Commonwealth v. Dixon

907 A.2d 468, 589 Pa. 28, 2006 Pa. LEXIS 1842
CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 27, 2006
Docket142 MAP 2005
StatusPublished
Cited by80 cases

This text of 907 A.2d 468 (Commonwealth v. Dixon) 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. Dixon, 907 A.2d 468, 589 Pa. 28, 2006 Pa. LEXIS 1842 (Pa. 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

Justice BAER.

Adonica Sipe Dixon (Appellant) seeks our review from the denial of her petition for release on nominal bail pursuant to *31 Pa.R.Crim.P. 600(E) 1 after she was held in pretrial confinement for more than 180 days. On appeal, the Superior Court affirmed the trial court, holding that an interlocutory appeal taken by the Commonwealth in the underlying case furnished a basis for extension of the 180-day time limit in accord with our decision in Commonwealth v. Matis, 551 Pa. 220, 710 A.2d 12 (1998), which discussed the 365-day time limit set forth in Pa.R.Crim.P. 600(G). 2 We find Rule 600(G) and the Matis discussion inapposite, and, for the following reasons, reverse.

On February 5, 2004, authorities in Clinton County filed a criminal complaint charging Appellant with rape and numerous sexual offenses against her sons, who were seven and eight at the time of the alleged incidents. 3 Appellant was *32 arrested, incarcerated, and arraigned on February 19, 2004, with bail originally set at $500,000.00 cash and later reduced to $250,000. 4 Unable to procure funds to post bail, Appellant remained incarcerated until her trial. 5

Prior to trial, the Commonwealth sought leave to introduce the victims’ testimony at trial via videotape, claiming that the boys’ ability to explain what occurred would be substantially impaired if they were compelled to face their mother in open court. The trial court initially granted the Commonwealth’s motion. However, after viewing a videotape the Commonwealth used at the preliminary hearing, the trial court found that testifying in the Appellant’s presence would not cause the boys such serious emotional distress that they could not reasonably communicate at trial. Consequently, on July 27, 2004, the trial court vacated its prior order, necessitating the boys’ presence at Appellant’s trial.

The Commonwealth filed a motion for reconsideration of the July 27, 2004 order, which was denied. Subsequently, on August 5, 2004, the Commonwealth filed a notice of appeal to the Superior Court, challenging the trial court’s ruling denying the introduction of the videotape. 6 Eventually, the Superi- or Court affirmed the trial court in an unpublished memorandum decision filed on April 13, 2005.

On August 16, 2004, while the Commonwealth’s appeal was pending and approximately 180 days after Appellant’s initial *33 incarceration, Appellant filed a motion for release on nominal bail pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 600(E). Appellant alleged that she had been in jail since February 19, 2004; that as of August 16, 2004, she would have served 180 days -without going to trial in violation of Rule 600(A)(2); 7 and that the Commonwealth had filed an appeal to the Superior Court, necessitating further delay for which she was not responsible.

The Commonwealth raised no claim that Appellant was a flight risk or that she posed a danger to the public in general or the victims in particular. Instead, it responded that its appeal to the Superior Court concerning the children’s need to testify personally, filed on August 5, 2004, served to extend the Rule 600(E) time period in accord with this Court’s discussion of Rule 600(G) in Matis, and therefore Appellant was not entitled to release.

The trial court agreed with the Commonwealth’s argument that it was entitled to an extension of the 180-day rule under our decision in Matis, and denied Appellant’s request for release on nominal bail. Specifically, the court held that “[i]f the trial court issues a pretrial order excluding testimony that will substantially handicap the prosecution of the case, and the Commonwealth appeals the order and includes a Dugger 8 certification, the appeal is authorized and the time limit for commencement of trial can be extended.” Trial Ct. Slip Op. at 2. In addressing Appellant’s attempt to distinguish the calculation of time for purposes of release on nominal bail pursuant *34 to Rule 600(E) and for purposes of dismissal pursuant to Rule 600(G), the trial court found that the issue is not whether the individual is incarcerated or released on bail, but rather whether the Commonwealth has been duly diligent and whether the appeal was taken in bad faith. After finding that the Commonwealth met its burden of demonstrating due diligence and that the circumstances occasioning the delay were beyond its control, the two criteria for an extension of time in Rule 600(G), the trial court denied Appellant relief.

Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal to the Superior Court, asserting that the trial court erred in denying her petition for release on nominal bail. In addressing Appellant’s claim, the Superior Court, like the trial court, found our decision in Matis interpreting Rule 600(G) to be dispositive, notwithstanding that the circumstances herein implicate Rule 600(E), rather than 600(G).

Appellant filed a Petition for Allowance of Appeal, which we granted. As in the Superior Court, she now argues that it was error to find Matis controlling because, unlike Appellant, the defendant in Matis was on bail pending the completion of the Commonwealth’s pretrial appeal and sought a dismissal with prejudice of the charges after 365 days pursuant to the remedy provided in Rule 600(G).

Appellant contends that Rule 600 distinguishes between a defendant, like her, who is held in pretrial incarceration in excess of 180 days and seeks release on nominal bail pending trial, and a defendant, like the one in Matis, who is free on bail and seeks dismissal of charges with prejudice after 365 days. Appellant points out that in Matis, the only matter before us was whether the Commonwealth could extend the period for the running of Rule 600(G) by the length of the delay caused by its pretrial appeal. She stresses that Rule 600(E) unequivocally entitles defendants held pending trial in excess of 180 days to immediate release on nominal bail while Rule 600(G) incorporates the potentiality of extensions of time for said appeals or similar delays. Appellant further notes that the Superior Court decision could subject every incarcerated defendant, who is clothed with the presumption of inno *35 cence, to indefinite incarceration prior to trial based on delays attributable only to the Commonwealth.

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Bluebook (online)
907 A.2d 468, 589 Pa. 28, 2006 Pa. LEXIS 1842, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-dixon-pa-2006.