Commonwealth v. Blair

OPINION

Following the entry of a guilty plea, appellant Herman Blair was convicted of murder of the second degree and sentenced to eight to sixteen years imprisonment. No direct appeal was taken but thirteen months later a pro se petition for collateral relief was filed under the Post Conviction Hearing Act. Although appellant requested counsel and alleged indigency, the trial court denied his petition without appointing counsel and without holding a hearing. A counselled appeal was then taken to this Court requesting a new trial. In that appeal, appellant raised two arguments: 1) that his…