M. Morgalo v. S. Gorniak (SCI Albion Accountant) v. Montgomery County Clerk of Courts

134 A.3d 1139, 2016 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 112, 2016 WL 889400
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedMarch 8, 2016
Docket489 M.D. 2013
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 134 A.3d 1139 (M. Morgalo v. S. Gorniak (SCI Albion Accountant) v. Montgomery County Clerk of Courts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
M. Morgalo v. S. Gorniak (SCI Albion Accountant) v. Montgomery County Clerk of Courts, 134 A.3d 1139, 2016 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 112, 2016 WL 889400 (Pa. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

OPINION BY

Judge ANNE E. COVEY.

Michael Morgalo (Morgalo), pro se,' filed a Request to Stop Deduction(s) and Return of Monies from Inmate’s Account (Petition) in this Court’s original jurisdiction on September 27, 2013. Therein, Morgalo requests this Court to direct the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (Department) Inmate Accounting Office/Inmate Accountant Sandra Gorniak (Gorniak) to stop deducting monies from his inmate account and to order the Inmate Accounting Office and the Montgomery County Clerk of Courts to return funds, previously deducted therefrom because his sentencing orders do not authorize deductions until he is paroled. In response, the Department filed preliminary objections to dismiss Morgalo’s Petition pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure Number 1028(a)(4) on the grounds that it (1) is time-barred, and (2) fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted. 4 The Department’s preliminary objections are currently before the Court.

This Court’s review of preliminary objections ,is limited to the pleadings. Pa. State Lodge, Fraternal Order of Police v. Dep’t of Conservation & Natural Res., 909 A.2d 413 (Pa.Cmwlth.2006), aff'd, 592 Pa. 304, 924 A.2d 1203 (2007).

[This Court is] required to accept as true the well-pled averments set forth in thé ■ ... complaint, and all inferences reasonably deducible therefrom. Moreover, the [C]ourt need not accept as true conclusions of law, unwarranted inferences from facts, argumentative allegations, or expressions of opinion. In order to sustain preliminary objections, it must appear with certainty that the law will not permit recovery, and, where any doubt exists as to whether .the preliminary objections should be sustained, the doubt must be resolved, in favor of overruling the preliminary objections.

Id. at 415-16 (citations omitted).

. According to Morgalo’s Petition, and his Memorandum of Law and exhibits incorpo *1142 rated therein, Morgalo is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution at Albion (SCI-Albion), Pennsylvania. On June 23, 2003, the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court (trial court) sentenced Morgalo to 6 to 23 months’ incarceration, followed by a consecutive two years of probation (Docket No. 7235 of 2002). ' The sentencing order stated: “[Morgalo] is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, and a fíne' of $500.00 and restitution of $_to_within the first 17 months of supervision/release from custody in monthly installments' as directed.” Morgalo Pet. Ex. A.’

On April 26, 200.4, the trial court sentenced Morgalo to 6 to 23 months’ incarceration, to be served concurrently. with his Docket No. 7235 of 2002 sentence, followed by a consecutive iwo years of probation (Docket No. 1849 of 2002). The sentencing order stated, in pertinent part: “[Morgalo] is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, and a fine of $ -0- and restitution of $ 0 to 0 within the first parole months of supervision/release from custody in monthly installments as directed.” Morgalo Pet. Ex. B.

On September 13, 2004, the trial court sentenced Morgalo to 9 to 23 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of consecutive probation (Docket No. 3911 of 2004). The sentencing order stated, in relevant part: “[Morgalo] is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, and a fine of $ 4b and restitution of $4,744.61 to see attached within the first _ months of supervision/release from custody,in monthly installments as directed. -Restitution joint/seveRAL w/co deft.” Morgalo Pet. Ex. C.

On July 10, 2008, the trial court sentenced Morgalo to 16 to 32 years’ incarceration’ (Docket No. 139 of 2007). The sentencing order stated: “[Morgalo] is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, and a fine of $ - - and restitution of $ - _to - within the first_months of supervision/release from custody in monthly installments- as directed.” Mor-galo Pet. Ex. E.

Also on July 10, 2008, the tidal court sentenced Morgalo to 5 to 10 years’ incarceration (Docket NO. 9197 of 2006) to be served concurrently with his Docket No. 139 of 2007 sentence. ' The sentencing order stated: “[Morgalo] is sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution, and a fine of $_-_and restitution of $ - to - within the first_months of supervision/release from custody in monthly installments as directed.” Morgalo Pet. Ex. D.

On September 5, 2008, the Department began making monthly deductions from Morgalo’s inmate account to satisfy his court costs and restitution obligation pursuant to Section 9728(b) of the Sentencing Code, 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(b), commonly known as Act 84. 5 Act 84 provides in pertinent part:

(3) The county clerk of courts shall, upon sentencing, ... transmit to ... the [Department] ... copies of all orders for restitution ..., reparation, .fees, costs, fines and penalties. This paragraph also applies in the case of costs imposed under [S]ection 9721(c.l) [of the Sentencing Code] (relating .to sentencing generally).[ 6 ]
*1143 [[Image here]]
(5) The ... [Department] shall be authorized to make monetary deductions from inmate personal accounts for the purpose of collecting restitution or any other court-ordered obligation or costs imposed under [S]ection 9721(c.l) [of the Sentencing Code]. Any amount deducted shall be transmitted by the [Department] ... to the probation department of the county or other agent designated by the county ... in which the offender was convicted. The [Department] shall develop guidelines relating to its responsibilities under this paragraph.

42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(b) (emphasis added). Section 3.A of Department DC-ADM' 005 (Collection of Inmate Debts Procedures Manual) (Debt Collection Manual) provides:

Collection of Restitution, Reparation, Fees, Costs, Fines and Penalties 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728, Act 84 of 1998 (Act 84)
1.When the County Clerk of Courts provides a copy(s) of an order(s) for restitution, reparation, fees, costs, finés, and/or penalties associated with the criminal proceedings, the records office shall file the original and shall forward a copy of the order to the business office of the facility' having custody of the inmate. The court order, the DC-300B, Court Commitment Form, or supporting information, must indicate the status of the debt including the current balance due and any special conditions, which would [ajffect payments.
2. The business office, through inmate • account deductions, makes: a. payments of 20% of the inmate’s account balance and monthly income for restitution, reparation, fees, "costs, fines, and/or penalties associated with thé criminal proceedings pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728, Act 84 of 1998, - provided that the inmate- has a balance that exceeds $10.00; and b. payments of 10% of all the inmate’s account balance and monthly • income, for the Crime Victim’s Compensation and Vietim/Witness Services Funds,-provided that the inmate has- a .

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Bluebook (online)
134 A.3d 1139, 2016 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 112, 2016 WL 889400, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/m-morgalo-v-s-gorniak-sci-albion-accountant-v-montgomery-county-clerk-pacommwct-2016.