Title: Commonwealth v. Johnson, Aplt (Concurring Opinion)

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

[J-32-2009] IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA EASTERN DISTRICT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, Appellee v. KAREEM JOHNSON, Appellant : : : : : : : : : : : No. 558 CAP Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence entered on 7/03/07 in the Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division of Philadelphia County at No. CP-51-CR- 1300424-2006 ARGUED: April 15, 2009 CONCURRING OPINION MR. JUSTICE SAYLOR DECIDED: December 29, 2009 I join the majority opinion. My only comment is to express continuing concern regarding the many cases in which we are seeing a clear failure, on the part of counsel, to provide the professional services necessary to secure appellate review on the merits of a capital defendant’s or petitioner’s claims. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Walter, 600 Pa. 392, 397-404, 966 A.2d 560, 563-67 (2009) (describing various of a capital appellant’s claims as “unintelligible,” underdeveloped, “vague and confusing,” waived, “incomprehensible,” and “incapable of review”). This is a matter which certainly merits ongoing monitoring by this Court in its supervisory capacity. The close attention of the Legislature is warranted as well, at the very least in terms of ensuring the availability of appropriate funding to provide the resources necessary to continue to reconcile its scheme of [J-32-2009] - 2 capital punishment with the constitutional mandate of an adequate defense for indigent individuals whom a State seeks to put to death.