Case Name: Commonwealth v. Stein, Petitioner
Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1969-12-18
Citations: 436 Pa. 330
Docket Number: No. 3162-A Miscellaneous Docket
Parties: Commonwealth v. Stein, Petitioner.
Judges: Before Bell, C. J., Jones, Cohen, Eagen, O’Brien, Roberts and Pomeroy, JJ.
Reporter: Pennsylvania State Reports
Volume: 436
Pages: 330–332

Head Matter:
Commonwealth v. Stein, Petitioner.
Before Bell, C. J., Jones, Cohen, Eagen, O’Brien, Roberts and Pomeroy, JJ.
William C. Porter, for petitioner.
Paul M. Petro, Assistant District Attorney, and Jess D. Costa, District Attorney, for Commonwealth, appellee.
December 18, 1969:

Opinion:
Opinion
Per Curiam,
Appellant's counsel in the Superior Court filed a brief which consisted of a xeroxed copy of a ten page "brief" prepared by appellant himself. Counsel attached to this a memorandum requesting the Superior Court to "peruse and consider said document with the same attention as if it were prepared by counsel learned in the law." Counsel also added a short "further argument" based on appellant's original uncounseled POTT A petition. The argument does little more than refer the court to several pages of appellant's hand-drawn brief and hand-drawn PCHA petition.
This is hardly the "representation in the role of an advocate" which we require. See Ellis v. United States, 356 U.S. 674, 675, 78 S. Ct. 974, 975 (1958); Commonwealth v. Stein, 436 Pa. 328, 257 A. 2d 848 (1969); Commonwealth v. Stancell, 435 Pa. 301, 256 A. 2d 798 (1969). Accordingly, the judgment of the Superior Court is vacated and the case remanded so that the Superior Court may consider the appeal upon the filing of a brief properly prepared by counsel. Commonwealth v. McFall, 436 Pa. 329, 257 A. 2d 847 (1969).