Commonwealth v. Crosby

568 A.2d 233, 390 Pa. Super. 140, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 5
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 3, 1990
Docket405
StatusPublished
Cited by35 cases

This text of 568 A.2d 233 (Commonwealth v. Crosby) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme 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. Crosby, 568 A.2d 233, 390 Pa. Super. 140, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 5 (Pa. 1990).

Opinions

ROWLEY, Judge:

This is an appeal from a judgment of sentence, following appellant’s guilty plea to two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, which imposed a period of incarceration to be followed by a period of probation. As a condition of probation, the trial court sua sponte ordered that the appellant’s truck, which he was driving at the time of the two incidents in issue, be forfeited. Appellant asserts that there is no authority permitting forfeiture of a vehicle involved in the crime of driving under the influence as a condition of probation. Appellant also argues that because the order of forfeiture was sua sponte, no procedures were followed to establish that the truck was derivative contraband, as found by the trial court. Finally, appellant argues that there is no statutory authority for the forfeiture in this case, and in the absence of statutory authority, there can be no forfeiture of derivative contraband in Pennsylvania. Upon full consideration of the record, the arguments of the parties, and the trial court’s opinion, we affirm the judg[143]*143ment of sentence in part and vacate it in part, and remand for further proceedings.

I. FORFEITURE AS CONDITION OF PROBATION

The trial court asserted, and the Commonwealth argues, that the forfeiture of appellant’s truck as a condition of probation is authorized by 42 Pa.C.S. § 9754(c)(7) and (13). With regard to an order of probation, § 9754(b) provides:

(b) Conditions generally. — -The court shall attach such of the reasonable conditions authorized by subsection (c) of this section as it deems necessary to insure or assist the defendant in leading a law-abiding life.

Section (c) then provides as follows:

(e) Specific conditions. — -The court may as a condition of its order require the defendant:
(1) To meet his family responsibilities.
(2) To devote himself to a specific occupation or employment.
(2.1) To participate in a public or nonprofit community service program unless the defendant was convicted of murder, rape, aggravated assault, arson, theft by extortion, terroristic threats, robbery or kidnapping.
(3) To undergo available medical or psychiatric treatment and to enter and remain in a specified institution, when required for that purpose.
(4) To pursue a prescribed secular course of study or vocational training.
(5) To attend or reside in a facility established for the instruction, recreation, or residence of persons on probation.
(6) To refrain from frequenting unlawful or disreputable places or consorting with disreputable persons.
(7) To have in his possession no firearm or other dangerous weapon unless granted written permission.
[144]*144(8) To make restitution of the fruits of his crime or to make reparations, in an amount he can afford to pay, for the loss or damage caused thereby.
(9) To remain within the jurisdiction of the court and to notify the court or the probation officer of any change in his address or his employment.
(10) To report as directed to the court or the probation officer and to permit the probation officer to visit his home.
(11) To pay such fine as has been imposed.
(12) To participate in drug and alcohol treatment programs.
(13) To satisfy any other condition reasonably related to the rehabilitation of the defendant and not unduly restrictive of his liberty or incompatible with his freedom of conscience.

These enumerated specific conditions of probation authorized by § 9754 can all be classified as behavioral restrictions or conditions. They relate to the manner in which the probationer is either restricted from acting or is directed to act. That the specific conditions of probation authorized in § 9754, including subsection (c)(7), are behavioral conditions, directed at rehabilitation of a defendant, and are not punitive, has been emphasized by the Supreme Court. In Commonwealth v. Quinlan, 488 Pa. 255, 412 A.2d 494 (1980), the Court stated:

Parole and probation are established variations on the imprisonment of convicted criminals and are primarily concerned with the rehabilitation and restoration to a useful life of the parolee or probationer.

Id., 488 Pa. at 258, 412 A.2d at 496. Similarly, in Commonwealth v. Walton, 483 Pa. 588, 397 A.2d 1179 (1979), the Court stated:

[Conditions of probation, though significant restrictions on the offender’s freedom, are primarily aimed at effecting, as a constructive alternative to imprisonment, his rehabilitation and réintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen; courts therefore are traditionally and properly invested with a broader measure of discretion in fash[145]*145ioning conditions of probation appropriate to the circumstances of the individual case.

Id., 483 Pa. at 598, 397 A.2d at 1184 (footnote omitted).

Not only are the conditions of probation authorized by § 9754(c) directed toward the rehabilitation of a defendant’s behavior, but other than § 9754(c)(8) permitting an order of restitution as a condition of probation, none of the specific conditions of probation authorized by law relates to pecuniary matters. Although § 9754(c)(ll) permits the court to condition probation upon payment of a fine, § 9754(c)(ll) does not provide the authority for imposing the fine; on the contrary, § 9754(c)(ll) only permits the condition of payment of a fine “as has been imposed.” None of the specific conditions in § 9754(c) explicitly or implicitly authorize the economic deprivation as has been ordered in the present case.

Section 9754(c)(7), specifically relied upon by the Commonwealth, only authorizes the restriction of possession of firearms or deadly weapons; it does not permit forfeiture to accomplish the restriction on possession of firearms. See Commonwealth v. Arthur, 384 Pa.Super. 613, 559 A.2d 936 (1989). Therefore, it too, relates solely to the behavioral conditions imposed on the defendant.

Section 9754(c)(13), also expressly relied upon by the Commonwealth, does not authorize the forfeiture as a condition of probation in this case. Subsection 13 enables a court to impose any condition “reasonably related to the rehabilitation” of a defendant. Although in the present case the trial court stated that the forfeiture was ordered to assist in the rehabilitation of the defendant, the circumstances of the order provide no foundation for such a conclusion. Forfeiture of appellant’s truck in no manner limits his ability to purchase another vehicle, or, if he already has access to another vehicle, to drive that one. The only thing accomplished by the forfeiture is the seizure of valuable property, i.e., imposition of a fine “in kind.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
568 A.2d 233, 390 Pa. Super. 140, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-crosby-pa-1990.