Commonwealth v. Sharpe

665 A.2d 1194, 445 Pa. Super. 419, 1995 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2990
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedSeptember 22, 1995
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 665 A.2d 1194 (Commonwealth v. Sharpe) 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. Sharpe, 665 A.2d 1194, 445 Pa. Super. 419, 1995 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2990 (Pa. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinion

POPOVICH, Judge:

The appellant, Quintellis Sharpe, appeals the revocation of his probation and parole and the imposition of a judgment of sentence (aggregating 8-15 years imprisonment) for Possessing Instruments of Crime (at Bill No. 1066) and Attempted Burglary (at Bill No. 1068). We reverse.

The facts are undisputed: On February 26, 1991, the appellant entered an open plea of guilty to the offenses cited above and received a sentence of 11% to 23 months incarceration, to be followed by 2 years probation, at Bill No. 1066. An identical sentence was issued at Bill No. 1068, which was ordered to be served concurrently with the previous sentence imposed.

On July 27, 1992, the appellant’s probation and parole were revoked and a “new sentence” was issued by the court directing the appellant to “serve back time” of not less than 11% to 23 months in jail and 2 years consecutive probation (at Bill No. 1066). Aso, for violating his probation, the appellant was sentenced (at Bill No. 1068) to 10-23 months in jail, the commencement of which was to be served consecutively to Bill No. 1066.

When the appellant violated his probation and parole a second time, a hearing was conducted on August 15, 1994, following which the court revoked the parole/probation and entered a sentence of 1-5 years imprisonment at Bill No. 1066, which was to be served consecutively to the 2-10-year prison term imposed at Bill No. 1068. This appeal followed and questions the legality of the sentences imposed (at Bill No. 1066) “as ... exceeding] the maximum period of probation (two years)” and (at Bill No. 1068) as viola-tive of the Double Jeopardy provisions of the United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions “because [the] appellant was no longer on probation at the time of the [second] revocation, the probation having been previously revoked and a prison sentence imposed, but where no new period of probation was given[.]” Appellant’s Brief at 3.

We start with the proposition that the legality of a sentence is a non-waivable issue subject to review at any stage of the judicial process or sua sponte by the court. Commonwealth v. Ford, 315 Pa.Super. 281, 461 A.2d 1281 (1983). To the extent that the Commonwealth avers that the appellant’s claims are not challenges to the legality of the sentence, an examination of such a view proves to be sophomoric.1

With regard to the first contention, alleging that the 1-5 years prison term for Possessing Instruments of Crime was illegal as exceeding the initial 2-year probationary term, this Court has ruled in Commonwealth v. Bischof, 420 Pa.Super. 115, 616 A.2d 6 (1992) that violations of one’s parole permits a court to revoke parole and recommit the defendant to jail for a period not exceeding the maximum term under which he was originally sentenced. More specifically, we wrote:

Upon finding that Appellant had violated the terms of his parole, the trial court directed that he serve the unexpired balance of his term, which was twenty-three months on each of two counts, and further directed that the sentences be served consecutively. However, after making the determination that the parole granted on two specific sentences had been violated, the trial court only had authority to recommit Appellant to serve out the balance of the terms from which he had been paroled, which terms were to run concurrently. To change sentences which were originally made to run concurrently to consecutive sentences constitutes an enhancement of [1196]*1196sentence, which has certain constitutional implications. Commonwealth v. Hermankevich, 220 Pa.Super. 197, 286 A.2d 644 (1971). The maximum period for which Appellant could be sentenced after revoking the parole set on these charges was limited to the maximum term under which Appellant was originally sentenced because a “modification of a sentence imposed on a criminal defendant which increases the punishment constitute^] further or double jeopardy.” Commonwealth v. Cole, 222 Pa.Super. 229, 231, 294 A.2d 824, 825 (1972). See also Commonwealth v. Baynes, 349 Pa.Super. 314, 503 A.2d 17 (1986).
This case must be contrasted with those cases where the court revokes a probationary sentence and has the authority to modify the original probationary period by lengthening it and by adding reasonable conditions. Commonwealth v. McBride, 289 Pa.Super. 396, 433 A.2d 509 (1981). This is so because in those cases the order of probation is a conditional order and not a final order for double jeopardy purposes. Commonwealth v. Miller, 358 Pa.Super. 219, 516 A.2d 1263 (1986). However, in the instant case the court sought to modify, not a probationary period, but a fixed sentence. This it cannot do. In general, a sentencing court has jurisdiction to modify a sentence only in the first 30 days after imposition.1 Commonwealth v. Thomas, 301 Pa.Super. 333, 447 A.2d 994 (1982). Accord Commonwealth v. Martin, 346 Pa.Super. 129, 499 A.2d 344 (1985) (court lacked jurisdiction to modify a sentence, more than 30 days after imposition, so as to run consecutive to another sentence); Commonwealth v. Cooper, 333 Pa.Super. 559, 482 A.2d 1014 (1984). The court’s modification here was untimely. An appropriate order would have recommitted Appellant to serve out the unexpired bal-anee of his sentence, such sentence to run concurrently with each other.

420 Pa.Super. at 122 & n. 1, 616 A.2d at 9-10 & n. 1.

Applying the Bischof rationale to the case at bar, the record indicates that the sentence imposed at Bill No. 1068 on February 26, 1991, consisted of an 11½ to 23 months incarceration and 2 years consecutive probation, to run concurrently with an identical sentence entered at Bill No. 1066.

On July 8, 1992, a detainer was issued and a hearing conducted on July 27, 1992, whereby the appellant’s parole (at Bill No. 1066) and probation (at Bill No. 1068) were revoked. A “new sentence” was issued; to-wit:

[At Bill No. 1068, parole and probation revoked]. Not less than 10 months nor more than 23 months at PICC[.] Credit for time served from 6/30/92. Consecutive to ... [Bill No.] 1066. Will parole into a long term in patient program for drug & alcohol treatment. Detainer ... lifted.[2]
rf* r}C Sf>
[At] Bill 1066 — Parole Revoked.
Defendant to serve back time on sentence imposed 2/26/91 (not less than lijé months nor more than 23 months and two years consecutive probation to run concurrently with CP89-03-3766. Receive intensive drug treatment at PICC.

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Bluebook (online)
665 A.2d 1194, 445 Pa. Super. 419, 1995 Pa. Super. LEXIS 2990, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-sharpe-pasuperct-1995.