Commonwealth v. Tolano

995 A.2d 1242
CourtSuperior Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMay 25, 2010
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 995 A.2d 1242 (Commonwealth v. Tolano) 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. Tolano, 995 A.2d 1242 (Pa. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

OPINION BY

FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.:

¶ 1 Robert Toland, II, appeals from the judgment of sentence of October 20, 2008, following his conviction of driving under the influence (“DUI”). On appeal, appellant challenges the sufficiency of the evidence to support the conviction, specifically arguing that the Commonwealth failed to prove he was in actual physical control of the vehicle. Appellant also contends that he should have been awarded credit against his sentence for time spent in inpatient alcohol rehabilitation. After careful review, we affirm.

¶ 2 Following an incident on September 14, 2006, when appellant was found passed out behind the wheel of his car with the headlights on and the engine running, appellant was charged with DUI — highest rate of alcohol,1 and driving without a license as a summary offense.2 Appellant proceeded to a stipulated bench trial before the Honorable Chad F. Kenney, following which he was found guilty of the above offenses.3 On October 20, 2008,4 appellant was sentenced to the mandatory minimum of 12 to 24 months’ imprisonment for DUI,5 followed by 3 years’ probation and a fine of $2,500. No further penalty was imposed for the summary offense of driving without a license.

¶ 3 Post-sentence motions were denied, including appellant’s motion for bail pending appeal and for time credit. A timely notice of appeal was filed on November 17, 2008. Appellant has complied with Pa. R.A.P. 1925, and the trial court has filed an opinion.6

[1244]*1244¶ 4 Appellant presents the following issues for this court’s review:

1. Is an individual guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol in Pennsylvania when: (a) he or she enters a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and starts the engine for heat or air conditioning; but (b) there is absolutely no “additional evidence” that supports an inference that the vehicle had been driven or moved by the individual when he or she was intoxicated?
2. Is a defendant entitled to “credit for time served” for time spent in intensive inpatient alcohol treatment centers when the treatment was undertaken pursuant to court order as a condition of bail?

Appellant’s brief at 5 (emphasis in original).7

¶ 5 The parties stipulated to the facts as set forth in the affidavit of probable cause. Those facts are as follows.

On September 14, 2006 at approximately 0052 hours, I, Ptlm. Todd M. Welch of the Newtown Township Police Department was on routine patrol in the area of W. Chester Pike and S. New-town Street Road. At that time my attention was drawn to a vehicle which appeared to be stationary in front of the Niemeyer’s store which is located in the unit block of S. Newtown Street Road (Rt252). When I pulled along side of the vehicle I observed a male subject in the driver[’]s seat, he appeared to be sleeping. I parked my patrol vehicle and approached the vehicle, a dark colored BMW bearing PA registration DGJ5728. I observed the vehicle’s engine was running, the headlamps were illuminated and the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle. At this time I was assisted by Officer David Felker of the Easttown Township Police Department. I approached the driver[’]s side window and knocked several times. Since the knocks did not rouse the driver I opened the car door and shook the driver, later identified as [appellant]. [Appellant] came to, however he still seemed somewhat confused. I inquired if he was a diabetic and he said he was not. I asked him for identification and he exited the vehicle. When he stood up he was very unsteady on his feet and had difficulty walking. He seemed as if he was going to retrieve his license from the back seat or trunk, however he never did, so I asked him to have a seat back in the vehicle. He never did produce his license or offer an excuse as to why he did not. [Appellant] provided me with his name and date of birth. I went back to my patrol vehicle to verify the information was correct. At that time I learned [appellant’s] PA license is currently recalled. According to the Penndot certified record [appellant’s] license was recalled for general medical reasons. Official notice of the recall was mailed May 24, 2006 and his license was received by Penndot on June 20, 2006.
[1245]*1245I exited my patrol vehicle and reap-proached [appellant]. I asked him to exit his vehicle and walk to the rear of his vehicle. When [appellant] exited his vehicle he stumbled forward and bumped into me. At that time I could smell an odor of an alcoholic beverage about his breath. I asked [appellant] if he knew his license was recalled and he acknowledged he was in fact aware of the status of his license. I asked [appellant] to perform a breath test and the result of that test was .306%[.] Next I asked [appellant] about his academic background, he advised me he graduated law school. I asked him to recite the alphabet and he stopped at the letter “P” and then said “etc, etc, ete[.]” He could not finish the alphabet after “P”. [Appellant’s] speech was slurred throughout the incident and even more so during the alphabet recital.
At that point I placed [appellant] under arrest for DUI. After he was placed in the patrol vehicle I went back to his vehicle and secured a brown bag that I had observed earlier in the incident. The brown bag was located on the floor behind the driver[’]s seat, it contained a six pack of beer. The beer appeared to have been recently purchased as it was still cold. All of the beer in the six pack was still capped.
I transported [appellant] to Riddle Hospital. I read [appellant] the Chemical Test Warning and he advised me he would submit to the test. In my presence RN Christina Wilson withdrew three vials of blood from [appellant’s] left arm. She subsequently handed me the three vials of blood and I transported [appellant] back to the Newtown Police Station. [Appellant] was processed and transported to the Media Borough Police Department for overnight lodging. The blood evidence as well as the beer removed from [appellant’s] vehicle was placed into evidence. The blood will be sent out to a certified lab for BAC testing purposes.

Affidavit of probable cause, 9/14/06 at 1-2. It was stipulated that chemical testing revealed a BAC of greater than .3%. (Notes of testimony, 6/5/08 at 12.)

A challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence is a question of law, subject to plenary review. When reviewing a sufficiency of the evidence claim, the appellate court must review all of the evidence and all reasonable inferences drawn therefrom in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, as the verdict winner. Evidence will be deemed to support the verdict when it establishes each element of the crime charged and the commission thereof by the accused, beyond a reasonable doubt. The Commonwealth need not preclude every possibility of innocence or establish the defendant’s guilt to a mathematical certainty. Finally, the trier of fact while passing upon the credibility of witnesses and the weight of the evidence produced, is free to believe all, part or none of the evidence.

Commonwealth v. Brotherson, 888 A.2d 901, 904 (Pa.Super.2005), appeal denied, 587 Pa.

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995 A.2d 1242 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2010)

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Bluebook (online)
995 A.2d 1242, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-tolano-pasuperct-2010.