Com. v. Han, K.

Superior Court of Pennsylvania·Decided April 10, 2015·No. 1169 MDA 2014·Unpublished

Opinion

J-S07041-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee

v.

KI JON HAN Appellant No. 1169 MDA 2014

Appeal from the Order Entered June 11, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-06-CR-0000378-1996

BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., OLSON, J., and OTT, J. MEMORANDUM BY OTT, J.: FILED APRIL 10, 2015 Ki Jon Han appeals the order entered June 11, 2014, in the Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, recommitting him to Wernersville State Hospital (WSH) for a period of one year, subject to conditions for a less restrictive alterative being met, pursuant to the Mental Health Procedures Act (MHPA), Section 304(g)(ii). We affirm based upon on the trial court’s sound opinion.

The trial court aptly summarized the facts and procedural history in its Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) opinion and there is no need to repeat the entire background of this case. See Trial Court Opinion, 8/20/2014, at 1–5. Briefly, Han murdered his wife in 1995, and was found not guilty by reason of insanity in a non-jury trial in 1997. Han was committed to Norristown State Hospital for involuntary inpatient treatment, and was transferred to

J-S07041-15

WSH in 2007, where he has been recommitted on an annual basis ever since.

Han contends the evidence presented at the recommitment hearing held on June 11, 2014, was insufficient to support the decision to recommit him. See Han’s Brief at 5. The Honorable Linda K.M. Ludgate has provided a thorough, well-reasoned discussion in support of her decision. See Trial Court Opinion, supra, at 5–13 (finding: (1) the proceedings in this case are governed by the MHPA, 50 P.S. §§ 7304 and 7305; (2) the reports of Stephen Burkholder, M.D., Staff Psychiatrist at WSH, and Larry Rotenberg, M.D., a forensic psychiatrist from the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, were admitted without objection; (3) Dr. Burkholder’s report (a) stated Han’s diagnosis as Schizophrenia, undifferentiated type, chronic, (b) listed Han’s problems/needs, (c) indicated Han continues to require inpatient hospitalization, though discharge to the community is planned, and (d) noted the Treatment Team will continue to explore various discharge options in coordination and communication with the Court; (4) Dr. Rothenberg testified as to his findings, told the court Han was in remission, and opined to a reasonable degree of medical certainty that Han should remain committed to WSH until such time as a transition can be made in the manner described in his report; (5) Han did not present any expert testimony to refute Dr. Rotenberg’s expert medical opinion; (6) there is clear and convincing evidence that without the structure of the hospital setting, there is a reasonable probability that Han will again become psychotic and

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pose a danger to himself or others; (7) Dr. Rotenberg outlined the only safe way for Han to be released from WSH, which would be to a half-way house or long-term residential facility, very slowly, allowing him to return to WSH, his safe haven, after each outing to keep him in remission; (8) It is in Han’s best interest, and therefore the community’s best interest, for the doctors to investigate options and cautiously implement Han’s transition to a long-term residential treatment placement over the next year, if possible.) Accordingly, we adopt the decision of the trial court as dispositive of the issue raised in this appeal.1 Order affirmed.

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq. Prothonotary

Date: 4/10/2015

1 In the event of further proceedings the parties are directed to attach a copy of the Trial Court Opinion, 8/20/2014, to this decision.

Circulated 03/18/2015 01:37 PM

COMMONWEAL TH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE COURT OF CO:MMON PLEAS OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA vs. CRIMINAL DIVISION

Kl JON HAN, No. CP-06-CR-00000378-1996 Defendant : Superior Court No. 1169 !vIDA 2014

John T. Adams, Esquire, District Attorney Rourke T. Aston, Esquire, Assistant Public Defender

MEMORAJ\TJ)UM OPINION, Ludgate, S.J. AugustJO , 2014.

Before the court is the appeal of Ki Jon Han (Appellant) from the Order of June 11, 2014, that recommitted him to the Wernersville State Hospital (\VSH) for a period of one year, subject to the conditions for a less restrictive alternative being met, pursuant to the Mental Health Procedures Act (MHP A), Section 304(g)(ii).

This case involves Appellant's tragic murder of Hwa Ok Han, a 42 year old Korean and wife and mother of his two children. On the evening of September 5, I 995, Appellant reported that he was praying to God, when he said, all of a sudden, there were warning signs from God of what he must do or not do. He did not understand the warnings at first because he was speaking in tongues, but when he asked God what it meant, he said it came to him in his native language of Korean. He claimed God told him these restrictions: do not send the children to school, have his wife teach them, and do not tum the lights on after a certain time. He wrote the restrictions down on a yellow notepad; then he put the children to bed. Appellant and his wife went upstairs to the bedroom where he prepared clothing for them to "go to heaven." They changed into church clothes and then his wife turned on a light in the bathroom, which Appellant saw as a warning sign from the devil not to do that. They went into the living room together

to pray, and he turned onthe light.. He said his wife brought in a songbook and wanted to '- • • '-~ ·••• l.,_. --· _:. • ' • (

sing, but he told her not to do that either. Appellant reported that she became angry and (", \

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went into the kitchen and turned on the light. He claimed that, at this point, something happened and suddenly he had no control over himself. He began hitting his wife with a stick, and then with a kitchen chair. His daughter reported that he was saying that the devil was in his wife and it had to be beaten out. Appellant recalled hearing the voice telling him to chase the devil from his wife. He heard voices coming from her and thought there were three or five devils in her. Appellant reported that he thought, when a person has too many devils in them, you have to get them out. At first Appellant thought it was God talking to him but he later said he realized it was the devil speaking to him.

After the beating, Appellant asked thevoice what he should do and he said he was told to put his wife's body in their bed, cover her and then call the police. When the police arrived, Appellant told them that he had killed his wife and that now he must kill himself. The police located the body of the victim in a bedroom at 2229 Reading Blvd., Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, at 6:46 am. Appellant was taken into custody. Ultimately, Appellant was found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity and committed to Norristown State Hospital for involuntary inpatient. treatment He was transferred to WSH in July of 2007. He has been recommitted on an annual basis ever since.

I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY A bail hearing was held on September 6, 1995, and bail was set at $750,000 because of the nature of the charges. Appellant remained in the Berks County Prison; he was transported for examinations by a psychiatrist and a physician. A preliminary hearing was held before District Justice Richard Beck on February 6, 1996, and the case was bound over for court.

Circulated 03/18/2015 01:37 PM

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