Legal Opinion
Commonwealth v. DeBlase
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Decided January 7, 1994PublishedCited by 2 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
WIEAND, Judge.
In this appeal we have been asked to review a trial court order which dismissed charges of murder, robbery and criminal conspiracy against Thomas DeBlase on grounds that his constitutionally guaranteed rights to due process and a speedy trial had been violated.
The dead body of David Swinehart, a wealthy real estate developer, was found on January 15,1982, in a vehicle which had been parked in an alley in Pottstown, Montgomery County. Death had been caused by bludgeoning. Charges were not filed until May 11, 1985, when DeBlase, the victim’s nephew, his brother Jeffrey,1 Terry Lee…
2Cases cited34 opinions
- Barker v. WingoSupreme Court of the United States · 1972
- Doggett v. United StatesSupreme Court of the United States · 1992
- Klopfer v. North CarolinaSupreme Court of the United States · 1967
- Dickey v. FloridaSupreme Court of the United States · 1970
- United States v. Loud HawkSupreme Court of the United States · 1986
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3Cited by2 opinions
- Commonwealth v. McCordSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1994
- Commonwealth v. BobitskiSuperior Court of Pennsylvania · 1995