Com. v. Moody, B.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedAugust 19, 2019
Docket2184 EDA 2018
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Moody, B. (Com. v. Moody, B.) 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. Moody, B., (Pa. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

J-S38009-19

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF : PENNSYLVANIA : v. : : : BRANDON NATHANIEL N. MOODY : : Appellant : No. 2184 EDA 2018

Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered June 13, 2018 In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0006659-2007

BEFORE: OTT, J., DUBOW, J., and COLINS, J.

MEMORANDUM BY OTT, J.: FILED AUGUST 19, 2019

Brandon Nathaniel N. Moody appeals, pro se, from the order entered

June 13, 2018, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, that

dismissed, without a hearing, his first petition filed pursuant to the Post

Conviction Relief Act (PCRA).1 Moody seeks relief from the judgment of

sentence of life, imposed upon his conviction of murder in the first degree,

criminal conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime (PIC).2 On

appeal, Moody claims that the PCRA court erred in: (1) dismissing his petition

____________________________________________

 Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

1 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 9541-9546.

2 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 2502(a), 903, and 907, respectively. J-S38009-19

without holding an evidentiary hearing; (2) conducting a Grazier hearing3

instead of an “irreconcilable differences” hearing; (3) not giving him the

opportunity to amend his PCRA petition; and (4) adopting counsel’s no-merit

letter.4 Moody’s Brief, at 4-5. Moody also contends that PCRA counsel was

ineffective for filing a defective no-merit letter and failing to file an amended

PCRA petition. Id. at 5. Based upon the following, we affirm.

This Court previously described the facts and procedural history of this

matter as follows:

The trial court opinion sets forth the relevant facts of this case as follows:

On July 2, 2006, at 2:16 A.M., Philadelphia police officers responded to a radio report of a shooting at 4052 N. 8th Street in North Philadelphia. The officers arriving at the scene saw a crowd gathered outside the Latin Club, a bar and dance club. Across the street from the Latin Club the officers found a man with a single gunshot wound to the head, still alive and lying in the street. A medic drove the man, a young Hispanic male later identified as Israel Rivera, to Temple University Hospital where he subsequently died. A ballistics expert, Mr. Lay, testified that the crime scene was consistent with the victim being shot from behind, based on the location of the decedent’s blood and the bullet casing in relation to the location of the decedent’s body.

At trial, the victim’s friend, Edwardo Figueroa testified that he was the decedent’s best friend and went with him to the Latin Club the night the shooting occurred. Mr. Figueroa was in line to enter the club when he ____________________________________________

3 See Commonwealth v. Grazier, 713 A.2d 81 (Pa. 1998).

4 For ease of disposition, we have reordered the issues in Moody’s brief.

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observed the decedent engaged in a verbal altercation with [[Moody] and his co-defendant, Eddie] Colon, who were in the back of the line. Mr. Figueroa intervened in the altercation, at which point [[Moody] and Mr. Colon] walked away from the club. Mr. Figueroa recognized Mr. Colon from their Hunting Park neighborhood.

At this point the decedent told Mr. Figueroa he did not want to enter the Latin Club and the two men walked away from the club. Soon thereafter, Mr. Figueroa heard the sound of footsteps running towards him and the decedent. Mr. Figueroa then saw Colon run up to and grab the decedent in a bear hug from behind and heard him say, “You're not going anywhere, Poppy.” After Colon grabbed the decedent, Mr. Figueroa saw [Moody] reach over Colon into the back of the victim’s head. Mr. Figueroa stood a few feet away as the decedent’s body went limp and. . .Colon let him fall to the ground. After shooting the decedent Mr. Figueroa heard [Moody] say, “[d]one deal” before he and Colon fled the area.

Mr. Figueroa also fled the scene out of fear [[Moody] and Mr. Colon] might try to shoot him. He ran to a friend’s house where he called 911 to report the shooting. Mr. Figueroa then went to Temple Hospital after learning the decedent had been taken there, and upon his arrival identified himself as a witness to the police who then took his statement.

A warrant was issued for [Moody’s] arrest. He turned himself into police approximately seven months from the date of the shooting.

(Trial Court Opinion, filed February 1, 2010, at 2-3) (internal citations omitted). On May 23, 2008, a jury convicted [Moody] of first degree murder, criminal conspiracy, and PIC. On July 9, 2008, the court imposed an aggregate sentence of life imprisonment. On July 23, 2008, [Moody] timely filed a pro se notice of appeal. On May 7, 2009, [Moody] filed a motion with this Court to proceed pro se, and on June 9, 2009, this Court ordered the trial court to conduct a hearing pursuant to [Grazier, supra]. On July 1, 2009, the court conducted a Grazier hearing,

-3- J-S38009-19

and on the same date, the court determined [Moody] had made a knowing, intelligent, and voluntary waiver of counsel, and permitted [him] to proceed pro se. On June 12, 2009, the court ordered [Moody] to file a concise statement of matters complained of on appeal, pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), which he filed on September 16, 2009.

Commonwealth v. Moody, No. 2279 EDA 2008, at 1-3 (Pa. Super. Feb. 10,

2011) (unpublished memorandum) (footnote omitted).

On February 10, 2011, this Court affirmed the judgment of sentence.

Commonwealth v. Moody, 24 A.3d 449 (Pa. Super. 2011). On November

14, 2011, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court denied leave to appeal.

Commonwealth v. Moody, 34 A.3d 828 (Pa. 2011).

On October 26, 2012, Moody timely filed a pro se PCRA petition, which

raised five issues.5 The PCRA court subsequently appointed counsel. On July

21, 2014, despite being represented by counsel, Moody, acting pro se, filed

an amended PCRA petition.6 On October 20, 2014, counsel moved to

5 PCRA counsel split Moody’s first claims of ineffective assistance of counsel into to two issues. See Petition for Post-Conviction Collateral Relief, 10/26/2012, at 3-8; Turner/Finley Letter, 10/20/14, at unnumbered page 2.

6This petition included the issues raised in Moody’s original PCRA petition as well as three additional claims regarding the alleged ineffectiveness of trial counsel. Amended Petition for Post-Conviction Collateral Relief, 7/21/2014, at 3-10.

-4- J-S38009-19

withdraw.7 On October 31, 2014, Moody filed an application for leave to file

a second amended PCRA petition and for appointment of new counsel.8

On May 18, 2015, the PCRA court held a Grazier hearing. At the

conclusion of the hearing, the court granted counsel’s request to withdraw and

permitted Moody to proceed pro se. On May 19, 2015, the PCRA court issued

a Pa.R.Crim.P. 907 notice of intent to dismiss the PCRA petition without a

hearing. Moody filed a pro se response on June 5, 2015, which raised a series

of challenges to PCRA counsel’s effectiveness and to the manner in which the

PCRA court handled his petition. On November 30, 2015, the PCRA court

directed former counsel to file a response to the claims raised in Moody’s

response to the Rule 907 notice. On January 4, 2016, counsel filed a second

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