Commonwealth v. Bartholomew

48 Pa. D. & C.5th 508
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedJune 19, 2015
DocketNo. CR-599/2014
StatusPublished

This text of 48 Pa. D. & C.5th 508 (Commonwealth v. Bartholomew) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Bartholomew, 48 Pa. D. & C.5th 508 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2015).

Opinion

STEINBERG, J.,

The defendant, Scott Bartholomew, is charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition, Theft by Failure to Make Required Disposition of Funds Received, Receiving Stolen Property, and Dealing in Proceeds of Unlawful Activities.1 It is alleged that the defendant misappropriated large sums of money from his elderly uncle, Wilbur Stiles.

[510]*510On April 10, 2014, counsel for the defendant filed an “Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion For Relief,” which contained seventy-seven (77) paragraphs, and was divided into fifteen (15) separate subsections. Counsel also filed an “Addendum To Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion For Relief’ on February 24, 2015. Hearings were held on those motions, which could be characterized broadly as claims relating to the following: (1) Motion to Dismiss — Statute of Limitations;2 (2) Habeas Corpus;3 (3) Motion To Suppress Physical Evidence;4 (4) Motion To Suppress Physical Evidence — Chain of Custody;5 (5) Motion To Suppress Statements;6 (6) Motion To Suppress Information In Toto;7 (7) Motion In Limine;8 (8) Lack of Jurisdiction — Detective Renee Castellani;9 (9) Lack of Jurisdiction — transactions outside Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.10 Many of the claims were resolved during hearings held in this matter,11 and this Opinion will only address the Motion To Suppress Statements, Habeas Corpus, and Statute of Limitations claims.

[511]*511I. Motion To Suppress Statements

A. Statements to Detective Castellani

Detective Renee Castellani is employed by the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, and is assigned to the Elder Abuse Unit of the Special Victims Division. During the month of July, 2012, she received a referral from their Area Agency on Aging pertaining to Wilbur Stiles. On July 30, 2012, as part of her investigation, the defendant was interviewed at the Lackawanna District Attorney’s Office. The defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and he executed a Rights Warning and Waiver form.12 The defendant told Detective Castellani that he moved in with his uncle, Wilbur Stiles, in 2003, due to his uncle’s health issues. The same year, they met with a lawyer and the defendant was named power of attorney for Wilbur Stiles.13 The defendant claimed that he did not use the power of attorney until 2008, when his uncle was having difficulty writing checks. He told Detective Castellani that he did not read the power of attorney and failed to comply with the agreement.14 In that regard, the defendant admitted that Mr. Stiles’ money was used to support both himself and his wife.15

The interview with the defendant lasted approximately forty-five (45) minutes. At the conclusion of the interview, the defendant departed without arrest.16

[512]*512B. Statements to Lieutenant Sorrentino

On December 10, 2012, Lieutenant Sorrentino spoke to the defendant about Joan Bartholomew, the defendant’s mother, who was a resident at Cedarbrook.17 The interview took place at the South Whitehall Police Headquarters and lasted approximately 30 — 40 minutes.18

During the discussion, the defendant told Lieutenant Sorrentino that he was also the power of attorney for Wilbur Stiles. Lieutenant Sorrentino knew nothing about Wilbur Stiles until the defendant mentioned him in their discussion.19 Their conversation concerning Wilbur Stiles was limited and relatively innocuous, and at its conclusion, the defendant departed the police station.

C. Discussion

The defendant contends that his interview with Detective Castellani was not preceded by Miranda warnings. In fact, Detective Castellani testified that the defendant was advised of his Miranda rights and executed a Rights Warning and Waiver document.20 No evidence to the contrary was presented at the suppression hearing.

Lieutenant Sorrentino, during his interview with the defendant, did not advise him of his Miranda warnings. He was not required to do so because the defendant was not subject to custodial interrogation. Miranda warnings are only required as part of a custodial interrogation. Commonwealth v. Housman, 986 A.2d 822, 839 (Pa. 2009). Custodial interrogation has been defined as [513]*513“questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person has been taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his [or her] freedom of action in any significant way.” Commonwealth v. Mannion, 725 A.2d 196, 200 (Pa. Super. 1999); see also Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 979 A.2d 879, 887-888 (Pa. Super. 2009) quoting Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 444 (1996). The United States Supreme Court has stated the “ultimate inquiry is...whether there [was] a ‘formal arrest or restraint on freedom of movement’ of the degree associated with a formal arrest.” Commonwealth v. Boczkowski, 846 A.2d 75,90 (Pa. 2004) quoting Stansbury v. California, 511 U.S. 318, 322 (1994).

“The standard for determining whether an encounter with the police is deemed ‘custodial’ ... is an objective one based on a totality of the circumstances with due consideration given to the reasonable impression conveyed to the person interrogated.” Commonwealth v. Johnson, 42 A.3d 1017, 1028 (Pa. 2012); Commonwealth v. Busch, 713 A.2d 97, 99 (Pa. Super. 1998). It was explained in further detail in Stansbury, “that the initial determination of custody depends on the objective circumstances of the interrogation, not on the subjective views harbored by either the interrogating officers or the person being questioned.” Stansbury v. California, 511 U.S. at 322-323. In Commonwealth v. Baker, 24 A.3d 1006, 1019-1020 (Pa. Super. 2011) citing Commonwealth v. Mannion, 725 A.2d at 200, the following factors were identified to determine under the totality of the circumstances whether a detention has become so coercive to constitute the functional equivalent of an arrest:

[T]he basis for the detention; its length; its location; whether the suspect was transported against his or her [514]*514will, how far, and why; whether restraints were used; whether the law enforcement officer showed, threatened or used force; and the investigative methods employed to confirm or dispel suspicions.

Id.; see also Commonwealth v. Williams,

Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Stansbury v. California
511 U.S. 318 (Supreme Court, 1994)
Howes v. Fields
132 S. Ct. 1181 (Supreme Court, 2012)
Commonwealth v. Barnhart
722 A.2d 1093 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1998)
Commonwealth v. Mannion
725 A.2d 196 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1999)
Commonwealth v. Lark
477 A.2d 857 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1984)
Commonwealth v. Gonzalez
979 A.2d 879 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Commonwealth v. Housman
986 A.2d 822 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2009)
Commonwealth v. James
863 A.2d 1179 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Commonwealth v. Lark
543 A.2d 491 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1988)
Commonwealth v. Busch
713 A.2d 97 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1998)
Commonwealth v. Jones
683 A.2d 1181 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)
Commonwealth v. Watkins
750 A.2d 308 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2000)
Commonwealth v. Williams
941 A.2d 14 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2008)
Commonwealth v. Wojdak
466 A.2d 991 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Commonwealth v. Hawkins
439 A.2d 748 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1982)
Commonwealth v. Fisher
682 A.2d 811 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1996)

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Bluebook (online)
48 Pa. D. & C.5th 508, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-bartholomew-pactcompllehigh-2015.