Com. v. Williams, A., Jr.

CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedOctober 19, 2017
Docket2075 MDA 2016
StatusUnpublished

This text of Com. v. Williams, A., Jr. (Com. v. Williams, A., Jr.) 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. Williams, A., Jr., (Pa. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

J-S48023-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellee

v.

AARON S. WILLIAMS, JR.

Appellant No. 2075 MDA 2016

Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered November 3, 2016 In the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County Criminal Division at Nos: CP-22-CR-0004453-2013 and CP-22-CR-0004900- 2011

BEFORE: OTT, STABILE, and PLATT,* JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY STABILE, J.: FILED OCTOBER 19, 2017

Appellant, Aaron S. Williams, Jr., appeals pro se from the November 3,

2016 order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Dauphin County,

dismissing his petition for collateral relief filed pursuant to the Post

Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”), 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 9541-9546. Following

review, we vacate and remand for an evidentiary hearing.

Appellant was arrested on November 18, 2011 and was charged with

six counts including, inter alia, possession with intent to deliver (“PWID”)

and carrying a firearm without a license at Docket 4900-CR-2011. The

prosecution provided discovery materials to Appellant’s counsel on February

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court. J-S48023-17

6, 2012. At that time, the Commonwealth provided notice that the

Commonwealth might seek the applicable mandatory minimums for 42

Pa.C.S.A. § 9712.1, relating to certain drug offenses committed with

firearms, and 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 7508, relating to drug trafficking.

After numerous requests for continuance made by his counsel,

Appellant’s case finally proceeded to a plea hearing on September 8, 2014.

In the meantime, Appellant was arrested on July 13, 2013 and charged with

three counts including, inter alia, PWID at Docket 4453-CR-2013. That case

also proceeded to a plea hearing on September 8, 2014.

At the time of the plea hearing, the prosecution advised the trial court

that two additional dockets were being nol-prossed and that a plea

agreement had been reached for the remaining two dockets. At 4900-CR-

2011, Appellant would plead guilty to PWID and the firearms charge with the

remaining four counts being nol-prossed. At 4453-CR-2013, Appellant

would plead guilty to PWID with the remaining two counts being nol-

prossed. Notes of Testimony, Plea Hearing, 9/8/14, at 2-3. The overall

sentence agreed upon was five to ten years. Id.

Appellant testified that he had reviewed his written colloquy with

counsel. Id. at 3-4. On the first page of the written colloquy, “the

maximum punishment” was listed as ten years and a $25,000 fine along

with seven years and a $15,000 fine for Docket 4900-CR-2011, and ten

years and a $100,000 fine for Docket 4453-CR-2013. The “total maximum

-2- J-S48023-17

penalties” were 17 years and a $115,000 fine. Written Colloquy, 9/8/14, at

1. The prosecution requested that the written colloquy be made part of the

record. The trial court accepted Appellant’s guilty pleas and set October 10,

2014 for sentencing. Id. at 4-5.

No further activity is reflected on the docket prior to the October 10

sentencing hearing. At that time, the prosecution asked the court “to

impose the negotiated agreement of four and a half to ten years.” Notes of

Testimony, Sentencing Hearing, 10/8/14, at 2. The record does not reflect

any discussion or written information accounting for the change in the

minimum sentence, nor is there any explanation of how the minimum was

calculated. The transcript from the sentencing hearing reflects that the

maximum sentence of ten years is the result of the subsequent drug

trafficking conviction, doubling the five-year maximum that would otherwise

apply. Id. at 3.

The trial court set a delayed report date of January 2, 2015 and

explained to Appellant that his final sentence would be “closer to eight to

twenty” if he did not report as directed. Id. at 4-5. The court also advised

Appellant that a request to withdraw the plea after sentencing would be

denied. Id. at 4. Finally, Appellant would receive credit for time served by

future order of court. Id. at 6.

-3- J-S48023-17

Appellant did not file a direct appeal from the judgment of sentence.

The trial court issued an order on May 29, 2015, granting Appellant’s motion

for credit for time served.

Appellant filed a timely PCRA petition on July 6, 2015. In his petition,

Appellant asserted the following facts, which we repeat here verbatim in

relevant part:

On Sept. 8th 2014 counsel told me if I plea to drugs on that day, I wouldn’t be facing mandatory minimum of 5 to 10 under 42.9712.1a because plea will seperate drugs and gun, but if not then ill be facing guideline 42.9712.1a as stated in discovery. On October 10 2014 counsel told me that I was facing two mandatory minimum 5 to 10 under 18.7508(a)(3)(ii) as stated in discovery (CP-22-CR-001803-2012), but if I plea guilty to gun then D.A. agree to only give me a 4½ to 10 years, and make 00018-2012 go away.

PCRA Petition, 7/6/15, at 3, Section 5(A). Appellant raised additional

ineffectiveness claims, including counsel’s failure to request suppression of

evidence obtained as a result of a vehicle stop. Appellant contended that

the evidence was “fruit of the poisonous tree” because the vehicle charges

were dismissed. Id.

In his petition, Appellant identified two “matters” he wanted to assert.

Relevant here is the first matter identified: that his “[p]lea was unlawfully

induced because counsel gave erroneous advise (sic) on permissible range of

-4- J-S48023-17

sentence and duration.” Id. at 3, Section 5(C).1 Appellant asked that the

court consider various arguments and citations to authority. Appellant cited

four cases in his list of authorities: Commonwealth v. Newman, 99 A.3d

86 (Pa. Super. 2014) (en banc); Commonwealth v. Fennell, 105 A.3d 13

(Pa. Super. 2014); Commonwealth v. Cardwell, 105 A.3d 748 (Pa. Super.

2014); and Alleyne v. United States, 133 S.Ct. 2151 (2013). PCRA

Petition, 7/6/15, at 7, Section 14.

On July 21, 2015, the court appointed Attorney Wendy J.F. Grella as

PCRA counsel. After requesting and receiving five extensions to file a

supplemental petition, Attorney Grella instead filed a motion to withdraw on

February 11, 2016, pursuant to Turner/Finley.2 Based on her review,

counsel concluded that Appellant’s guilty plea was voluntary, knowing and

intelligent and noted that “at the time of the original sentencing hearing, the

sentence imposed on [Appellant] was not greater than the lawful maximum;

consequently, there is no issue concerning the legality of his sentence.” ____________________________________________

1 The second issue claimed his plea was unlawfully induced because of counsel’s failure to seek suppression of evidence. Id.

2 Commonwealth v. Turner, 544 A.2d 927 (Pa. 1988); Commonwealth v. Finley, 550 A.2d 213 (Pa. Super. 1988).

-5- J-S48023-17

Motion to Withdraw, 2/11/16, at ¶¶ 14 and 18. Attached to the motion was

counsel’s letter to Appellant advising that the claims asserted in his PCRA

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Related

Alleyne v. United States
133 S. Ct. 2151 (Supreme Court, 2013)
Commonwealth v. Hickman
799 A.2d 136 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2002)
Commonwealth v. Finley
550 A.2d 213 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Commonwealth v. Pitts
981 A.2d 875 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Commonwealth v. Springer
961 A.2d 1262 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)
Commonwealth v. D'Amato
856 A.2d 806 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Commonwealth v. Strong
761 A.2d 1167 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2000)
Commonwealth v. Turner
544 A.2d 927 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Commonwealth v. Yeomans
24 A.3d 1044 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2011)
Commonwealth v. Flood
627 A.2d 1193 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1993)
Commonwealth v. Paddy
15 A.3d 431 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2011)
Commonwealth v. Newman
99 A.3d 86 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)
Commonwealth v. Fennell
105 A.3d 13 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)
Commonwealth v. Cardwell
105 A.3d 748 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)
Commonwealth v. Burton
121 A.3d 1063 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2015)
Commonwealth v. Wah
42 A.3d 335 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2012)
Commonwealth v. Prendes
97 A.3d 337 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2014)

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