People v. Vitale

On August 30, 1951, Joseph Vitale filed his original petition in the criminal court of Cook County, seeking relief under the Post-Conviction Hearing Act. (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1951, chap. 38, pars. 826-832.) A hearing was had, and an order was thereafter entered denying relief. We have allowed a writ of error to review the proceedings.

In 1935 ten indictments for murder were returned by the Cook County grand jury against three defendants: Frank Vitale, Joseph DiChiara and petitioner Joseph Vitale. Each charged the murder of one certain person (ten in all,) not named in any of the other nine…