Commonwealth v. Farmer

VAN der VOORT, Judge:

On November 7, 1974, Miss Vanselle Hopson was standing on a street corner in Philadelphia with an uncle and a brother, waiting for a bus, when two men approached her unobserved. One of the men, appellant Thomas Farmer, grabbed Miss Hopson’s pocketbook and punched her in the face, and the two men then dashed across the street in front of a passing car. Miss Hop-son’s brother chased and caught one of the thieves, and the other, appellant, was soon apprehended by the police. Appellant was tried on March 24, 1975 before a judge sitting without a jury, was found guilty of…