Commonwealth v. Alvarado

OPINION OF THE COURT

EAGEN, Chief Justice.

Julio Alvarado, appellant, entered a counselled plea of guilty to murder generally, on June 2, 1966, before a three-judge court of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia. After a counselled degree-of-guilt hearing, the court found Alvarado guilty of murder of the first degree and, after presentence reports were filed, sentenced him to death. A timely appeal was filed in this Court by Alvarado’s trial counsel in August 1966.

In November 1966, Alvarado’s trial counsel petitioned this Court to withdraw as counsel. We remanded this petition to the Court…