Commonwealth v. Jones

WICKERSHAM, Judge:

On March 20, 1975 Jones was found guilty of third degree murder after a jury trial. Jones was awarded a new trial for reasons not relevant to this case; after another jury trial, the Honorable Warren G. Morgan presiding, Jones was again convicted of third degree murder. Judge Morgan sentenced Jones to a ten to twenty year prison term and Jones took a direct appeal. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of sentence in a per curiam opinion. Commonwealth v. Jones, 477 Pa. 593, 385 A.2d 946 (1978).

Jones next filed a petition for habeas corpus relief alleging that…