Com. v. Johnson, F.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 13, 2015
Docket1073 WDA 2014
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Johnson, F. (Com. v. Johnson, F.) 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. Johnson, F., (Pa. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

J-S09021-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellee

v.

FRANK JOHNSON,

Appellant No. 1073 WDA 2014

Appeal from the PCRA Order June 9, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-02-CR-0018920-2008

BEFORE: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E., BOWES, and ALLEN, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.: FILED MARCH 13, 2015

Frank Johnson appeals from the order entered June 9, 2014, denying

his PCRA petition. After careful review, we vacate and remand for additional

proceedings.

On August 2, 2011, a jury found Appellant guilty of two counts of

possession with intent to deliver (“PWID”) cocaine, possession of cocaine,

possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a small amount of

marijuana, and criminal conspiracy to commit PWID. The court imposed

sentence on October 17, 2011. Based on 18 Pa.C.S. § 7508, a drug

mandatory minimum statute relating to prior convictions and the weight of

the drugs involved, the court imposed a five to ten year sentence on one

count of PWID. The court further imposed a consecutive two and one-half to J-S09021-15

five year sentence for the conspiracy charge. In addition, the court awarded

Appellant 453 days of credit for time served.

Appellant filed a timely post-sentence motion and trial counsel also

sought to withdraw. Trial counsel was permitted to withdraw and substitute

counsel was appointed and filed a modified post-sentence motion. The trial

court denied that motion and Appellant timely appealed. This Court affirmed

the judgment of sentence. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 63 A.3d 820

(Pa.Super. 2012) (unpublished memorandum). Thereafter, Appellant sought

review with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which denied his petition for

allowance of appeal on April 30, 2013. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 65

A.3d 413 (Pa. 2013).

Appellant timely filed a pro se PCRA petition on July 22, 2013. The

PCRA court promptly appointed PCRA counsel on July 24, 2013, and directed

counsel to file an amended petition. Initial PCRA counsel withdrew as a

result of a conflict of interest, and the court appointed substitute counsel.

New PCRA counsel then filed an amended petition arguing that Appellant’s

sentence was illegal based on Alleyne v. United States, 133 S.Ct. 2151

(2013), a decision filed after Appellant’s trial, sentencing, and this Court’s

decision on direct appeal. Specifically, Appellant alleged that his sentence

was illegal because the jury did not determine the weight of the cocaine that

triggered application of the mandatory sentence. The Commonwealth filed a

response, and the PCRA court issued a Pa.R.Crim.P. 907 notice of dismissal

-2- J-S09021-15

on May 7, 2014. The PCRA court entered a final order denying Appellant’s

petition on May 28, 2014. New counsel was appointed on June 30, 2014,

and this timely appeal followed.

The PCRA court directed Appellant to file and serve a Pa.R.A.P.

1925(b) concise statement of errors complained of on appeal. Appellant

complied, and the PCRA court authored its opinion. The matter is now ready

for this Court’s review. Appellant raises three issues for this Court’s

consideration.

1. Whether Defendant is entitled to additional credit for the period of February 12 to 27, 2009 because he was detained for that period on account of the instant matter and the period of February 28, 2009 to April 15, 2009 because he was detained for probation violation proceedings based, in part, upon the new charges in the instant matter and where credit for either of those periods was not applied to any other case/matter?

2. Whether the sentence imposed was illegal as the jury did not find beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was in possession of more than 10 but less than 100 grams of cocaine as required under the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Alleyne v. United States, --- U.S. -- -, 133 S.Ct. 2151 (2013)?

3. Whether the decision in Alleyne v. United States, --- U.S. - --, 133 S.Ct. 2151 (2013) applies retroactively to cases on collateral review?

Appellant’s brief at 3.

Appellant’s initial challenge is to the court’s failure to award credit for

time served from February 12, 2009 to April 15, 2009. Claims related to

credit for time served for periods spent incarcerated prior to sentencing have

-3- J-S09021-15

been held to relate to the legality of one’s sentence. Commonwealth v.

Hollawell, 604 A.2d 723 (Pa.Super. 1992); Commonwealth v. Beck, 848

A.2d 987 (Pa.Super. 2004); Commonwealth v. Davis, 852 A.2d 392

(Pa.Super. 2004). Accordingly, the issue, if raised in a timely PCRA matter,

is non-waivable. Commonwealth v. Fahy, 737 A.2d 214, 223 (Pa. 1999).

Since the question is one of law, our standard of review is de novo and our

scope of review is plenary. Commonwealth v. Pander, 100 A.3d 626, 630

(Pa.Super. 2014) (en banc).

Appellant argues that from February 12, 2009 until February 27, 2009,

he was incarcerated as a result of the charges in the instant case. He

continues that from February 28, 2009 until April 15, 2009, he was detained

for a probation violation based, in part, on the charges in this case.

Importantly, Appellant maintains that he did not receive credit for these

periods at any other case.

The PCRA court opined that Appellant had received credit for these

periods in separate contempt matters, citing four family division cases.

However, Appellant disputes that contention, and the Commonwealth

candidly acknowledges that the current record does not adequately indicate

that Appellant was awarded credit at either this case or the cases referenced

-4- J-S09021-15

by the PCRA court.1 Since Appellant has raised an issue of material fact, and

we are unable to discern from the certified record whether the issue has no

merit, we remand for the PCRA court to conduct a hearing to clarify and

make a record as to whether Appellant is entitled to credit for the periods

mentioned. See Pa.R.Crim.P. 908(A)(2).

Appellant’s second and third issues are interrelated as they both

concern the United States Supreme Court decision in Alleyne, supra. In

Alleyne, the High Court held that the constitutional jury trial right requires

any fact, other than a prior conviction, that triggers a mandatory minimum

sentence, be proven beyond a reasonable doubt before a jury.

Subsequently, this Court, though recognizing the distinction between a jury

trial right claim and illegal sentencing issues, opined that an Alleyne claim

can implicate the illegal sentencing paradigm. Commonwealth v. Watley,

81 A.3d 108 (Pa.Super. 2013) (en banc).

In addition, in a host of other decisions from this Court, involving

direct appeals, we have found that Alleyne issues are non-waivable illegal

sentencing claims. Commonwealth v. Ferguson, 2015 PA Super 1;

Commonwealth v. Wolfe, 2014 PA Super 288; Commonwealth v.

Fennell, 2014 PA Super 261, Commonwealth v. Cardwell, 2014 PA Super

____________________________________________

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