Com. v. Glenn, J., Jr.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 1, 2021
Docket694 MDA 2020
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Glenn, J., Jr. (Com. v. Glenn, J., Jr.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Com. v. Glenn, J., Jr., (Pa. Ct. App. 2021).

Opinion

J-S44018-20

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : JAMES LAWRENCE GLENN, JR. : : Appellant : No. 694 MDA 2020

Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered April 22, 2020 In the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-06-CR-0004103-2017

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., NICHOLS, J., and McCAFFERY, J.

MEMORANDUM BY NICHOLS, J.: FILED MARCH 01, 2021

Appellant James Lawrence Glenn, Jr., appeals from the order denying,

after an evidentiary hearing, his first Post Conviction Relief Act 1 (PCRA)

petition. On appeal, Appellant contends that the PCRA court erred by finding

that he did not establish his plea counsel had an actual conflict of interest by

representing him and his co-defendant. We affirm.

We adopt the facts and procedural history set forth in the PCRA court’s

opinion. See PCRA Ct. Op., 6/4/20, at 2-4 (noting the surveillance video of

robbery, the police apprehension of Appellant and co-defendant Damir Glenn

(Damir) shortly after the robbery, and the recovery of the robbery proceeds

from Damir’s distinctive vehicle, which was at scene). Damir told the police

____________________________________________

142 Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546. We also cite to the reproduced record for the parties’ convenience. J-S44018-20

that he drove Appellant to the mall to commit a robbery and knew that he was

taking Appellant to rob someone. Id. at 3; see also R.R. at 243a

(reproducing a police incident report containing Damir’s statements to

police)). Michael Quinn, Esq., represented both Appellant and Damir. PCRA

Ct. Op. at 4.

On April 6, 2018, Damir pled guilty that morning to robbery and

conspiracy, Appellant pled guilty later that same day, and on June 18, 2018,

the trial court sentenced Appellant to an aggregate sentence of six to twenty

years’ imprisonment. Id. On July 2, 2018, the trial court docketed Appellant’s

post-sentence motion, which was dated June 26, 2018. The trial court denied

same on August 28, 2018. Appellant did not take a direct appeal.2

On October 23, 2018, Appellant filed his first pro se PCRA petition, which

contended, among other things, that Attorney Quinn had a conflict of interest.3

We do not summarize the lengthy subsequent procedural history, but note

2 On September 19, 2018, Appellant filed a pro se motion for an extension of time to file an appeal. Mot. for Extension of Time, 9/19/18. Within the motion, Appellant alleged that he dismissed Attorney Quinn from representing him on September 14, 2018. The record does not reflect Attorney Quinn filed a motion to withdraw from representing Appellant or some other indication that the trial court granted Attorney Quinn permission to withdraw. On September 27, 2018, the trial court granted Appellant’s motion and directed Appellant to appeal within sixty days. Appellant, however, did not appeal. 3 The PCRA court initially appointed Osmer S. Deming, Esq., as Appellant’s PCRA counsel. On February 4, 2019, Attorney Deming filed a petition to withdraw, which the PCRA court granted in an order dated April 11, 2019. The order was timestamped February 4 and February 13, 2019, but does not appear in the docket.

-2- J-S44018-20

that on October 21, 2019, Daniel A. Pallen, Esq., entered his appearance as

Appellant’s PCRA counsel. On November 4, 2019, Appellant filed a counseled

second amended petition for PCRA relief. In relevant part, Appellant

contended that Attorney Quinn had a conflict of interest due to his dual

representation of Appellant and Damir. Second Am. PCRA Pet., 11/4/19, at

2-3.

On December 17, 2019, the PCRA court held an evidentiary hearing, at

which Appellant, Attorney Quinn, Damir, and Appellant’s wife testified. In

pertinent part, Appellant’s PCRA counsel examined Attorney Quinn about his

dual representation:4

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] . . . And do you admit today sitting where you are on the stand that the representation of [Appellant] was adverse to Damir Glenn?

[Attorney Quinn:] They were charged with conspiracy. And by the very nature of the conspiracy charge, they could be in conflict with each other. So based upon that, I suggested to them that they ____________________________________________

4Attorney Quinn testified that he specifically recalled discussing the potential of a conflict with both Appellant and Damir together. N.T. PCRA Hr’g, 12/17/19, at 15-17. Attorney Quinn denied memorializing Appellant’s and Damir’s informed consent reduced to writing. Id. at 18.

In contrast, Appellant testified that Attorney Quinn initially only represented him. Id. at 76. Appellant testified that after a week, Attorney Quinn also began to represent Damir without discussing any potential conflict with Appellant. Id. at 77. Appellant denied ever meeting Attorney Quinn together with Damir and signing a written agreement of representation or a waiver of conflict. Id. Appellant testified that Damir “never mentioned anything about signing any waivers or any contracts.” Id. at 93. Appellant’s wife also testified and denied seeing Appellant sign “anything” at Attorney Quinn’s office. Id. at 107. She also denied being present with Damir in Attorney Quinn’s office. Id. at 108.

-3- J-S44018-20

could have their own lawyers but if they want, they can waive that conflict and if they have any questions in regards to what the conflict is, I would answer them ‘cause, clearly, you know, my concern was is that it’s their decision to waive that conflict, not mine.

* * *

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] So what -- just generally speaking, what was your defense strategy for representing the two of these gentlemen at the same time?

[Attorney Quinn:] Well, it wasn’t about a defense strategy. From the very beginning, it was -- they acknowledged that they made a horrible mistake. It wasn’t as if they were going to go to trial. We discussed, you know, what the evidence would be if either one or both went to trial. We went over the videotape.

We, you know, went through each and every photograph and statement that was offered by the police, so it was more about -- like I said, it wasn’t a who-done-it. It was about preparation for mitigation in regards to a guilty plea.

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] Well, you would agree with me, wouldn’t you, that at any point either one of the two defendants that you represented could have elected their right to trial, true?

[Attorney Quinn:] Sure, absolutely.

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] And if they did, would not the Commonwealth have sought to have one testify against the other?

[Attorney Quinn:] If they wanted to ask either one if they went to trial as a condition of the plea, they could have; but they didn’t.

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] So from your recollection, at no point did the Commonwealth ever solicit the testimony from one against another?

[Attorney Quinn:] No.

N.T. PCRA Hr’g at 18-19; see also id. at 29.

-4- J-S44018-20

Appellant’s PCRA counsel followed-up with respect to Attorney Quinn’s

defense strategy:

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] But there were various defenses, would you agree, that would have been available to [Appellant]? Could you think of any?

[Attorney Quinn:] Various defenses, yeah, he could have blamed the codefendant. I mean, that’s always available in codefendant cases.

Id. at 26.

[Appellant’s PCRA counsel:] . . .

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
Com. v. Glenn, J., Jr., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/com-v-glenn-j-jr-pasuperct-2021.