Opinion
September 9, 1974.
December 11, 1974.
Criminal Law — Appeals — All issues previously raised on direct appeal — Issues finally litigated — Appellant not eligible for relief — Issue of after-discovered evidence.
1. Where all of the issues raised were raised on direct appeal when the appellant's conviction was affirmed, the issues have been finally litigated and the appellant is not eligible for relief.
2. Where defendant's claim that perjured testimony was used against him is merely a renewal of a previous attack on the credibility of witnesses, he does not present an issue of after-discovered evidence.
Before WATKINS, P.J., JACOBS, HOFFMAN, CERCONE, PRICE, VAN DER VOORT, and SPAETH, JJ.
Appeal, No. 1034, Oct. T., 1974, from order of Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division, of Philadelphia, March T., 1971, Nos. 1599, 1600, and 1601, in case of Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Angel Toledo. Order affirmed.
Petition for post-conviction relief.
Order entered dismissing petition, opinion by CAIN, JR., J. Defendant appealed.
Charles F.G. Smith, for appellant.
Maxine J. Stotland, Mark Sendrow, and Steven H. Goldblatt, Assistant District Attorneys, Abraham J. Gafni, Deputy District Attorney, Richard A. Sprague, First Assistant District Attorney, and F. Emmett Fitzpatrick, District Attorney, for Commonwealth, appellee.
Submitted September 9, 1974.
This is an appeal from a denial without hearing of relief under the Post Conviction Hearing Act, Act of January 25, 1966, P.L. (1965) 1580, § 1 et seq., 19 P. S. § 1180-1 et seq. (Supp. 1974-75). All of the issues raised are rephrasing of issues previously raised on direct appeal when the conviction was affirmed. Commonwealth v. Toledo, 221 Pa. Super. 752, 289 A.2d 112 (1972), allocatur refused, 221 Pa. Super. xlv (1972). As the issues have thus been "finally litigated," §§ 4(a)(2) and (3) of the Act, supra, 19 P. S. § 1180-4(a)(2), (3) (Supp. 1974-75), appellant is not "eligible for relief," id., § 3(d), 19 P. S. § 1180-3(d) (Supp. 1974-75) ; Commonwealth v. Wilson, 452 Pa. 376, 305 A.2d 9 (1973).
Appellant's claim that perjured testimony was used against him is merely a renewal of a previous attack on the credibility of the witness and thus does not present an issue of after-discovered evidence. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Mosteller, 446 Pa. 83, 284 A.2d 786 (1971).
Order affirmed.