Title: Com. v. Mills

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

329 Pa. Superior Ct. 196 (1984) 478 A.2d 30 COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Richard MILLS, Appellant. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Submitted April 16, 1984. Filed June 8, 1984. *197 Joseph J. Yeager, Wilkes-Barre, for appellant. Joseph Giebus, Assistant District Attorney, Wilkes-Barre, for Commonwealth, appellee. *198 Before MONTEMURO, CERCONE and HESTER, JJ. MONTEMURO, Judge: This is an appeal from the judgment of sentence. The appellant, Richard Mills, was found guilty after a jury trial of criminal attempt[1] and criminal conspiracy.[2] Both charges arose out of an incident wherein appellant and his co-defendant, William J. Gola, allegedly made efforts to procure a controlled substance (methamphetamine) for an undercover agent from the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation. Boilerplate post-verdict motions were filed by the appellant but denied by the trial court. On February 24, 1983, the trial court imposed a sentence of five (5) years special probation. The probation sentence is to be served consecutively to a term of imprisonment currently being served by the appellant on an unrelated charge. This timely appeal followed. The appellant contends on appeal that the evidence was insufficient to sustain his convictions, and that for a variety of reasons trial counsel was ineffective. Because we agree that the evidence was insufficient, we need not consider the claims of ineffectiveness. In evaluating the sufficiency of the evidence, we are guided by the oft-stated standard set forth in Commonwealth v. Lovette, 498 Pa. 665, 450 A.2d 975 (1982): Id, 498 Pa. at 669, 450 A.2d at 977. Viewed in light of this *199 standard, the following evidence was adduced at trial.[3] On December 24, 1981, Joseph H. Byerly, an undercover agent for the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation, went to the Wilkes-Barre apartment of one of his informants, Gene Kline. Byerly and Kline then proceeded to the apartment of William Gola, a high school acquaintance of Kline. When Byerly and Kline arrived at Gola's apartment only a female identified as Tracy was present. Shortly thereafter, Gola and one George Thomas arrived at the apartment. Kline introduced Byerly, and inquired if he and Byerly could obtain some methamphetamine. Gola and Tracy had a conversation as to where the drug might be obtained. "They arrived at the name of Karl." (N.T. June 2, 1981, at 7-8). Tracy gave "Karl's" phone number to Gola, who went to a restaurant to attempt to call "Karl". A few moments later, the appellant and another man arrived at Gola's apartment. Gola returned and said he could not contact "Karl". Gola and the appellant had a conversation which was not heard in its entirety by Byerly; however, he testified that Gola told appellant that Kline and Byerly were looking for methamphetamine. At that point, the appellant said to Byerly that, "he had paid another person, who was unidentified, in advance for a quantity of methamphetamine, which he was to receive later. . ." (N.T. June 2, 1982, at 9). He also asked if Byerly would "wait until that evening", but Byerly declined. Byerly and Kline then left the apartment. While Byerly waited in his car, Kline returned to the apartment, pursuant to Byerly's instructions, and asked Gola to come down to the car. Gola, Kline and the appellant returned and got into the car. Gola gave directions to the home of Karl Polzer, and when they arrived, they drove past the front and also past the back of the house. Someone told Byerly *200 that Polzer was not home because his car was not there. They drove back to Gola's apartment. Byerly was again asked (by one of the defendants) whether he could wait until that evening. He again declined and left. The appellant and Gola were arrested by the Wilkes-Barre Police on January 21, 1982. Initially, we note that the information setting forth the charges against the appellant stated: With regard to the charge of conspiracy, we initially refer to the definition set forth at 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 903(a)(1), upon which the appellant was charged: See also, Commonwealth v. Davis, 312 Pa.Super. 85, 458 A.2d 248 (1983). In Commonwealth v. Lamb, 309 Pa.Super. 415, 455 A.2d 678 (1983), this court said: Id., 309 Pa.Super. at 429, 455 A.2d at 685-86. "However, [w]hen two equally reasonable and mutually inconsistent inferences can be drawn from the same set of circumstances, the jury may not be permitted to guess which inference it will adopt. Commonwealth v. Hubbard, 472 Pa. 259, 270, 372 A.2d 687, 692 (1977)." Commonwealth v. Davis, supra, 312 Pa.Super. at 89-90, 458 A.2d at 250. *202 Herein, we conclude that the Commonwealth's evidence, direct and circumstantial, fails to prove the existence of a conspiracy between the appellant and Gola. The conspiracy charge is premised upon an agreement between appellant and Gola to deliver a controlled substance to Byerly. The overt act alleged to have taken place is that "they directed. . . Byerly to . . . the residence of Karl Polzer in an attempt to obtain a controlled substance, however . . . Polzer was not at home." The Commonwealth's evidence does indeed indicate that the appellant accompanied Byerly, Kline and Gola to Polzer's house, and that the appellant knew that Byerly and Kline sought to obtain methamphetamine. The evidence also indicates that appellant would himself be willing to obtain methamphetamine for Byerly and Kline sometime in the future. However, the evidence does not support the conclusion that the appellant made an agreement with Gola to attempt to procure methamphetamine from Karl Polzer for Byerly and Kline, or that he had any criminal intent in accompanying them. There is no indication that the appellant and Gola had engaged in any prior dealings concerning the sale of methamphetamine, a circumstance which would support the existence of a conspiracy. Commonwealth v. Cameron, 247 Pa.Super. 435, 372 A.2d 904 (1977); Commonwealth v. Stephens, 231 Pa.Super. 481, 331 A.2d 719 (1974). There are no statements of either the appellant or Gola concerning their association which would indicate any joint criminal intent to procure drugs. Moreover, there is absolutely no evidence that the appellant knew Polzer or had any prior dealings with him; nor is there evidence that the appellant was to participate in or profit from the transaction. The only evidence the Commonwealth presents is that the appellant got in the car and accompanied the others. According to the testimony of Byerly, it was Gola, not the appellant, who gave directions to Polzer's house. Moreover, although Byerly testified that he did not know who told him Polzer was not home, Gola admitted that it *203 was he who made that statement. (N.T. June 2, 1982, at 89). To conclude, from the facts presented at trial, that the appellant and Gola conspired to attempt to deliver a controlled substance to Byerly and Kline is, in our opinion, mere speculation. Consequently, we must find the evidence was insufficient to sustain this conviction. Commonwealth v. Davis, supra; Commonwealth v. Lamb, supra. Criminal attempt is defined at 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 901(a), which states: "A person commits a criminal attempt when, with intent to commit a specific crime, he commits any act which constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of that crime." See, Commonwealth v. Griffin, 310 Pa.Super. 39, 456 A.2d 171 (1983). In Commonwealth v. Gilliam, 273 Pa.Super. 586, 417 A.2d 1203 (1980), this court stated: Id, 273 Super. at 589-590, 417 A.2d at 1205. Thus in Gilliam, the court held that the appellant, a prisoner, had committed an attempted escape by sawing completely through the window bars of his cell, and by fashioning a "hook" and "rope" from items in his cell. See and compare, Commonwealth v. Chance, 312 Pa.Super. 435, 458 A.2d 1371 (1983); Commonwealth v. Bryant, 282 Pa.Super. 600, 423 A.2d 407 (1980); Commonwealth v. Fierst, 257 Pa.Super. 440, 390 A.2d 1318 (1978). See generally, Model Penal Code, § 501(2). According to the information and the evidence produced at trial, it is the Commonwealth's contention that the appellant took a substantial step toward the delivery of a controlled *204 substance by accompanying Byerly, Kline and Gola to Karl Polzer's house. We disagree. Again we note that there is no indication that the appellant took any role in directing the vehicle to Polzer's house; in fact, the evidence indicates that he was merely a passive passenger. Moreover, there is no evidence that the appellant knew Polzer or had any prior dealings with him; nor is there any indication as to what role appellant was to play in the transaction. Additionally, since we have determined that the Commonwealth has failed to prove the existence of a conspiracy, the appellant is not liable for the acts of Gola. Consequently, we conclude the evidence was insufficient to sustain a conviction on the charge of criminal attempt. We must therefore vacate the judgment of sentence imposed by the trial court. It is unnecessary to address appellant's claims of ineffectiveness in light of our decision. Judgment of sentence vacated. Jurisdiction is not retained. CERCONE, J., concurred in the result. [1] 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 901. [2] 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 903(a). [3] The Commonwealth reiterates the trial court's determination that appellant's claim of insufficiency was waived because appellant filed only boilerplate post-verdict motions. Since his post-trial motions were filed before our decision in Commonwealth v. Holmes, 315 Pa.Super. 256, 461 A.2d 1268 (1983), we shall review the merits of appellant's claim.