Commonwealth v. Chambers

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Eagen,

On December 14, 1954, the appellant, Leonard David Chambers (alias Leonard David Soltis), was convicted by a jury of murder in the first degree and punishment was fixed at life imprisonment. No post-trial motions were filed and the judgment of sentence was imposed as the jury directed. No appeal was entered from the judgment.

In April 1965, in habeas corpus proceedings instituted by Chambers, the judgment and conviction were set aside by the lower court and a new trial was or dered. The court ruled that Chambers had been denied due process of law by the use at his…