Title: Com. v. Reno

State: pennsylvania

Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court

Document:

303 Pa. Superior Ct. 166 (1982) 449 A.2d 630 COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Robert RENO, Appellant. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Submitted November 12, 1980. Filed August 13, 1982. *167 Norman A. Levine, New Castle, for appellant. Donald E. Williams, District Attorney, New Castle, for Commonwealth, appellee. Before SPAETH, WICKERSHAM and LIPEZ, JJ. SPAETH, Judge: This is an appeal from an order denying a petition to withdraw a guilty plea. Appellant argues that the petition should have been granted because his guilty plea colloquy was deficient in several respects. We agree, and therefore reverse. Appellant had been charged with rape and was tried in February 1976. The trial ended on February 18, 1976, in a *168 hung jury. On February 23, 1976, appellant, pursuant to a plea bargain, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault.[1] Appellant argues, Appellant's Brief at 9-10, and the Commonwealth admits, Appellee's Brief at 11, that during the colloquy he was not informed of his right to file a petition to withdraw his guilty plea prior to sentencing or of his appellate rights. When the lower court has failed to inform the defendant of his right to file a petition to withdraw a guilty plea, and the consequences of a failure to do so, an invalid waiver of the right to jury trial is conclusively inferred. Commonwealth v. McGarry, 280 Pa.Superior Ct. 527, 529 n.2, 421 A.2d 847, 848 n. 2 (1980) (citing cases). And see, Commonwealth v. Vigue, 279 Pa.Superior Ct. 46, 420 A.2d 736 (1980). The colloquy was further deficient in that the lower court did not ascertain whether there was a factual basis for the guilty plea. Commonwealth v. Stolle, 254 Pa.Superior Ct. 483, 386 A.2d 53 (1978); Comment, Pa.R.Crim.P. 319. The Commonwealth admits this defect, too, Appellee's Brief at 8-9, but argues that: This argument echoes the lower court's holding that "[d]ue to the evidence produced at trial the previous week, it was clear that a factual basis for the plea was present and the plea was therefore accepted." Slip op. at 3. We are unable to subscribe to this reasoning, for Pa.R.Crim.P. 319 makes *169 inquiry into the factual basis for the plea mandatory at the colloquy. Commonwealth v. Willis, 471 Pa. 50, 369 A.2d 1189 (1978). Moreover, the evidence that both the lower court and the Commonwealth refer to as having been produced at the previous trial is not of record. We therefore cannot give it any effect; this rule applies whether the evidence in question is recited in a brief, Marine Bank v. Huhta, 279 Pa.Superior Ct. 130, 420 A.2d 1066 (1980), or in the opinion of the lower court, In re Custody of Frank, 283 Pa.Superior Ct. 229, 423 A.2d 1229 (1980). Finally, the colloquy was deficient in that the lower court did not inform appellant that the members of the jury had to be unanimous in their decision. This omission was reversible error. Commonwealth v. Dello Buono, 271 Pa.Superior Ct. 572, 414 A.2d 631 (1979); Commonwealth v. Carl, 267 Pa.Superior Ct. 156, 406 A.2d 566 (1979); Commonwealth v. Coxson, 262 Pa.Superior Ct. 14, 396 A.2d 460 (1978). Given these several deficiencies in the colloquy, we conclude that appellant was entitled to withdraw his plea. Reversed. WICKERSHAM, J., files a dissenting opinion. WICKERSHAM, Judge, dissenting: I would affirm the judgment of sentence. On October 11, 1975, Robert Reno, appellant herein, was charged in a criminal complaint with the crime of rape, allegedly having had sexual intercourse with a female age 18, without her consent, by force and she not being his spouse, on October 10, 1975, in Shenango Township, Lawrence County. The case came to trial in February of 1976 before the Honorable John F. Henderson, President Judge and a jury with Alfred V. Papa, Esquire representing Robert Reno. The case ended with a "hung jury." One week later, appellant, Robert Reno, was again before Judge Henderson with his counsel, Mr. Papa and entered into a plea bargain. The following appeared, inter alia, at the plea colloquy: Guilty plea colloquy, February 23, 1976, at 1-2, 5-7. Appellant Reno did not appear for sentencing on April 5, 1976, and was declared a fugitive. He was arrested as a result of a bench warrant issued by the Lawrence County Court in 1979. On June 29, 1979, Alfred V. Papa, Esquire filed a petition to withdraw as counsel which was joined in by Robert Reno. On June 29, 1979, an order was entered permitting the withdrawal of Papa as counsel and directing that the Lawrence County Public Defender's Office take over the further legal proceedings in the case. On October 5, 1979, Robert Reno appeared before Judge Henderson represented by Norman A. Levine, Public Defender, *172 for sentencing. The court reviewed with Reno his past criminal record and the following colloquy, inter alia, appeared: Sentencing transcript, October 5, 1979, at 4-8. Thereafter, appellant filed a motion challenging the validity of the 1976 guilty plea and a motion for modification of sentence, both of which motions were denied by Order of Court dated December 20, 1979. In the interim a direct appeal was taken to this court from the judgment of sentence entered October 5, 1979. I agree with that portion of the Opinion of Judge Henderson dated December 20, 1979, where he analyzes the facts and issues as follows: Lower Ct. Op. at 2-4. It is clear that when a defendant wishes, after the imposition of sentence, to withdraw his guilty plea, there must be a *176 showing of prejudice on the order of manifest injustice. Commonwealth v. Robinson, 253 Pa.Super. 496, 385 A.2d 448 (1978); see also Commonwealth v. Hayes, 462 Pa. 291, 300 n. 7, 341 A.2d 85, 90 n.7 (1975). I find under all the evidence and the record in this case that appellant has failed to prove that his plea was involuntary and that the lower court properly denied appellant relief. Finally appellant raises a question concerning the sentence imposed and whether the lower court abused its discretion in sentencing. I find no abuse of discretion. What we said in Commonwealth v. Zimmerman, 282 Pa.Super. 286, 422 A.2d 1119 (1980) (Opinion by Judge Hoffman) is pertinent here. Id., 282 Pa.Superior Ct. at 298, 422 A.2d at 1125. My review of the record reveals that the lower court complied with the mandates of Martin and Riggins. The sentencing colloquy amply shows that the lower court was aware of appellant's background information and gave long and deliberate consideration to the details. [1] Appellant did not appear on the date he was scheduled to be sentenced, July 26, 1976. He was later found and on October 5, 1979, was sentenced to two to five years in prison. In the meantime, he had sustained a spinal cord injury in a fall from a roof, which rendered him a paraplegic. Appellant argues that his sentence was excessive in view of his physical condition. We do not reach this issue. Commonwealth v. Paige, 287 Pa.Superior Ct. 133, 142 n. 3, 429 A.2d 1135, 1140 n. 3 (1981).