Opinion
November 30, 1972.
Criminal Law — Evidence — Confession — Constitutional warnings — Provision of counsel to indigent — Necessity of explicit statement that defendant may have counsel "free of charge" — Form of warning.
Mr. Justice O'BRIEN, Mr. Justice ROBERTS and Mr. Justice NIX dissented for the reasons stated in Mr. Justice O'BRIEN's dissenting opinion in Commonwealth v. Ponton, 450 Pa. 40, 299 A.2d 634 (1972).
Submitted April 17, 1972. Before JONES, C. J., EAGEN, O'BRIEN, ROBERTS, POMEROY, NIX and MANDERINO, JJ.
Appeal, No. 174, Jan. T., 1971, from judgment of sentence of Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division, of Philadelphia, June T., 1971, No. 662, in case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Milton R. James, a/k/a Ronald Milton James. Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Indictment charging defendant with murder. Before McGLYNN, JR., J.
Verdict of guilty of murder in first degree. Defendant's motions for new trial and in arrest of judgment denied and judgment of sentence entered. Defendant appealed.
Peter B. Scuderi, for appellant.
Milton M. Stein, Assistant District Attorney, James D. Crawford, Deputy District Attorney, Richard A. Sprague, First Assistant District Attorney, and Arlen Specter, District Attorney, for Commonwealth, appellee.
Judgment of sentence affirmed. See, Commonwealth v. Ponton, 450 Pa. 40, 299 A.2d 634 (1972).
Mr. Justice O'BRIEN, Mr. Justice ROBERTS and Mr. Justice NIX dissent for the reasons stated in Mr. Justice O'BRIEN's dissenting opinion in Commonwealth v. Ponton, 450 Pa. 40, 299 A.2d 634 (1972).