Commonwealth v. Gilmer

Opinion

Per Curiam,

In 1947, John J. Gilmer was convicted of first degree murder. Gilmer, through counsel, filed post-trial motions. These motions were later withdrawn and Gilmer was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Approximately twenty years later, Gilmer filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Lackawanna County a petition for post-conviction relief wherein he alleged that “although he [Gilmer] knowingly and voluntarily agreed to the withdrawal of certain post-trial motions filed by his counsel, he did not know that this would waive his right to appeal after sentence was imposed.” The court below,…