Commonwealth v. Clifton

414 A.2d 686, 272 Pa. Super. 95, 1979 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3191
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedNovember 16, 1979
DocketNo. 283 Special Transfer Docket
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 414 A.2d 686 (Commonwealth v. Clifton) 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
Commonwealth v. Clifton, 414 A.2d 686, 272 Pa. Super. 95, 1979 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3191 (Pa. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

Zebbie Clifton, appellant, was tried and convicted by a jury in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia of [98]*98murder of the first degree, aggravated robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses. Judgment of sentence of life imprisonment was imposed on the murder conviction,1 and this appeal followed.

This was Clifton’s second conviction of the same charges. The first convictions were voided and set aside because of ineffective trial counsel. Prior to the second trial, during which Clifton was represented by new counsel, he moved to have the charges dismissed on the ground of double jeopardy. The trial court denied the motion and this ruling is the first assignment of error. The motion to dismiss the charges was properly denied. Commonwealth v. Thomas, 448 Pa. 42, 292 A.2d 352 (1972).

Next, Clifton argues the admission into evidence of statements given by him to police was error because the statements were obtained in violation of Pa.R.Crim.P. 130, see Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972), and because they were involuntarily given.

With regard to the Futch claim, the facts are as follows: Clifton was arrested in New York City on a fugitive warrant. On October 2, 1973 at 10:20 a. m., he waived extradition and was taken into custody by Philadelphia police. He arrived at the Police Administration Building in Philadelphia at 12:15 p. m. on the same day. At 12:40 p. m., he was advised of his constitutional rights which he indicated he understood and waived. Clifton then gave a statement to police which an officer reduced to writing. The writing was completed at 2:15 p. m. and read and signed by Clifton. In this “informal statement,” Clifton incriminated himself. Between 2:15 p. m. and 4:35 p. m., Clifton was taken to a men’s room, given a meal and cigarettes, and left alone. At 4:35 p. m., Clifton gave a “formal statement” which was typewritten. He finished the statement, read it, and signed it at 7:00 p. m. He was arraigned at 10:00 p. m.

The relevant period in examining a Futch claim is between arrest and incrimination, Commonwealth v. Boone, 467 Pa. 168, 354 A.2d 898 (1975); Commonwealth v. Rowe, [99]*99459 Pa. 163, 327 A.2d 358 (1974), and, where, as here, the second statement is essentially the same as the prior statement, the time the prior statement is given governs. Commonwealth v. Boone, supra; Commonwealth v. Rowe, supra. Accordingly, the period involved instantly is two hours and twenty minutes. Further, one hour and fifty-five minutes of that period was needed to transport Clifton to the Philadelphia Police Administration Building, and, accordingly, was not unnecessary delay. Commonwealth v. Starks, 484 Pa. 399, 399 A.2d 353 (1979). Hence, the relevant period is a mere twenty-five minutes. Clearly, there was no violation of Pa.R.Crim.P. 130 or of Futch. Commonwealth v. Boone, supra.

With regard to the voluntariness claim, the issue, as presented, is waived. In supplemental post-verdict motions, Clifton asserted the suppression court erred in denying the motion to suppress. The post-verdict motion court reviewed the suppression court’s order and expressed agreement with its findings of fact and conclusions of law with respect to voluntariness. Now Clifton seeks to argue that testimony given at trial, not at the suppression hearing, by a psychologist established he was mentally incapable of knowingly and intelligently waiving his rights prior to giving the statements to police. This particular issue was not raised in post-verdict motions nor considered by the court, and, accordingly, it is waived. Commonwealth v. Blair, 460 Pa. 31, 331 A.2d 213 (1975).

Next, Clifton argues the trial court erred “when it repeatedly overruled [his] objection to irrelevant and prejudicial testimony of the deceased’s nephew, Arthur S. Salus, Esquire.” A recount of the relevant testimony is necessary:

Salus testified that he knew the victim, Dr. Fellman since he was a child and that he was a second or third cousin of the victim. An objection was entered and overruled to a question about whether Salus knew the victim on a professional basis. Salus answered the victim took care of his, his wife’s, his children’s, and most of the cousins’ glasses “as did his [the victim’s] father and uncle before.” An objection was entered and overruled to a question about how long [100]*100“the Fellman family” owned the property where the business at which the victim was killed was run. Salus answered he did not know exactly but the victim’s father and uncle had run an optometry business there since “1898 or thereabouts.” An objection was then entered and sustained to a question about whether the victim had served in the military. Salus then testified that he saw the victim alive and well three weeks before his death when he was getting glasses; that his physical condition at the time included several ailments which would never be cured; and, that he could work all day, but was on “complete retirement from the military as a result of a slight heart attack and of battle wounds.” An objection was entered and overruled. Salus then testified that he saw the victim at the hospital on the night he was shot and at the medical examiner’s and that, at the medical examiner’s, the victim “looked perfectly normal except for a tremendous hold in his head between his eyes.” An objection and move to strike was entered; the court struck “tremendous” only and counsel made no further request. Salus was then asked if he could identify a photograph of a gun; he responded that it was a certain type and that the victim was a collector of guns. An objection was entered and sustained. Salus then said the gun was sold as part of the estate. The court then asked if Salus could identify the photo; he did so. Salus then testified he first saw the gun at the victim’s “place” and sold it with the “rest of the guns.” The court instructed the estate was “not before the jury” and asked when the witness first saw the gun. Salus responded he “filed a petition with your court for reclamation of the gun after the first trial concluded.” Counsel objected and moved to strike. The court sustained the objection, struck the testimony, and questioned the witness on relevant matters. Salus then concluded his direct testimony without incident.

Clifton argues all of Salus’ testimony was “manifestly improper and prejudicial,” citing Commonwealth v. Story, 476 Pa. 391, 383 A.2d 155 (1978).

First, the most damaging statement, i. e. regarding a prior trial, was stricken. Counsel requested nor further [101]*101relief, and, hence, that remark may not now be considered as a basis for reversal. Commonwealth v. Glenn, 459 Pa. 545, 330 A.2d 535 (1974). The same reasoning applies to the references to a “tremendous hold,” a collector of guns, and an estate. But, Clifton seeks to avoid Commonwealth v. Glenn,

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
414 A.2d 686, 272 Pa. Super. 95, 1979 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3191, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-clifton-pasuperct-1979.