Commonwealth v. Irwin

OPINION

WILKINSON, Justice.

In 1973, appellant was convicted by a jury in Allegheny County of murder of the first degree. Motions for a new trial and in arrest of judgment were denied and appellant was sentenced to life imprisonment. A direct appeal was taken to this Court whereupon the judgment of sentence was affirmed. Commonwealth v. Irwin, 460 Pa. 296, 333 A.2d 735 (1975).

On March 2, 1979, appellant filed a Post Conviction Hearing Act 1 petition in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas alleging, inter alia, ineffective assistance of trial counsel. Prior to trial, at trial, and on…