Commonwealth v. Smith

OPINION

EAGEN, Chief Justice.

In August 1975, Kenneth Wayne Smith, appellant, was convicted by a jury of murder of the first degree in connection with the homicide of Charles Jeffers. Post-verdict motions were denied, and Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment. On appeal, we affirmed the judgment of sentence. Commonwealth v. Smith, 477 Pa. 505, 384 A.2d 1202 (1978).

On September 18, 1978, Smith file a pro se petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act [hereinafter: PCHA], Act of January 25, 1966, P.L. (1965) 1580, §§ 1 et seq., 19 P.S. §§ 1180-1 et seq. (Supp. 1979-80). Counsel was…