J-S47006-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee

v.

RAJAB S. GOMEZ

Appellant No. 2777 EDA 2016

Appeal from the PCRA Order August 4, 2016

In the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County

Criminal Division at No(s): CP-48-CR-0002812-2015

BEFORE: LAZARUS, J., MOULTON, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.

JUDGMENT ORDER BY LAZARUS, J.: Filed: August 8, 2017

Rajab S. Gomez appeals pro se from the trial court’s order denying his 

pro se petition filed pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”), 42 

Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546. After careful review, we affirm.

On February 5, 2016, Gomez entered a negotiated guilty plea to 

robbery,1simple assault,2and receiving stolen property.3 He was sentenced 

to an agreed-upon aggregate sentence of 2-4 years’ imprisonment, followed 

by a consecutive term of two years of probation. The court deemed Gomez 

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1 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701(a)(1)(v).

2 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701(a)(1).

3 18 Pa.C.S. § 3925(a).
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eligible under the Recidivism Risk Reduction Incentive (RRRI) Act, 61 Pa.C.S. 

§§ 4501-4512. 

Gomez filed a pro se motion, which the court treated as a PCRA 

petition, on May 16, 2016. The court gave Gomez notice of its intent to 

dismiss his petition, pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 907,4on July 14, 2016.5 On 

July 22, 2016, Gomez filed his second pro se PCRA petition; the court denied 

this petition, noting that his first petition was still pending. See 

Commonwealth v. Lark, 746 A.2d 585 (Pa. 2000) (when appellant's PCRA 

appeal is pending before a court, subsequent PCRA petition cannot be filed 

until resolution of review of pending PCRA petition by highest state court in 

which review is sought, or upon expiration of time for seeking such review). 

On August 4, 2016, the trial court denied Gomez’s first petition. 

August 24, 2016, Gomez filed a timely notice of appeal. On August 30, 

2016, the trial court ordered Gomez to file a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) concise 

statement of matters complained of on appeal within 21 days, or by 

September 20, 2016. Gomez failed to comply with this order and did not file 

a Rule 1925(b) statement. 

____________________________________________

4 The court also permitted court-appointed counsel to withdraw, pursuant to 

Commonwealth v. Turner, 544 A.2d 927 (Pa. 1988) and Commonwealth 

v. Finley, 550 A.2d 213 (Pa. Super. 1988).

5 On this same date, Gomez filed a pro se motion to withdraw his guilty plea. 

The court dismissed the motion as untimely. See Pa.R.Crim.P. 720 (motion 

to withdraw guilty plea must be filed within 10 days of sentence).
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In its Rule 1925(a) opinion, the trial court recognizes Gomez’s failure 

to file a Rule 1925(b) statement and deems all issues waived on appeal. 

See Trial Court Opinion, 9/28/16, at 2; see also Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b); but 

see Commonwealth v. Sohnleitner, (Pa. Super. 2005) (where trial court 

accepts untimely Rule 1925(b) statement and addresses issues raised in its 

Rule 1925(a) opinion, appellate court will not deem issues waived). Because 

the failure to file a court-ordered Rule 1925(b) statement traditionally 

results in the waiver of all issues on appeal and because the trial court has 

not addressed Gomez’s issues on appeal, we find Gomez’s issues waived. 

See Commonwealth v. Lord, 719 A.2d 306, 309 (Pa. 1998) (if appellant is 

directed to file Rule 1925(b) statement, any issues not raised in statement 

are waived).

Order affirmed.6

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6 Although the trial court submits that this appeal should be quashed, the 

proper procedure is to affirm the underlying order denying PCRA relief. An 

appeal is quashed when our court does not have jurisdiction over the 

matter. Here, Gomez’s appeal is properly before our Court, however he has 

waived review of any issues for failure to comply with the trial court’s Rule 

1925(b) order. 
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Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 8/8/2017