Title: Commonwealth, Pet. v. Pringle, B. (Summary Disposition)

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA EASTERN DISTRICT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, Petitioner v. BRYANT PRINGLE, Respondent : : : : : : : : : : : No. 127 EAL 2008 Petition for Allowance of Appeal from the Memorandum and Order of the Superior Court at 2469 EDA 2006, dated December 17, 2007, vacating the Order of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County at CP-51-CR- 0503011-2003, dated August 8, 2006 ORDER PER CURIAM AND NOW, this 7th day of October, 2008, the Petition for Allowance of Appeal is hereby GRANTED, the order of the Superior Court is VACATED, and the case REMANDED to the PCRA court for an evidentiary hearing on respondent’s ineffectiveness claim. While the Superior Court was correct in finding respondent’s PCRA petition was timely filed, it erred in relying on the PCRA court’s opinion in its analysis of the merits of respondent’s claim. This petition was dismissed as untimely, and should be returned to the procedural posture prior to the improper dismissal. As there has been no consideration of evidence in support of the merits of the petition, entitlement to relief under the PCRA must await the three-pronged proofs required in all such matters; resentencing is at best premature. Jurisdiction relinquished.