PA Murderer Loses Appeal:  The appeal of a man sentenced to death for murdering his ex-girlfriend in 2004, was rejected last Thursday by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.  Phil Ray of the Altoona Mirror reports that Andre Staton sought to have his conviction overturned claiming that the trial judge violated his constitutional rights by permitting him to serve as his own counsel.  The Supreme Court rejected Staton's claim, noting that that at a hearing on May 13, 2013, the trial judge considered Staton's petition to fire his defense attorney and allow him to represent himself in the post-conviction review of his case.  After hearing both the prosecution and the defense attorney argue against the request, the judge denied it.  Hearing this, Staton jumped from his chair and attacked his attorney, knocking him unconscious, resulting in a severe concussion.  A week later the court held that Staton had waived his right to counsel.  The high court later determined that by attacking his attorney, Staton has forfeited his right to counsel and that his subsequent claims challenging the adequacy of his habeas corpus representation were without merit.  Court records indicate that on February 25, 2004, a week after she had gotten a restraining order against Staton for repeated beatings, Staton kicked in the door of Beverly Yohn's home and stabbed her to death in front of her young son.  He was convicted on overwhelming evidence and sentenced to death in 2006.