Com. v. Cisne, J.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided June 12, 2025·No. 632 EDA 2024·Unpublished

Opinion

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA

:

v. :

:

:

JASON CISNE :

:

Appellant : No. 632 EDA 2024

Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered April 4, 2022 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0006829-2008

BEFORE: KUNSELMAN, J., SULLIVAN, J., and BECK, J. MEMORANDUM BY SULLIVAN, J.: FILED JUNE 12, 2025 Jason Cisne (“Cisne”) appeals pro se from the order dismissing his petition filed pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”). 1 We affirm in part and vacate in part and remand for further proceedings. Specifically, we affirm the order in all respects except for the issue of whether Cisne is due credit for time served in custody prior to his plea and sentencing.

The relevant factual and procedural history of this case is as follows. In March 2010, Cisne pled guilty to third-degree murder, possession of a firearm prohibited (“person not to possess”), and possessing an instrument of crime. The factual basis included a statement by an eyewitness to the murder, Javier Selgado (“Selgado”), in which Selgado stated that around 11:00 p.m., he saw Phillip Underwood (“Underwood”) lying face-up on a sidewalk, when Cisne

1 See 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 9541-9546.

pulled out a gun and shot Underwood in the left shoulder, two times in the chest, the abdomen, and the left thigh. See N.T., 3/1/10, at 9. Additionally, an expert in forensic pathology opined that the multiple gunshot wounds caused Underwood’s death, and the manner of death was homicide. Further, Cisne had a prior conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, making him ineligible to possess a firearm. See id. at 9-10.

At the guilty plea hearing, Cisne stated, under oath, that he was pleading guilty because he was guilty, that it was his voluntary decision, that we was not suffering from mental health issues, nor was he under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. See id. at 6-7. Additionally, he stated he was satisfied with the representation by plea counsel, Joseph Santaguida, Esq. (“Attorney Santaguida”). See id. at 8. Cisne then waived his right to a presentence investigation report (“PSI”). See id. at 11. During allocution, Cisne apologized to Selgado’s family and explained: “I was young. I made a decision. It cost me my freedom. It cost my family, too. God forgives. I hope they can forgive me, too. That’s all I can say. There’s nothing much else I can do to bring him back. That’s why I’m taking this guilty plea.” Id. at 21. The trial court thereafter sentenced Cisne to the jointly recommended sentence of twenty-five to fifty years of imprisonment. See id. at 2-3 (statement of negotiated recommended sentence); id. at 22 (imposition of sentence in accordance with the negotiated guilty plea). Accord Order,

3/1/10 (imposing an aggregate sentence of twenty-five to fifty years of imprisonment).

Cisne did not take a direct appeal, but filed a first PCRA petition, which the PCRA court dismissed. This Court likewise determined Cisne’s issues were meritless except for his claim that plea counsel failed to file a requested direct appeal. This Court vacated the dismissal order and remanded for an evidentiary hearing on the limited issue of whether plea counsel failed to file a requested direct appeal. The PCRA court subsequently granted relief and reinstated Cisne’s direct appeal rights. On direct appeal, this Court vacated the judgment of sentence and remanded for the trial court to determine whether Cisne had been subjected to an unconstitutional mandatory minimum sentence. See Commonwealth v. Cisne, No. 1179 EDA 2017 (Pa. Super. 2019) (unpublished memorandum at 2-3) (summarizing the procedural history of this case). The trial court concluded Cisne had not been subjected to an unconstitutional mandatory minimum sentence, and reimposed the same sentence in March 2017, and this Court affirmed on January 7, 2019. See id. at 1, 4, 7. Cisne did not file a petition for allowance of appeal with our Supreme Court. Thereafter, on December 6, 2019, he filed a timely pro se PCRA petition.

In his pro se petition, Cisne asserted the following claims: (1) the trial court erred in failing to order a PSI and by not stating on the record its reasons for the sentence; (2) the court imposed an illegal mandatory minimum

sentence; (3) counsel at the 2017 resentencing hearing failed to timely file a post-sentence motion; (4) the trial court deviated from the applicable sentencing guidelines; (5) the trial court failed to award credit for time served; and (6) Attorney Santaguida was ineffective for failing to investigate alibi witnesses prior to Cisne’s guilty plea. See generally PCRA Pet., 12/6/19.

The PCRA court appointed counsel (“PCRA counsel”), 2 who filed a “no merit” letter pursuant to Commonwealth v. Turner, 544 A.2d 927 (Pa. 1988) and Commonwealth v. Finley, 550 A.2d 213 (Pa. Super. 1988) (en banc). See Finley Letter, 2/5/22. PCRA counsel also moved to withdraw. See Motion to Withdraw, 2/6/22. The PCRA court issued a Pa.R.Crim.P. 907 notice of its intent to dismiss the case in March 2022 and dismissed the petition on April 4, 2022.3 Cisne later submitted two pro se filings in September and December 2022 seeking the docket for his case and indicating he had not been served with the dismissal order, after which the PCRA court granted PCRA counsel’s motion to withdraw and reinstated Cisne’s right to appeal from the dismissal order. See Order, 2/9/24. Cisne timely appealed,

2The appointment order appears to be missing from the certified record. However, the docket indicates PCRA counsel was appointed in August 2021.

3 The order dismissing Cisne’s PCRA petition is not contained in the certified record, though it is docketed on April 4, 2022.

see Notice of Appeal, 2/20/24, and both he and the PCRA court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.4 Cisne raises the following issues for our review:

I. Did [Cisne] have ineffective assistance of counsel [rendered by several prior attorneys]?

II. Did the Commonwealth withheld [sic] evidence [in]

Cisne's favor?

III. I am confined in violation of the [c]onstitution, laws, or treaties-of the United States[.]

IV. Did all prior counsel provided ineffective assistance of counsel when they failed to investigate this case and Cisne pled guilty in the account [sic] he would get 15-30 years?

V. Does the sentencing merge to 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9765 for this single incident so I should have received 20-40 years?

VI. Did the Common Pleas Court error [sic] by adopting PCRA counsel’s no-merit letter[,] and PCRA counsel provided ineffectiveness in violation of the 6th Amendment?

VII. Did PCRA and all counsel’s [sic] above rendered ineffectiveness by failing to amend PCRA and failed to raise all issues preserved in state court ? . . ..

VIII. Is [Cisne] entitled to remand and new counsel appointed to raise all ground for relief?

IX. Is [Cisne] entitled to a hearing with new counsel appointed ?

4 We note with disapproval that Cisne raised eleven asserted errors in his Rule

1925(b) statement, yet the PCRA court responded to just one of them in its opinion. Compare Rule 1925(b) Statement, 3/14/24 with PCRA Ct. Op., 7/25/24.

X. Is [Cisne] confined in violation of Brady, and Strickland court[5] [sic] and nothing was done on the (3) remands by the Superior Court . . .?

XI. Did the sentencing court fail to award all credit for everyday [sic] Cisne was confined resulting in an illegal sentence ?

Cisne’s Br. at 4-5 (issues re-ordered for ease of disposition).

Our standard of review of an order dismissing a PCRA petition is well-

settled:

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