Commonwealth v. Hammer

OPINION OF THE COURT

FLAHERTY, Justice.

This is a direct appeal from the entry of judgment of sentence of murder of the third degree against appellant Frederick Hammer arising from the death of an off-duty Philadelphia police officer, Charles Uffelman. The appellant alleges that the conduct of the trial judge in conducting extensive and repeated examination of witnesses, including the defendant, acted ofttimes in the role of advocate for the prosecution in violation of Commonwealth v. Myma, 278 *93Pa. 505, 123 A. 486 (1924) and exhibited incredulity of the defendant’s testimony in violation of…