Commonwealth v. Mignogna

585 A.2d 1, 401 Pa. Super. 188, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3421
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedDecember 20, 1990
Docket37
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 585 A.2d 1 (Commonwealth v. Mignogna) 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. Mignogna, 585 A.2d 1, 401 Pa. Super. 188, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3421 (Pa. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinions

HESTER, Judge:

Steven P. Mignogna appeals from the April 14, 1989 judgment of sentence of two consecutive life terms followed by two concurrent five-to-ten-year terms of imprisonment. Sentence was imposed following his conviction of two counts of criminal homicide, and one count each of rape and statutory rape. The charges arose out of the deaths of two young girls, Melissa Baker and Penny Ansell, aged twelve and thirteen respectively. Appellant raises numerous allegations of trial court error. We vacate the judgment of sentence imposed on the rape conviction, but in all other respects, we affirm the judgment of sentence.

The evidence at trial establishes the following. On the evening of August 2, 1988, appellant and a friend, Michael Gionta, met the two victims, Melissa Baker and Penny Ansell, at a shopping center in Westmoreland County. The [193]*193girls voluntarily entered the truck which was driven by appellant, and ultimately were taken to appellant’s home around 9:00 p.m. The four proceeded to a bedroom where they listened to music and talked. Melissa and appellant began to kiss each other, then left the room together, and went into another bedroom. Gionta and Penny returned to the living room downstairs. Penny then told Gionta that she had to return to her home by ten o’clock. Gionta called upstairs to appellant several times but received no response. When appellant finally appeared on the steps, he informed Penny that Melissa wished to speak with her in the bathroom.

Immediately after Penny went upstairs, Gionta heard a scream. He ran up the steps, entered the bathroom and observed Melissa lying in the bathtub, bleeding profusely from her slashed throat. Gionta’s next recollection is of sitting on appellant’s front porch and hearing the sound of heavy footsteps in the house. Appellant then appeared around the corner of the house and asked Gionta to assist him in bringing the girls’ bodies out of the house. When Gionta refused to help appellant with the bodies, appellant told him to stay where he was. Gionta agreed, and appellant returned to the house.

Gionta then began running across a bridge in the direction of his home. He was stopped three quarters of the distance across the bridge by appellant who pulled up beside him in his truck. Appellant ordered him to enter the truck, and Gionta eventually complied out of fear for his life. Gionta then observed the victims’ bodies in the back of the truck. Appellant drove the truck to a remote location where he attempted to remove the bodies from the vehicle. He twice requested Gionta’s assistance, but Gionta refused. Appellant eventually succeeded in carrying the bodies to the edge of a hill. He then returned to the truck and drove Gionta to his home.

When Gionta entered his home, he informed his parents immediately about what occurred at appellant’s home. Gionta and his parents immediately drove to the police [194]*194station where Gionta reported the killings. Approximately three hours later, appellant was arrested in front of his home by police and subsequently was charged with two counts of criminal homicide, one count of rape, and one count of statutory rape.

Within four hours of his arrest, appellant provided police with two statements in which he admitted taking the victims to his home on the evening of their deaths, having sexual relations with Melissa, and disposing of their bodies later the same evening. He also identified the murder weapon and indicated where it was located.

Appellant filed numerous pretrial motions including a motion to suppress the statements he made to police, all of which were denied by the trial court. Following an eight-day jury trial, appellant was convicted on all counts. On April 14, 1989, appellant was sentenced to two consecutive life terms on the homicide convictions and concurrent five-to-ten year terms, which were consecutive to the life terms, on the rape convictions. Appellant filed post-trial motions which were denied by the trial court. This timely appeal followed.

Appellant raises numerous allegations of error on appeal. We will address these issues ad seriatim. First, appellant contends that he was denied due process at his preliminary hearing by the admission of a statement by the main prosecution witness, Michael Gionta, implicating him in the two homicides. Since the witness did not testify during the preliminary hearing, appellant argues that the statement was hearsay, and therefore, he was denied the right to confront his accusers. The Commonwealth responds that a denial of rights during a preliminary hearing does not require reversal of the verdict in the absence of specific prejudice caused by the violation. The Commonwealth also argues that any deficiency in the preliminary hearing is rendered harmless upon a determination at trial that the Commonwealth’s evidence is sufficient to be submitted to the jury. We concur with the arguments made by the Commonwealth.

[195]*195As we stated in Commonwealth v. Harvin, 346 Pa.Super. 575, 581, 500 A.2d 98, 100 (1985), the principal function of a preliminary hearing is to “protect an individual’s right against unlawful arrest and detention.” See also Commonwealth v. District Justice Edward Verbonitz, 525 Pa. 413, 581 A.2d 172 (1990). We further indicated that the preliminary hearing is not a trial, and the purpose is to determine whether a “sufficient case has been made out to hold the accused for prosecution.” Id., 346 Pa.Super. at 581, 500 A.2d at 100. While we agree with appellant’s assertion that a preliminary hearing is a critical stage of the criminal process and that such hearings are not to become “hearsay mills,” a defendant must establish the existence of actual prejudice arising from a denial of due process at the preliminary hearing in order to be afforded the remedy of discharge. Commonwealth v. Gwyn, 449 Pa. 131, 295 A.2d 73 (1972); Commonwealth v. Rines, 247 Pa.Super. 429, 372 A.2d 901 (1977). But see Commonwealth v. District Justice Edward Verbonitz, supra (plurality opinion indicating that right to cross-examination is to be afforded at preliminary hearing).1 Appellant asserts that the admission of Gionta’s statement caused the charges to be bound over for court by the district justice. A review of the evidence presented, however, makes it evident that a prima facie case had been established by the prosecution without Gionta’s statement. The coroner’s report regarding the circumstances surrounding the victims’ deaths, the evidence of the location of the victims’ bodies when they were found, and appellant’s statements regarding his role in the killings provided sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case that appellant had committed the offenses charged. Compare Commonwealth v. District Justice Edward Verbonitz, supra (where sole evidence used to establish prima facie case at preliminary hearing was hearsay, evidence was insufficient to bind over defendant for trial and defendant was granted habeas corpus relief). Therefore, appellant's [196]*196claim of prejudice arising from the admission of Gionta’s statement during the preliminary hearing is inadequate, and we find no error in the trial court’s ruling.

We also find that Commonwealth v. Hess, 489 Pa. 580, 414 A.2d 1043

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Bluebook (online)
585 A.2d 1, 401 Pa. Super. 188, 1990 Pa. Super. LEXIS 3421, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-mignogna-pasuperct-1990.