Commonwealth v. Cruz

OPINION

Justice SAYLOR.

In this appeal from the denial of a post-conviction petition, Appellant claims that he received disparate treatment on direct appellate review, as compared to that afforded to a co-defendant, and that this offends constitutional due process and equal protection norms and warrants collateral relief.

In October of 1991, an informant advised police that Patricia Melendez sold substantial quantities of cocaine from her residence at 5155 Pennway Street, Philadelphia. Detective Freddie Chaves investigated and developed additional information, which he passed on to other members…