Court Opinion

ID: 9749753
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 17:02:08.487726+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:57.435617
License: Public Domain

VAN der VOORT, Judge,
dissenting:
On November 21,1977, appellant filed a petition under the Post Conviction Hearing Act. Counsel was appointed who filed an amended petition. On September 25, 1979, a hearing was held on the petition. Appellant filed a second PCHA petition on November 8, 1979, prior to any ruling on *558the first petition. On January 21,1980, the court denied the second petition as being premature. On April 24, 1980, the court filed an opinion and order denying relief on the first petition. No appeal was taken therefrom. On June 6, 1980, appellant filed a third PCHA petition, pro se. By an opinion and order dated December 11, 1980, the court denied, without a hearing, this third petition. Appellant has appealed from the denial of relief on the third petition.
Appellant argues that his second and third petitions alleged that court appointed PCHA counsel on the first petition, was ineffective. Therefore, he contends the court should have appointed yet new counsel and held another hearing on the second and third petitions.
As to the second petition, in my judgment, the court correctly denied relief. The first amended petition was still pending; it was premature to claim counsel was ineffective prior to any indication of his success or failure.*
Reviewing the third petition, I likewise agree with the lower court and would affirm its decision. Contrary to appellant’s claim on this appeal, I do not find that the third petition alleged that prior PCHA counsel was ineffective. While he did check off the block, in the standardized petition, questioning counsel’s effectiveness, nowhere in the petition is there an indication that he was challenging PCHA counsel’s stewardship. Instead he challenged a photographic identification, and claimed he was not advised of certain rights or the existence of certain evidence. He did not claim that such challenges had not been finally litigated or waived because of petitioning counsel’s ineffectiveness.
The lower court had just recently decided, adversely to appellant, allegations of trial error and trial counsel’s ineffectiveness. Therefore, I believe the trial court properly, pursuant to Rule 1504 Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, denied appellant’s third petition without the appoint*559ment of counsel or the holding of another evidentiary hearing thereon. Appellant’s claim was not properly presented in his third petition and neither the trial court or this court should consider it. Commonwealth v. Carrier, 494 Pa. 305, 308-309 n. 3, 431 A.2d 271, 273 n. 3 (1981); Commonwealth v. Zillgitt, 489 Pa. 189, 192 n. 3, 413 A.2d 1078 n. 3 (1980); Commonwealth v. Stokes, 294 Pa.Superior Ct. 529, 440 A.2d 591 (1982); Commonwealth v. Stanton, 294 Pa.Superi-or Ct. 516, 440 A.2d 585 (1982).
I respectfully dissent.

 While appellant did check the box, contained in the standardized PCHA petition, indicating he was denied the assistance of effective counsel, nowhere did this petition refer to PCHA counsel as being ineffective.