gryger burke argued decided june rehearing denied gryger burke archibald cox cambridge petitioner franklin barr philadelphia respondent justice jackson delivered opinion commonwealth pennsylvania holds petitioner prisoner life sentence habitual criminal claim protesting denial state petition writ habeas corpus federal constitution requires pennsylvania release due process law grounds sene nced life offender without counsel offer counsel one convictions sentence based occurred enactment pennsylvania habitual criminal statute therefore unconstitutionally retroactive ex post facto sentencing act unconstitutionally subjects double jeopardy outset face suggestion case properly decided merits matter state law attack life sentence may premature since petitioner validly restrained prior sentences expiring least february even life sentence invalidated members prefer affirm judgment ground however since state law question free difficulty issue fully litigated since conclusion reached dispose case manner beginning age seventeen petitioner arrested eight times crimes violence followed instance plea guilty conviction respondent petitioner deny last years life years spent jail schedule pleas convictions pertinent data appended italics four basis information filed charging fourth offender brought limited charge acknowledged identity convict previous cases given life sentence pursuant act without counsel said neither advised right obtain counsel counsel offered rather overstrains credulity believe one defendant eight times counsel twice waged defenses albeit unsuccessful ones know right engage counsel request appears question fact fourth offender charge whether person convicted four cases admitted deny question sentence appear information helpful petitioner unknown said sentencing judge prejudiced defendant mistake construing pennsylvania habitual criminal act regarded mandatory sentence discretionary neither clear sentencing construed statute empowered pronounce error pennsylvania law clear trial view defendant long criminal record considered duty impose life sentence referred one act nothing indicate felt constrained impose penalty except facts warranted event pennsylvania courts say law duty discretion may nothing record impeaches fairness temperateness trial judge approached task action affirmed highest commonwealth liberty conjecture trial acted interpretation state law different might adopt set interpretation basis declaring due process denied treat mere error state law one occurred denial due process otherwise every erroneous decision state state law come federal constitutional question considered length obligation provide counsel defendants plead guilty offenses bute illinois notwithstanding resourceful argument assigned counsel think precedent settles issue exceptional circumstances present circumstances disclosed record us state failure provide counsel petitioner plea fourth offender charge render conviction sentence invalid think fact one convictions entered calculations petitioner became fourth offender occurred act passed makes act invalidly retroactive subjects petitioner double jeopardy sentence fourth offender habitual criminal viewed either new jeopardy additional penalty earlier crimes stiffened penalty latest crime considered aggravated offense repetitive one cf moore missouri mcdonald massachusetts graham west virginia carlesi new york pennsylvania ex rel sullivan ashe judgment affirmed table pleas convictions date charge plea sentence burglary guilty year assault battery guilty year carrying concealed deadly weapon burglary breaking guilty committed entering intent reformatory commit felony indefinitely armed robbery armed guilty years assualt entering intent rob burglary carrying guilty receiving stolen concealed deadly weapon goods carrying years concealed deadly weapon burglary receiving stolen guilty receiving years offenses stolen goods burglary guilty years aggravated assault guilty suspended battery justice rutledge justice black justice douglas justice murphy join dissenting even upon narrow view majority adhere concerning scope right counsel criminal cases guaranteed fourteenth amendment requirement due process law square decision case made townsend burke opinion case declares disadvantage absence counsel aggravated circumstances showing resulted prisoner actually taken advantage prejudiced make case violation due process view finds townsend prejudiced trial action sentencing basis either misinformation sum itted concerning prior criminal record misreading record carelessness respect basis gryger sentence invalid although finds exceptional circumstances inducing prejudice finds townsend case record judgment reveal circumstance one working induce prejudice exactly point townsend namely upon critical question sentence far record reveals gryger sentenced life imprisonment working misconception life term mandatory discretionary pennsylvania habitual criminal act exactly opposite true explicit terms statute puts imposition life imprisonment upon fourth offenders discretion judge moreover appeal sentence authorized alleged legal errors also justice thereof costs appeal reasonable counsel fee paid commonwealth spite discretion duty exercise sentencing judge remarking question whether petitioner person suffered prior convictions repeatedly spoke life sentence mandatory statements quoted margin typical immaterial sentence might probably imposed exercise discretion petitioner entitled sentence pronounced manner automatic mandate statute denial essence judicial process exercise discretion discretion required denial due process merely error state law concern speculate whether sentence pronounced discretion exercised moreover misconception together absence counsel deprived petitioner chance heard crucial question sentence matter left hearing vital one plea guilty received even assumed says knew right counsel frequent prior appearances still assumed indeed record substantially disproves knew exact terms habitual criminal act therefore misled seem language giving hint discretionary power made plea mitigation representative correct misconception present considerations might induced sentence less severe one pronounced paraphrase concluding sentence opn ion townsend case might changed sentence taken steps see sentence predicated misconception misreading controlling statute requirement fair play absence counsel withheld prisoner find difficult comprehend misreading misinformation concerning facts record vital proper exercise sentencing function prejudicial deprives defendant due process law misreading misconception controlling statute matter vital imposing mandatory sentence exercising discretion concerning effect perhaps difference serves illustrate capricious results right counsel made depend upon mandate constitution upon vagaries whether judges different regard incident course particular criminal proceedings prejudicial footnotes penal code respondent contested case merits assume pennsylvania passed petitioner allegations deprivation federal constitutional rights issues therefore open herndon lowry pennsylvania frequently held state constitutional provision according defendants right heard counsel require appointment counsel noncapital cases see example commonwealth ex rel mcglinn smith commonwealth ex rel withers ashe see also betts brady pennsylvania statutes require destitute dependents accused murder shall assigned counsel act march tit section provides prior convictions shown trial fourth offense defendant upon conviction sentenced discretion judge trying case imprisonment state penitentiary term natural life section authorizes procedure followed instant case separate proceeding information within two years fourth conviction provides may sentence imprisonment life prescribed clause section statute vests discretion sentencing judge clearly recognized commonwealth highest commonwealth ex rel foster ashe becomes duty act assembly treat case say person found guilty fourth time felony within prescribed period impose sentence required act words law come viewpoint fourth offender must removed possibility ever committing offense dubious assumption seem view fact pennsylvania generally confines right counsel criminal trials capital cases see commonwealth ex rel mcglinn smith commonwealth ex rel withers ashe cf note text petitioner served information charging fourth offender confined penitentiary without financial means preparing defense alleged without contradiction prison authorities refused request copy habitual criminal act answer course say petitioner need statute assistance previous trips courts whatever knowledge procedures may acquired unfamiliar fourth offender act even petitioner secured access prior hearing materials needed prepare defense adequately informed statute terms rights thereunder highly unrealistic assume petitioner capable adequately presenting case hearing pleadings filed telling witness limited intelligence education hearing obvious petitioner unable comprehend issues involved assistant district attorney representing commonwealth remarked understand