People v. Graves

Defendant appeals from a judgment entered upon a jury verdict finding him guilty of theft of property over $150 on which he received a sentence of five to ten years. He questions the severity of the sentence and asks us to exercise our authority to reduce it — in the event the errors alleged here do not warrant a new trial.

The first error can be disposed of quickly. He asked for and was denied the assistance of counsel at the preliminary hearing held on January 16, 1970. On January 22, 1970, the United States Supreme Court announced its decision in Coleman v. Alabama, 399 U.S. 1, 26 L.Ed.2d…