Case Name: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. James COOPER, Appellant
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1983-12-02
Citations: 503 Pa. 29
Docket Number: No. 36 E.D. Appeal Docket, 1983
Parties: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. James COOPER, Appellant.
Judges: Before ROBERTS, C.J., and NIX, LARSEN, FLAHERTY, McDermott, hutchinson and zappala, jj.
Reporter: Pennsylvania State Reports
Volume: 503
Pages: 29–31

Head Matter:
467 A.2d 1301
COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. James COOPER, Appellant.
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Argued Oct. 28, 1983.
Decided Dec. 2, 1983.
John W. Packel, Chief, Appeals Div., Karl Baker, Philadelphia, for appellant.
Robert B. Lawler, Chief, Appeals Div., Asst. Dist. Atty., Steven Cooperstein, Asst. Dist. Atty., Philadelphia, for appellee.
Before ROBERTS, C.J., and NIX, LARSEN, FLAHERTY, McDermott, hutchinson and zappala, jj.

Opinion:
ORDER
PER CURIAM:
The record having established that appellant was erroneously informed in the jury-trial-waiver colloquy that in a jury trial the defense would have to convince twelve jurors of appellant's innocence, whereas in a non-jury trial appellant could be acquitted by proving his innocence to a single fact-finder, the trial judge, the order of the Superior Court is vacated. 308 Pa.Super. 607, 454 A.2d 162. The judgments of sentence of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia are vacated, and the record is remanded to the court of common pleas for a new trial.
McDERMOTT, J., files a dissenting opinion.