Commonwealth ex rel. Mumford v. Cavell

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Roberts,

Shortly after the Commonwealth had finished presenting its case in the murder trial of Timothy Mumford, petitioner herein, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. Thereafter, a three judge court found him guilty of murder in the first degree and, on May 23, 1947, sentenced him to life imprisonment. During *282these proceedings Mumford was represented by counsel, whose competency is not questioned.

In 1965 Mumford filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus which was denied without a hearing. From that adverse determination he appealed to this Court.*

Petitioner’s…