that whether he wanted us to file this motion for a new trial and a subsequent appeal,

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Related

Commonwealth v. Collins
441 A.2d 1283 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
People v. Martin
260 N.W.2d 869 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1977)
Commonwealth v. Ponton
299 A.2d 634 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1972)
State v. Leroy
283 N.E.2d 136 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1972)
State v. Sims
272 N.E.2d 87 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1971)
Commonwealth v. Knuckles
275 A.2d 653 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1971)
Commonwealth v. Sprangle
275 A.2d 114 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1971)
Commonwealth v. Garrett
266 A.2d 82 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)
Commonwealth v. Maloy
264 A.2d 697 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)
Commonwealth v. Freeman
263 A.2d 403 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
263 A.2d 403, 438 Pa. 1, 1970 Pa. LEXIS 743, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-freeman-pa-1970.