Commonwealth v. Curry

27 Pa. D. & C.5th 166
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lehigh County
DecidedNovember 29, 2012
DocketNo. CR-637-2011/ Sup. Court 998 EDA 2012
StatusPublished

This text of 27 Pa. D. & C.5th 166 (Commonwealth v. Curry) 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. Curry, 27 Pa. D. & C.5th 166 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2012).

Opinion

STEINBERG, J.,

On November 21, 2011, the appellant, Hishamu Curry, was found guilty after a jury trial of robbery1 (three counts), attempted [168]*168criminal homicide,2 aggravated assault3 (two counts), and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery.4 The appellant and two confederates, Isaah Sampson and Edward Maye, robbed the KNBT Bank in Emmaus at gunpoint. During the robbery, Edward Maye assaulted the assistant manager of the bank with a firearm, and in their flight to avoid apprehension, Isaah Sampson fired his weapon multiple times at Officer William Bryfogle of the Emmaus Police Department. Multiple bullets struck Officer Bryfogle’s cruiser, but he escaped uninjured.

A presentence report was ordered following the jury’s verdict. A full sentencing hearing was held on February 13,2012, during which both the presentence report and the sentencing guidelines were considered prior to imposing sentence. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, the appellant received a total sentence of not less than thirty (30) years nor more than sixty (60) years in a state correctional institution.5

A notice of appeal was filed by trial counsel on March 14, 2012. Pursuant to this court’s directive, counsel filed [169]*169a timely Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) Statement. The sole issue6 raised alleges that it was error to permit the introduction into evidence of cell phone records and text messages secured from appellant’s cell phone.7

On August 7, 2012, the Superior Court granted trial counsel’s “petition for permission to withdraw as counsel”. Pursuant to that order a hearing was held, and the appellant was determined to be eligible for court-appointed counsel. As a result, Charles Banta, Esquire, was appointed to represent the appellant for appellate proceedings.8

Background

On December 30, 2010, at approximately 9:15 a.m., three (3) masked men with guns entered the KNBT Bank in Emmaus and exclaimed, “this is a robbery”.9 Two (2) of the three (3) jumped on the counter, and the third robber grabbed Michelle Andrews, the assistant manager, and forced her to the vault at gunpoint.10 When she reached the vault, he struck her in the head with his gun. Ms. Andrews fell to the floor, and then grabbed her sweater to stem the blood coming from her head.11 Ms. Andrews called-out for someone to open the vault, and Josephine Baba and Donna Grenauer, two (2) bank tellers, immediately responded. Both were unable to open the vault, and with [170]*170that, one (1) or more of the robbers threatened: “Two more seconds and I’m going to start shooting if we don’t get the vault open.”12 Finally, Ms. Baba was able to open the vault, but by then the robbers had fled from the bank.13

Minutes earlier, Ms. Grenauer was confronted at her teller station by one (1) of the robbers who was wearing a ski mask and hooded sweatshirt, and was carrying a duffle bag. He demanded that she put money in the bag and when she did not do so as quickly as he wanted, “he jumped on the counter and helped himself into the drawer and took money out himself.”14 Various denominations were removed, including a “pack in straps.”15 This was described as a GPS device.16

Kathy Moyer, who was also a teller at the bank, observed the three (3) robbers entering the bank armed with guns, and wearing masks and gloves.17 She was confronted by one (1) of the robbers who placed a gun in her face and demanded money. This individual made it clear that he did not want “strap money.”18 Ms. Moyer gave him the money from her teller drawer. She was then led to the vault at gunpoint, where she remained with her fellow employees.19

It was determined that eleven thousand five hundred [171]*171and twenty-nine ($11,529) dollars was taken in the robbeiy.20 When the getaway car was later inventoried by the police, they discovered a black bag with money, as well as a GPS tracking device, which continued to ring in the 9-1-1 center until Detective Hoats deactivated it. The “strap money” had the initials “KM”, Kathy Moyer.21

Officer William Bryfogle of the Emmaus Police Department was approximately a mile and a half away from the bank when he received a call of suspicious activity at the bank. He activated his emergency lights and siren, which also activated his on-board video camera, and proceeded to the bank. While doing so, he received further notification “that a GPS unit had activated from the inside of the bank on a money pack.”22 Further information communicated to him indicated that the transponder was signaling it was moving out of the bank.23

He arrived at the bank approximately a minute or so later, and proceeded to the intersection of North 2nd Street and Green Street, which is an alley behind the bank. Initially, he did not observe any activity, but approximately ten (10) seconds later, he observed a vehicle enter the alley coming towards his patrol vehicle. The vehicle ignored the stop sign at 2nd and Green Street and continued eastbound. Officer Biyfogle turned his patrol vehicle behind the fleeing vehicle, and again activated his emergency lights and siren. He identified the vehicle [172]*172as a blue Mercury with three (3) occupants wearing dark clothing.24

The pursuit was continuing when Officer Bryfogle observed a “black handgun come out the back passenger window of the vehicle and point in [his] direction.”25 “Three shots [were] fired towards the front of [his] patrol vehicle approaching Main Street.”26 His vehicle was struck by these bullets, and a subsequent examination revealed bullet holes through the bumper, the lower plastic air vent, and the driver’s side front tire.27

Officer Bryfogle continued his pursuit, and after turning onto Main Street, the Mercury put on its brakes, almost coming to a complete stop. The passenger in the rear of the vehicle continued to fire his “black semiautomatic handgun”,28 and with that, Officer Bryfogle rammed the back of the Mercury. The mercury began to slow, and Officer Bryfogle tried to create some distance between the two vehicles as a precautionary measure. When the Mercury reached 1st Street, the back passenger exited the vehicle, and a little further down the street, the front passenger departed. Finally, while the vehicle was still “rolling”, the driver fled, and ran behind the back of the Mercury.29

Officer Bryfogle, who was still in his patrol vehicle, followed the driver and bumped him with the front bumper [173]*173of his patrol vehicle. Although the driver was knocked down, he jumped up, and Officer Bryfogle knocked him down a second time. Officer Bryfogle then exited his vehicle, and the driver jumped up again and began running. He continued to do so until he was struck by Sergeant Troy Schantz’s patrol vehicle.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
27 Pa. D. & C.5th 166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-curry-pactcompllehigh-2012.