Commonwealth v. Grant

Appellant, George Grant (Grant), and his brother were charged with robbery and theft in January 1975 and jointly tried by a jury in Northampton County while represented by different members of the same public defender’s office. Both were found guilty of the charges, and Grant was sentenced to a term of seven and one-half to fifteen years imprisonment. Represented by trial counsel, Grant unsuccessfully sought relief on direct appeal.1 He then filed an *383uncounselled petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act2 (PCHA). New counsel, unconnected with the public defender’s office, was appointed…