Commonwealth v. Keys

20 Pa. D. & C.5th 560
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County
DecidedJanuary 26, 2011
Docketno. 993 of 2009
StatusPublished

This text of 20 Pa. D. & C.5th 560 (Commonwealth v. Keys) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Keys, 20 Pa. D. & C.5th 560 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2011).

Opinion

COX, J.,

—In the instant matter, the court ordered a nolle prosequi, on February 22, 2010, without a hearing, of all charges filed against the defendant Aaron Lamont Keys. The defendant appealed that decision and the Pennsylvania Superior Court remanded the case [562]*562to this court to hold an evidentiary hearing regarding the motion for nolle prosequi. The defendant claims that the court should not grant the commonwealth’s motion for nolle prosequi as the commonwealth intends to refile the charges in an attempt to circumvent Pa.R.Crim.P. 600.

On August 19,2009, the commonwealth filed a criminal complaint that included the charges of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance1, persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms,2 and two counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered3 because the defendant was in possession of 6.8 grams of crack cocaine and 12 Roxycodone tablets. The commonwealth, on September 8, 2009, agreed to withdraw the charge of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance regarding the 6.8 grams of crack cocaine and the defendant, in return, waived his right to a preliminary hearing. An information was filed on September 17, 2009, charging the defendant with persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms and two counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered. All of these facts occurred during the term of then District Attorney John J. Bongivengo.4

On January 4, 2010, the defendant filed a motion for continuance for the call of the trial list because defense counsel required more time to communicate with his client. Moreover, the defendant filed a continuance on February 1,2010, for the call of the trial list stating that counsel is in [563]*563the process of negotiating a plea. This case was reviewed by the current District Attorney Joshua Lamancusa, who disagreed with the decision to withdraw the charge of possession with the intent to deliver a controlled substance regarding the 6.8 grams of crack cocaine. Subsequently, the commonwealth filed a motion for nolle prosequi on February 19, 2010, requesting that the current case be nolle prossed. However, the commonwealth also indicated that the charges would be refiled. On February 18, 2010, Assistant District Attorney Diane Shaffer, who was representing the commonwealth in this matter, informed defense counsel, Stanley T. Booker, Esquire, that the commonwealth was seeking a nolle prosequi. Mr. Booker indicated that he was opposed to the nolle prosequi and he contacted the office of the district court administrator for the Court of Common Pleas of Lawrence County to inform them of the same. However, a hearing was not scheduled for the motion for nolle prosequi filed by the commonwealth and court administration placed the motion amongst the uncontested motions awaiting the court’s signature in conformance with the common practice of Lawrence County. The local rules of Lawrence County permit uncontested motions to be presented to court administration, who subsequently forward them to the court for signature. L211(a)(2).5 It must be noted that L211 (a)(2) requires that the moving party must provide timely notice to all other parties. The court granted the nolle prosequi on Februaty 22, 2010, without a hearing. The defendant did not file a motion for reconsideration which would have provided the court with an opportunity to further investigate the matter and correct the situation, if necessary. The Pennsylvania Superior Court granted the [564]*564defendant’s appeal and remanded this matter to provide this court with an opportunity to hold an evidentiary hearing regarding the motion for nolle prosequi. A hearing was originally scheduled for December 21, 2010, but was required to be continued. On January 7, 2011, this court held an evidentiary hearing on the motion.

The defendant now claims that the commonwealth’s motion for nolle prosequi should not have been granted as the commonwealth nolle prossed the charges in order to circumvent Pa.R.Crim.P. 600.

42 Pa.C.S.A. § 8932 states, “After the commencement of a criminal matter by the filing of an information or otherwise, the district attorney shall not enter a nolle prosequi or dispose of the matter or discharge a prisoner from custody by means of a proceeding in lieu of a plea or trial without having obtained the approval of the court.” Furthermore, the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure explain, “(A) Upon motion of the attorney for the commonwealth, the court may, in open court, order a nolle prosequi of one or more charges notwithstanding the objection of any person.” Pa.R.Crim.P. 585. Ffistorically, a prosecutor had the authority to enter a nolle prosequi on his or her own motion; however, that procedure has been altered to require the commonwealth to obtain assent from the court. Commonwealth v. Stivala, 645 A.2d 257, 261 (Pa. Super. 1994). The court must consider the following two factors when deciding whether to grant a nolle prosequi: “(1) is the reason given by the commonwealth for requesting the nolle prosequi valid and reasonable, and (2) does the defendant, at the time the nolle prosequi is requested, have a valid speedy trial claim?” Commonwealth v. Reinhardt, 466 Pa. 591, 597, 353 A.2d 848, 852 (1976) (citing Commonwealth v. Learning, 442 Pa. 223, 275 A.2d 43 (1971); Commonwealth v. DiPasquale, 431 Pa. 536, [565]*565246 A.2d 430 (1968)). Hence, the court must consider the reasons given by the commonwealth and there must be a reasonable basis for the nolle prosequi motion. Commonwealth v. Rega, 856 A.2d 1242, 1245 (Pa. Super. 2004) (citing Reinhardt, Supra.). The decision to grant or deny a motion for nolle prosequi lies within the sound discretion of the trial court and its action will not be reversed unless there is an abuse of discretion. DiPasquale, 431 Pa. at 542, 246 A.2d at 433 (citing Bierstein v. Whitman, 355 Pa. 515, 50 A.2d 334 (1947); Anderson v. Guerrein, etc., Co. et al., 346 Pa. 80, 29 A.2d 682 (1943)). The Reinhardt court has explained the procedure for a nolle prosequi as follows:

A motion for nolle prosequi is treated like any other motion: one side presents the motion to the court; both sides argue the merits of the requested motion; the court considers the merits of their arguments; and the trial court issues a ruling. The rule in no way bars the presentation of objections by the defendant nor does it direct the trial court to ignore those objections. It merely states that the defendant’s objection is not dispositive of the issue. Reinhardt, 466 Pa. at 597, 353 A.2d at 851.

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Related

Commonwealth v. DiPasquale
246 A.2d 430 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1968)
Commonwealth v. Leaming
275 A.2d 43 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1971)
Commonwealth v. Whitaker
359 A.2d 174 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1976)
Commonwealth v. Reinhart
353 A.2d 848 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1976)
Commonwealth v. Stivala
645 A.2d 257 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1994)
Commonwealth v. Rega
856 A.2d 1242 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2004)
Bierstein v. Whitman
50 A.2d 334 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1946)
Anderson v. Guerrein Sky-Way Amusement Co.
29 A.2d 682 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1942)

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Bluebook (online)
20 Pa. D. & C.5th 560, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-keys-pactcompllawren-2011.