Via v. Commonwealth

CULLEN, Commissioner.

On February 22, 1974, Vesta Via shot and killed her husband. On June 19, 1974, she was tried on a murder indictment and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter. Judgment was entered the next day, sentencing her to a term of five years’ imprisonment, pursuant to the verdict of conviction. Appealing from that judgment, Vesta’s primary contention is that she was denied due process of law by reason of the trial court’s failure to conduct an eviden-tiary hearing as to whether she was mentally competent to stand trial.

The record discloses the following with respect to the…