Commonwealth v. Burrell

18 Pa. D. & C.5th 225
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedNovember 9, 2010
Docketno. 310/2007
StatusPublished

This text of 18 Pa. D. & C.5th 225 (Commonwealth v. Burrell) 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. Burrell, 18 Pa. D. & C.5th 225 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2010).

Opinion

BANACH, J.,

On December 6, 2007, the above-captioned appellant pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to deliver,1 one count of receiving stolen property2 and one count of fleeing or attempting to elude police.3 On that same date, the appellant was sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, a lab-user fee, and undergo two years of probation supervision. On December 13, 2007, the sentence was amended to include restitution in the amount of $600.00.

On June 28,2010, the appellant filed a Post-Conviction Relief Act petition. In the petition, the appellant seeks to have the guilty pleas and corresponding sentences previously imposed set aside so that he may proceed to trial on the charges associated with this case. He alleges that his constitutional rights were violated by prior counsel at the time of the guilty plea and sentencing, in that prior counsel “completely failed to investigate and determine and/or correctly determine the residency status of the appellant” and that this failure to investigate led to counsel’s failure to advise the appellant of the possible consequences of pleading guilty regarding his immigration status. See app. PCRA, ¶14. The commonwealth filed a response to the appellant’s PCRA [227]*227petition. In the response, the commonwealth argues that the court no longer has jurisdiction to hear the appellant’s claims under the PCRA.

A hearing in this matter was held on August 20, 2010. At the hearing, the commonwealth asserted that the appellant lacked jurisdiction to proceed under the PCRA statute due to the fact that the appellant (a) was no longer incarcerated and/or under parole or probation supervision on the instant case and (b) that the PCRA was not filed within one year of the date the judgment became final. New counsel, attorney Michael Gough4, for the appellant argued that because the appellant was now incarcerated due to the immigration issue surrounding his case, a collateral consequence of his guilty pleas, and in light of the recent decision in Padilla v. Kentucky, 599 U.S. _, 130 S.Ct. 1473 (2010), he ought to be permitted to file a PCRA Petition and have it heard by this court.

At the conclusion of the PCRA hearing, the court determined that the appellant lacked jurisdiction to proceed under the PCRA due to the fact that (a) he was not currently incarcerated or under supervision and (b) the petition was filed too late. The court dismissed his PCRA petition. This appeal follows.

SUMMARY OF THE FACTS

On January 10, 2007, Trooper James Ford of the Pennsylvania State Police was conducting a routine [228]*228patrol on Interstate 78 in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He observed a green 2006 KIA Spoilage make an unsafe turn, almost colliding with a tractor trailer. Trooper Ford initiated a traffic stop by turning on his lights and siren and pulling behind the KIA. The operator of the KIA disregarded the visual and auditoiy signals and continued to travel away from the trooper. The KIA exited the highway at the intersection of 1-78 and Route 100. The KIA entered the Windsor Business Complex, followed by Trooper Ford. In the business park, the appellant (the operator of the vehicle) and the passenger jumped out of the vehicle and fled. Trooper Ford called additional units and the appellant was eventually apprehended a short while later.

During the investigation, the KIA Sportage was determined to belong to Karolyn Smart and was stolen out of the state of New York. Once taken into custody, the state police received consent to search the vehicle and discovered 220 grams of marijuana under the spare tire in the trunk.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

The appellant filed a PCRA petition on June 28, 2010. In the petition, he alleges that the guilty plea and sentencing of December 6, 2007 ought to be set aside due to the fact that his previous attorney provided ineffective assistance of counsel such that his constitutional rights were violated. Specifically, the appellant accuses prior counsel of failing to investigate and determine correctly his residency status and failing to advise him of the possible consequences of pleading guilty on his immigration status. He further suggests that prior counsel failed by not [229]*229having the appellant consult with immigration counsel and that counsel failed to engage in “informed consideration of deportation consequences with the prosecution.” See app. PCRA, ¶ 14.

In its response, the commonwealth argues that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the appellant’s PCRA petition. The commonwealth argues that pursuant to 42 Pa.Con. Stat. §9543 (A)(1)(i), a petitioner must be “currently serving a sentence of imprisonment, probation or parole for the crime,” which the appellant is not. The court has reviewed the record in the instant case and agrees that the appellant filed his PCRA petition over six (6) months after he was released from supervision. Therefore, because he has not met the terms of 42 Pa.Con.Stat. §9543 (A)(1)(i), the court has no jurisdiction in this matter.

Next, the commonwealth argues that the appellant’s PCRA petition is untimely pursuant to 42 Pa.Con.Stat. §9545 (b)(1), which states that a PCRA petition “shall be filed within one year of the date the judgment becomes final” unless an exception is proven by the petitioner. It is clear that the appellant did not file his PCRA within one year of the date his sentence became final. “[T]he courts of this Commonwealth lack jurisdiction to grant PCRA relief when a PCRA petition is filed in an untimely manner.” Commonwealth v. Padden, 783 A.2d 299, 306 (Pa.Super. 2001).

Therefore, the court must consider whether the appellant is able to prove an exception to the one-year time limit. See Commonwealth v. Bronshtein, 561 Pa. 611, 752 A.2d 868, 871 (Pa. 2000) (stating that it is the petitioner’s burden to plead and prove that one of the exceptions applies). These [230]*230exceptions are:

i) the failure to raise the claim previously was the result of interference by government officials with the presentation of the claim in violation of the constitution or laws of this Commonwealth or the constitution or laws of the United States;
(ii) the facts upon which the claim is predicated were unknown to the petitioner and could not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence; or
(iii) the right asserted is a constitutional right that was recognized by the Supreme Court of the United States or the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania after the time period provided in this section and has been held by that court to apply retroactively. Icl. at (b)(1)(i-iii).

Furthermore, a petitioner is required to invoke one of these exceptions “within 60 days of the date the claim could have been presented.” Id. at (b)(2).

While the appellant failed to address any of the time bar issues in his petition, the court does not find that he would have been able to meet any of the exceptions noted in the statute.

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Related

Padilla v. Kentucky
559 U.S. 356 (Supreme Court, 2010)
Strickland v. Washington
466 U.S. 668 (Supreme Court, 1984)
Commonwealth v. Padden
783 A.2d 299 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2001)
Commonwealth v. Bronshtein
752 A.2d 868 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2000)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
18 Pa. D. & C.5th 225, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-burrell-pactcompllehigh-2010.