463 Pa. 383 344 A.2d 884

344 A.2d 884

COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Herman A. BLAIR, Appellant.

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Argued Nov. 8, 1973.

Decided Oct. 3, 1975.

*384Joel M. Breitstein, Lebanon, for appellant.

George E. Christianson, Dist. Atty., Lebanon, for appellee.

Before JONES, C. J., and EAGEN, O’BRIEN, ROBERTS, POMEROY, NIX and MANDERINO, JJ.

*385OPINION OF THE COURT

PER CURIAM.

Appellant, Herman A. Blair, was convicted of murder in the second degree following the entry of a plea of guilty to murder generally. A term of imprisonment of eight (8) to sixteen (16) years was imposed. No direct appeal was taken.

On April 26, 1973, appellant filed a petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act1 alleging that his plea was not voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently entered because he was not advised of his right to a jury trial. Although appellant requested counsel and alleged indigency, the trial court denied his petition without appointing counsel and without holding a hearing. Appellant then requested counsel for the purpose of perfecting the instant appeal. That request was granted and this appeal followed.

Two issues are presented for consideration by this Court. First, is appellant entitled to a new trial because his guilty plea was taken without compliance with Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 319(a) and, second, was appellant wrongfully denied a hearing on his petition? Upon a thorough review of the petition, we find no basis for granting relief.

Initially, the claim of an involuntary and unintelligent guilty plea was cognizable on direct appeal. Commonwealth v. Greer, 457 Pa. 646, 326 A.2d 338 (1974); Commonwealth v. Hill, 457 Pa. 1, 7, 319 A.2d 886 (1974); Commonwealth v. Ingram, 455 Pa. 198, 316 A.2d 77 (1974). Rather than pursue this course, appellant waited thirteen months and then filed his petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act. However, under Sec*386tions 4(b)(1) and (2),2 the availability of collateral relief under this Act is predicated upon a showing of extraordinary circumstances to justify the failure to take a direct appeal. Appellant has made no attempt to meet this requirement. Accordingly we find this issue has been waived. See generally Commonwealth v. Tunnell, 463 Pa. 462, 345 A.2d 611; see Commonwealth v. Hines, 461 Pa. 271, 336 A.2d 280 (1975).

Nor is there merit to the contention that the lower court erred in denying a hearing on the petition. Section 9 of the Act provides in pertinent part:

“If a petition alleges facts that if proven would entitle the petitioner to relief, the court shall grant a hearing which may extend only to the issues raised in the petition or answer. However, the court may deny a hearing if the petitioner’s claim is patently frivolous and is without a trace of support either in the record or from other evidence submitted by the petitioner.”

While mindful that appellant’s claim, if properly presented would entitle him to relief if proven, the lower court was correct in refusing a hearing when appellant failed to allege a denial of his Douglas 3 rights so as to *387prevent waiver of the issue upon which he sought relief.4 Commonwealth v. Johnson, 431 Pa. 522, 533, 246 A.2d 345 (1968).

Accordingly, the order is affirmed.

Commonwealth v. Blair
463 Pa. 383 344 A.2d 884

Case Details

Name
Commonwealth v. Blair
Decision Date
Oct 3, 1975
Citations

463 Pa. 383

344 A.2d 884

Jurisdiction
Pennsylvania

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