Com. v. Hatchett, A.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 23, 2018
Docket15 EDA 2017
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Hatchett, A. (Com. v. Hatchett, A.) 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. Hatchett, A., (Pa. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

J-A03004-18

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA Appellee : : v. : : ANTONIO HATCHETT : : Appellant : No. 15 EDA 2017

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence December 1, 2016 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0012786-2015

BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and PLATT*, J.

MEMORANDUM BY GANTMAN, P.J.: FILED FEBRUARY 23, 2018

Appellant, Antonio Hatchett, appeals from the judgment of sentence

entered in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, after his bench

trial convictions for possession of a firearm prohibited, carrying a firearm

without a license, and carrying a firearm on a public street in Philadelphia.1

We affirm.

The relevant facts and procedural history of this case are as follows.

On October 6, 2015, at about 8:30 p.m., Philadelphia Highway Patrolmen Timothy Stephan and Keith White were on routine patrol in the area of the 100 block of East Rockland Street in Philadelphia when they observed a vehicle with heavily tinted windows, which they stopped for violations of the Vehicle Code. The vehicle was occupied by Appellant, who was in the backseat, Tyreek ____________________________________________

1 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 6105(a)(1), 6106(a)(1), and 6108, respectively.

____________________________________ * Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-A03004-18

Smith [(“Co-defendant”)], who was in the front passenger seat, and a third male, who was driving. Upon approaching the males, Officer Stephan observed that Appellant had an identification card in his hand. As Appellant attempted to hand the card to the officer, [Appellant’s] hand was shaking, and he began to breathe more heavily as he looked at the officer. The officer also observed green leafy material on the backseat floor of the vehicle that he believed was marijuana residue and detected an odor of burnt marijuana. Officer Stephan thereafter inspected the inside of the vehicle using his flashlight and noticed that the headrest attached to the front passenger [seat] had been stripped of its foam insert thereby creating a pocket. He also observed that material had been removed from the back of the front passenger seat, which he believed could have created a hidden compartment in the seat.

Upon observing these alterations to the car, along with the nervousness manifested by the vehicle’s occupants, the officers became concerned so they returned to their vehicle and called for back-up. While the officers sat in their vehicle waiting for back-up, it appeared to them that the males in the vehicle were moving about inside it.

When back-up arrived, Officer Stephan, Officer White, and the two back-up officers once again approached the vehicle. Officer Stephan observed that Appellant was sweating even more profusely and breathing more heavily than he was during the initial encounter. After removing the three males from the vehicle, Officer Stephan confirmed that alterations had been made to the front passenger headrest, which had an indentation in the form of a handgun. He also confirmed alterations to the back of the front passenger seat. After Officer Stephan made these observations, Officer White proceeded from the driver’s side of the vehicle to its passenger side, lifted up the back seat, which he observed was not locked in to its bracket and was pulled away from the rear part of the seat creating a gap. He then recovered an operable black 9 millimeter Ruger handgun loaded with sixteen live rounds, located directly under where Appellant was seated. A check of the serial number on the weapon revealed that the gun had been stolen and, as a result of the discovery

-2- J-A03004-18

of the gun, Appellant and [Co-defendant], the registered owner of the vehicle, were taken into custody. Neither person had a valid permit to carry a firearm.

Prior to the stop of the vehicle in this instance, Officer Stephan had conversations with Appellant and, on those occasions, Appellant did not exhibit nervousness or profuse sweating during those encounters. Officer Stephan indicated that he did not observe the firearm before it was recovered and that he did not see Appellant reach under the seat.

(Trial Court Opinion, filed April 25, 2017, at 2-3).

The court held a bench trial on September 15, 2016, and that same

day, convicted Appellant of possession of a firearm prohibited, carrying a

firearm without a license, and carrying a firearm on a public street in

Philadelphia. On December 1, 2016, the court sentenced Appellant to an

aggregate term of six to twelve years’ imprisonment, plus five years’

probation. Appellant timely filed a post-sentence motion on December 13,

2016, which the court denied the following day. On December 22, 2016,

Appellant timely filed a pro se notice of appeal. The court, on December 28,

2016, ordered Appellant to file a concise statement of errors complained of

on appeal, pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). The court appointed appellate

counsel on January 4, 2017, and issued a new Rule 1925(b) order on

January 5, 2017. After the court granted multiple extensions of time,

Appellant timely filed a counseled Rule 1925(b) statement on March 27,

2017.

Appellant raises the following issues for our review:

-3- J-A03004-18

WERE THE VERDICT OF GUILTY AND JUDGMENT OF SENTENCE ON ALL OFFENSES (VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6105, VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6106, VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6108…) AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE WHERE THE COMMONWEALTH COULD NOT PROVE ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION OF THE FIREARM, AS THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED THAT [APPELLANT] (1) EVER POSSESSED THE FIREARM, AND (2) HAD KNOWLEDGE OF, OR COULD EXERCISE CONSCIOUS DOMINION OR CONTROL OVER, THE FIREARM FOUND UNDER THE REAR SEAT CUSHION IN A VEHICLE THAT DID NOT BELONG TO HIM, WHEN HE WAS MERELY A REAR PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE AND APPEARED NERVOUS WHEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE?

WAS THE VERDICT OF GUILTY (VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6105, VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6106, VIOLATION OF THE UNIFORM FIREARM ACT [18 PA.C.S.A.] § 6108…) AGAINST THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE WHERE THE COMMONWEALTH COULD NOT PROVE ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION OF THE FIREARM, AS THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE PRESENTED THAT [APPELLANT] (1) EVER POSSESSED THE FIREARM, AND (2) HAD KNOWLEDGE OF, OR COULD EXERCISE CONSCIOUS DOMINION OR CONTROL OVER, THE FIREARM FOUND UNDER THE REAR SEAT CUSHION IN A VEHICLE THAT DID NOT BELONG TO HIM, WHEN HE WAS MERELY A REAR PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE AND APPEARED NERVOUS WHEN STOPPED BY THE POLICE, AND THE VERDICT SHOCKS THE CONSCIENCE?

(Appellant’s Brief at 5-6).

After a thorough review of the record, the briefs of the parties, the

applicable law, and the well-reasoned opinion of the Honorable Daniel D.

McCaffery, we conclude Appellant’s issues merit no relief. The trial court

opinion comprehensively discusses and properly disposes of the questions

-4- J-A03004-18

presented. (See Trial Court Opinion, supra, at 4-8) (finding: (1) evidence

established Appellant constructively possessed firearm in vehicle; Appellant

hastily gave identification to Officer Stephan, even though Appellant knew

Officer Stephan; police saw gun-shaped cut-out in headrest situated in front

of Appellant; alterations had been made to front passenger seat; Appellant

became increasingly and unusually nervous as investigation of vehicle

progressed; rear passenger seat where Appellant sat was unlatched;

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Com. v. Hatchett, A., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/com-v-hatchett-a-pasuperct-2018.