Com. v. Lee, A.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 3, 2020
Docket56 EDA 2018
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Lee, A. (Com. v. Lee, 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. Lee, A., (Pa. Ct. App. 2020).

Opinion

J-S59041-19

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : ADOLPH LEE : : Appellant : No. 56 EDA 2018

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered July 13, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0013290-2014

BEFORE: LAZARUS, J., NICHOLS, J., and McLAUGHLIN, J.

MEMORANDUM BY McLAUGHLIN, J.: FILED MARCH 03, 2020

Adolph1 Lee appeals the judgment of sentence entered after a jury found

him guilty of three counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled

substance (“PWID”).2 We affirm.

Philadelphia Police Officers used a confidential informant (“CI”) to

engage in drug transactions involving Lee. Prior to each transaction, the CI

called a telephone number in the presence of officers, asked for “Adolph” and

asked to purchase drugs. Officers observed Lee coming out of a house in

Southwest Philadelphia, or standing on the sidewalk right in front of the house,

during each transaction. Following each transaction, the CI returned to the

____________________________________________

1 In his brief to this Court, Lee spells his first name with an “f,” i.e., “Adolf.” However, the certified record, the Commonwealth, and the trial court use the spelling ending in “ph,” “Adolph,” as appears in the caption. Because no one contends that the “ph” spelling is incorrect, we use that spelling. 2 35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(30). J-S59041-19

officers with Xanax pills; following one purchase, the CI returned with

marijuana as well.

On another occasion, the CI arranged to purchase a firearm from Lee.

After a phone call and meeting with Lee, the CI returned with a firearm and

ammunition. After a final drug purchase from the CI, officers arrested Lee and

recovered $851 in cash; a cell phone that had the same number as the CI had

called to arrange the transactions; and keys that fit the front door of the house

in Southwest Philadelphia. Police officers executed a search warrant on the

house and recovered a loaded firearm.

The Commonwealth charged Lee with five counts of PWID as well as

numerous other offenses: one count each of possession of a controlled

substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, firearms not to be carried

without a license, carrying firearms on public streets or public property in

Philadelphia, possessing firearm with altered manufacturer’s number,

possessing instruments of crime, and criminal use of communication facility;

two counts of persons not to possess firearms; three counts of sale or transfer

of firearms; and five counts of criminal conspiracy.3 Lee’s co-conspirator, Kyle

Pressley, was also charged, and was listed for a joint trial with Lee. Pressley

entered a negotiated guilty plea before trial.

The jury found Lee guilty of three counts of PWID and one count of

possession of a controlled substance, but acquitted him of all other charges. ____________________________________________

335 P.S. §§ 780-113(a)(16), (32); 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 6106(a), 6108, 6110.2(a), 907, 7512(a), 6105(a), 6111(g)(1) & (2), and 903(a), respectively.

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The trial court sentenced Lee to nine to 18 years’ incarceration. This timely

appeal followed.

Lee asks this Court to review the following claims:

1. The [t]rial [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, because the evidence was insufficient to convict him of the charges against him. The evidence was insufficient to convict [Lee] of Possession with the Intent to Deliver, because the evidence presented was insufficient to prove [Lee] supplied any illegal narcotics to the confidential informant, nor that [Lee] possessed any pre-recorded buy money, or possessed any illegal narcotics at any relevant time.

2. The [t]rial [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the due process guaranteed to him by State and federal Constitutions, because the verdict was against the weight of the evidence.

3. The pre-trial [c]ourt erred in denying [Lee’s] request that an alleged confidential informant who was known to [Lee] at the time of trial and interviewed by [Lee], be labeled a material witness and [o]rdered to appeal at trial.

4. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, when the [c]ourt precluded [Lee] from calling a witness essential to [Lee’s] defense. The [c]ourt committed a further error in said denial, after a Court of Common Pleas Judge of equal jurisdiction ruled, prior to trial, that said witness could be called and interviewed by [Lee].

5. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, in denying [Lee’s] request for a mistrial, when the prosecution disobeyed a direct Court Order not to tamper with trial evidence, namely the alleged cellular phone of [Lee], after the commencement of trial. In addition, it was reversible error when the [c]ourt prohibited [Lee] from powering on the alleged cellular phone of [Lee] at trial.

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6. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, by permitting the Commonwealth to argue to the [j]ury, that the [j]ury could consider evidence of crimes, drug and firearm offenses, that [Lee] was not charged with, when seeking a verdict in the instant matter; and subsequently advising the [j]ury of the same.

7. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, when it instructed the Commonwealth and permitted same to provide Detective Mangold and Police Officer Jason Yerges with specific language to offer as testimony before the [j]ury, solely based on Detective Mangold’s and Officer Yerges’ previous answers on direct examination.

8. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, in denying [Lee’s] motion in limine requesting the preclusion of the hearsay testimony offered for the truth by Philadelphia Police Officer Jason Yerges, specifically but not limited to the out of [c]ourt averments of confidential informant #1480.

9. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, when instructing the [j]ury on the premise of constructive possession as [Lee] was charged solely with the alleged conduct of an observed exchange of narcotics.

10. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, when instructing the [j]ury to consider evidence of items and evidence of charges that were dismissed at the preliminary hearing during deliberation.

11. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, by sustaining an unwarranted Batson challenge by the Commonwealth; and denying same as to [Lee].

12. The [c]ourt erred and denied [Lee] the Due Process guaranteed to him by State and Federal Constitutions, by refusing to answer the [j]ury’s question during

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deliberations as to whether [Lee’s] key worked the front door of the target residence.

Lee’s Br. at 1-3.

SUFFICIENCY AND WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE

Lee’s statement of the questions involved includes the assertion that the

evidence was insufficient and the verdict was against the weight of the

evidence. See Lee’s Br. at 1. However, he fails to develop or mention either

issue in the argument section of his brief. He therefore has waived review of

these claims.

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Com. v. Lee, A., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/com-v-lee-a-pasuperct-2020.