Commonwealth v. Wambold

66 Pa. D. & C.2d 682, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Carbon County
DecidedMay 11, 1973
Docketno. 87
StatusPublished

This text of 66 Pa. D. & C.2d 682 (Commonwealth v. Wambold) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Carbon County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Wambold, 66 Pa. D. & C.2d 682, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1973).

Opinion

HEIMBACH, P. J.,

A writ of certiorari was directed to issue by Judge Woodring, specially presiding, from seven motor vehicle convictions, for the following reasons stated in defendant’s petition for allowance:

“(a) That the Commonwealth failed to introduce any evidence at the hearing to show that the named defendant, your Petitioner, was the operator of the vehicle involved in the alleged violation of the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania Act .of April 29, 1959, P. L. 58; said failure being a fatal defect in the Commonwealth’s case under each of the seven violations charged.
“(b) That the Commonwealth failed to introduce evidence at the hearing that official radar signs, showing that radar was in use, were posted on said highway as required by section 1002 of the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania 75 PS §1002; said failure to introduce being a fatal defect in the Commonwealth’s complaint charging a violation of said section.
“(c) That the Commonwealth failed to introduce evidence at the hearing to show that the defendant refused to comply with any lawful signal of a peace officer who was in uniform and who exhibited his badge or other cognizable sign of authority as required by section 1221(d) of the Vehicle Code of Pennsylvania; said failure to introduce being a fatal defect in the Commonwealth’s complaint charging a violation of said section.”

[684]*684The matter is before us for disposition.

We are to be guided by the following principles of law:

Certiorari brings up for review nothing but the record and the court will consider only irregularities in such matters as are properly a part of the record and appear on the face thereof: 7 P.L.Encyc. 27, §30, and cases cited therein.

The record must show that the accused has committed the crime for which he has been charged: Commonwealth v. Simons, 214 Pa. Superior Ct. 337; Commonwealth v. Brenneman, 13 Adams 18; Commonwealth v. Rudelitch, 50 D. & C. 2d, 721 (Carbon County).

“[W]hen such record shows that all of the elements of an offense that are required to be proved to sustain a conviction have been considered by the justice and the record shows that evidence tending to prove such elements was presented for his consideration, a prima facie case has been made out and the burden is on the defendant to show otherwise”: Commonwealth v. Hilton, 4 Carbon 223, 226.

We have reviewed the record carefully and have concluded that all of the reasons advanced for dismissing all or any of the charges are without merit. All jurisdictional requirements have been met and the evidence adduced as stated in the transcript shows that the accused has committed the offenses for which he has been charged. We adopt, with only minor changes, the well-considered statements of the . Commonwealth in its brief in disposing of defendant’s contentions, viz:

1. THE TRANSCRIPT CLEARLY REVEALS THAT THE DEFENDANT WAS THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE INVOLVED IN THE ALLEGED VIOLATION.

[685]*685A careful reading of all of the seven transcripts reveals that it was defendant who committed the alleged violations of The Vehicle Code. All the transcripts specifically named defendant in the caption and in alleging the details of the offenses committed by defendant. Moreover, the transcripts reveal that it was “defendant” who did not stop at three signs; who drove his car recklessly; who drove in the wrong direction on a one-way street; who was speeding; and finally, who refused to obey the signal of an officer.

2. THE TRANSCRIPT ESTABLISHED THAT OFFICIAL RADAR SIGNS SHOWING THAT RADAR WAS IN USE WERE POSTED AS REQUIRED BY THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE.

We quote from the record:

“A lone vehicle was observed in rear view mirror coming at a high rate of speed on which radar locked in at 90 mph. Prosecutor sworn that radar signs were posted, radar set approved by Secretary was tested 29 Dec. 17 (information states radar speed meter tested 29 Dec. 1972), Certificate shown . . .”

We answered a similar objection in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania v. Hilton, supra, by saying:

“Where, as here, the district justice found from the evidence that radar signs were posted, a presumption arises that such signs meet the requirements of the act, and the burden was on the defendant to show otherwise.”

We further stated:

“We interpret ‘produced radar certification and accuracy test’ to mean that certifications covering both the approval of the radar equipment by the Secretary of Transportation and of the accuracy of such equipment by the testing station was presented and received into evidence. We assume for the same [686]*686reasons expressed in discussing the first question raised supra in finding the defendant guilty ‘on the evidence presented’ the district judge found that the radar equipment referred to in the certifications was the one in use at the time of the offense.”

A review of the record shows that it contains the substance of the testimony: Commonwealth v. Simons, supra. Evidence was presented for consideration by the magistrate, including the prosecutor’s testimony that it was “defendant” who committed the acts charged, to prove the elements of the offenses. Thus, a prima facie case was made out which places the burden on defendant to show otherwise: Commonwealth v. Davidson, 412 Pa. 279, 281; Commonwealth v. Perdok, 411 Pa. 301, 305; Commonwealth v. Paul S. Hilton, supra; Commonwealth v. Banovitch, 56 D. & C. 2d 283. The transcript clearly reveals that the magistrate only after “having heard all of the evidence offered,” found defendant guilty of the offenses charged.

3. THE TRANSCRIPT SETS FORTH THAT THE DEFENDANT DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE OFFICER’S SIGNAL, FLASHING LIGHTS AND SIREN AND NEED NOT STATE THE OFFICER WAS IN UNIFORM AND EXHIBITED HIS BADGE OR OTHER SIGN OF AUTHORITY.

The transcript involved in the offense of violation of The Vehicle Code states:

“It was testified in substance that flashing lights (four way) were put on police cruiser plus siren on Rte. 248 before Bowmanstown off-ramp (West) and were on during chase into Bowmanstown and in Bowmanstown during the chase.”

The signal and cognizable sign of authority in this [687]*687case, 75 PS § 1221(d), is the flashing lights and siren on the police cruiser.

It is not necessary to set forth in the information that the officer was in uniform and that he exhibited his badge or other sign of authority. In Commonwealth v. Grant, 84 D. & C. 600, it was held that an information charging the defendant with failure to stop on the signal of a police officer is sufficient without averring that the officer was in uniform and exhibited his badge or other sign of authority.

Obviously, the sign of authority in this case is the flashing lights and siren which the officers used on their police cruiser during the period of the chase of defendant into Bowmanstown.

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Related

Commonwealth v. Perdok
192 A.2d 221 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1963)
Commonwealth v. Davidson
194 A.2d 323 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1963)
Ewing v. Thompson
43 Pa. 372 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1862)
Commonwealth v. Simons
257 A.2d 694 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
66 Pa. D. & C.2d 682, 1973 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 40, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-wambold-pactcomplcarbon-1973.