Commonwealth v. Bezek
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Appeal, No. 243, Jan. T., 1895, by defendant, from judgment of O. & T. Lackawanna Co., on verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. Indictment for murder.
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Appeal, No. 243, Jan. T., 1895, by defendant, from judgment of O. & T. Lackawanna Co., on verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree. Indictment for murder. Defendant moved for a continuance of the ease for the reason that counsel for the defense was assigned by the court Friday noon, that the case was called for trial Monday following ; that defendant did not understand the English language and no interpreter could be procured, and therefore counsel would be compelled to go to trial without having an opportunity to prepare the case. The court refused the motion. [1] At the trial it…
1Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Mr. Justice McCollum,
Frank Berchine, otherwise known as Frank Bezek, is under sentence of death for the murder of Maria Kerzek at Olyphant, Lackawanna county, on the 9th of October last, and the record of his trial and conviction is before us for review. It was his right to have an impartial trial in accordance with law, and if that was denied to him it is our duty on his appeal to afford him an opportunity for it by reversing the judgment. We were induced by his poverty to facilitate the review he sought by accepting the official stenographer’s type-written copy of the testimony in…
2Cases cited6 opinions
- Commonwealth v. DrumSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1868
- Brown v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1875
- Meyers v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1877
- Wharton v. DouglassSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1874
- Pannell v. CommonwealthSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1878
1 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.
3Cited by9 opinions
- Commonwealth v. ColandroSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1911
- Commonwealth v. BeckerSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1937
- Commonwealth v. SmithSupreme Court of Pennsylvania · 1971
- Commonwealth v. MyersSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1938
- Commonwealth v. LiebowitzSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1940
4 more not listed; retrieve them via the Exa API.