Commonwealth v. Mason

OPINION

NIGRO, Justice.

Following a jury trial, Appellant Lenwood Mason was found guilty of first-degree murder for the lolling of Iona Jeffries. The jury returned a verdict of death, and on February 20, 1996, the trial court formally imposed the death sentence. Upon petition by Appellant’s trial counsel, the court ordered that counsel be permitted to withdraw, as private counsel had been retained. New counsel for Appellant filed a petition for collateral review under the Capital Unitary Review Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 9570, et seq., 1 which the trial court denied. This direct appeal followed. 2 For…