Commonwealth v. Bracero

CERCONE, Judge:

The instant separate appeals, taken on behalf of brothers Frank and Ralph Bracero, raise the question of whether they were denied effective assistance of counsel due to a conflict of interest during their joint trial for aggravated assaults they allegedly perpetrated on Angel and Geraldo Rolon. The relevant facts are as follows:

In April, 1976 an altercation between the Braceros and Rolons arose at a baseball field and resulted in the Rolons being bludgeoned by baseball bats. According to the Rolons the culprits were appellants Ralph and Frank Bracero, and their father Manolin.…