### J - S08006 - 18

____________________________________ * Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court. NON - PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA

v. GASTON T. NEAL

Appellant : : : : : : : : : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

PENNSYLVANIA

No. 357 WDA 2017 Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence January 19, 2017 In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Criminal Division at

No(s): CP - 02 - CR - 0014319 - 2015 BEFORE: LAZARUS, J., KUNSELMAN, J., and STEVENS*, P.J.E. JUDGMENT ORDER BY LAZARUS, J.: FILED FEBRUARY 27, 2018 Gaston T. Neal appeals from the judgment of sentence, entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, following his conviction of simple assa ult 1 

### and disorderly conduct. 2 

### After our review, we affirm. Neal went to the customer service desk of the Shadyside Giant Eagle Marke t to cash a check. The customer service employee was unable to cash the check for Neal. Neal spoke with Detective John Gi lkey, who was working off - duty detail in the store at the time, and Detective Gilkey explained the store’s policy to Neal. Neal, however, returned to the customer service employee’s desk and became disruptive . The customer service employee called Detecti ve Gilkey and asked him to remove Neal from the store. As

_________________ ____________________ _______ 1 

### 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701(a)(1) . 2 

### 18 Pa.C.S. § 5503(a)(2) .

### J - S08006 - 18

- 2 -

Detective Gilkey was escorting Neal out of the store , holding on to one of Neal’s arms, Neal used his free arm to hit Detective Gilkey. After Neal broke free, he swung again at Detective Gilkey, w ho was able to avoid being hit. Following a bench trial before the Honorable Donna Jo McDaniel, th e court convicted Neal of simple assault and disorderly conduct , and sentenced him to a one - year term of probation. This appeal followed. O n appeal, Neal challenges the sufficiency of the evidence supporting his simple assault conviction. 3 

### He argues that there was no evidence that he had the intent to cause bodily injury to Detective Gilkey, and there was no evidence that Detective Gilkey suffered any bod ily injury. Our standard of review with regard to sufficiency claims is well settled: A claim challenging the sufficiency of the evidence is a question of law. Evidence will be deemed sufficient to support the verdict when it establishes each material element of the crime charged and the commission thereof by the accused, beyond a reasonable doubt. . . . When reviewing a sufficiency claim the court is required to view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict winner giving the prosecutio n the benefit of all reasonable inferences to be drawn from the evidence. Commonwealth v. Widmer , 744 A.2d 745, 751 (Pa. 2000). The Crimes Code defines simple assault as follows: § 2701. Simple assault (a) Offense defined. -- Except as provided under section 2702 (relating to aggravated assault), a person is guilty of assault if he:

_________________ ____________________ _______ 3 

### Neal raised a weight of the evidence claim in his Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) concise statement of errors complained of on appeal. He has abandoned that claim in his brief on appeal.

### J - S08006 - 18

- 3 -

(1) attempts to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another; 18 Pa.C.S. §2701(a)(1). Fur thermore, it is axiomatic that simple assault does not require a victim to suffer actual bodily injury. The attempt to inflict bodily injury may be sufficient. This intent may be inferred from the circumstances surrounding the incident if a specific intent to cause bodily injury may reasonably be inferred therefrom. Commonwealth v. Polston , 616 A.2d 669, 679 (Pa. Super. 1992) (internal citations omitted). See also In Interest of C.E.H. , 167 A.3d 767 (Pa. Super. 2017). Detective Gilkey testified that Ne al hit him once and attempted to hit him a second time. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, as verdict winner, we conclude the evidence was sufficient to enable the factfinder to find each element of the crime simple assa ult beyond a reasonable doubt. See Commonwealth v. Lewis , 911 A.2d 558 (Pa. Super . 2006 ). Judge McDaniel ’s opinion properly disposes of Neal’s sufficiency claim , and we rely on her opinion to affirm the judgment of sentence. The parties are directed to attach a copy of that opinion in the event of further proceedings. Judgment of sentence affirmed.

### J - S08006 - 18

- 4 -

Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq. Prothonotary Date: 2/27/2018Circulated 02/15/2018 03:56 PM

I N T H E C O U R T O F C O M M O N P L E A S O F A L L E G H EN Y C O UN T Y , P E NN S Y L V A NI A C RI MI N A L D I VI S I O N



### C O M M O N WE A L T H O F P ENN S Y L V AN I A



### v .
G A S T O N N E A L , D e f e n d an t C C : 2 0 1 5 1 4 3 1 9

O P IN I O N



### F il e d B y :


### H o n o r ab l e D o nn a 

### Jo M c D an i e l C o urt o f C o m m o n P l e a s o f A ll e g h e ny C o un ty 3 2 3 

### C o urth o u s e P i tt s b ur g h , P A 1 5 2 1 9 ( 4 1 2 ) 3 5 0
- 5 4 3 4

,,,.,. . 

# ' \

. .... 

## A P P E N D I X C

### I N T H E C O U R T O F C O M M O N P L E A S O F A L L E G H E N Y C O U N T Y , P E N N S Y L V A N I A C RI M I N A L D I V I S I O N
C O M M O N W E A L T H O F P ENN S Y L V A N I A



### v . G A S T O N N E A L , D e fe n d an t C C : 2 0 1 5 1 4 3 1 9



### O P I N I O N
T h e D e fe n d an t h a s a

p p e a l e d fr o m th e j u d g m e n t o f s e n t e n c e e n t e r e d o n J anu ar y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7
. H o w e v e r , a r e v i e w o f th e r e c o r d r e v e a l s th a t th e D e fe n d an t h a s fa il e d t o p r e s e n t any m e ri t o ri o u s i s s u e s o n a

p p e a l an d , th e r e fo r e , th e j u d g m e n t o f s e n t e n c e s h o u l d b e a ffi rm e d
. T h e D e fe n d an t w a s c h ar g e d w i th S i mp l e A s s au lt ' an d D i s o r d e rl y C o n d u c t 2 i n
c o n j un c t i o n w ith an i n c i d e n t at th e S h a dy s i d e Gi an t E a g l e M ark e t D i s tr i c t. H e a p p e ar e d b e fo r e th i s C o urt fo r a n o n -

j ury tri a l o n J anu ar

y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 , an d at i t s c o n c l u s i o n w as a d j u d i c at e d g u il ty
o f S i mp l e A s s au l t an d n o t g u il ty o f D i s o r d e rl y C o n d u c t . H e w a s i m m e d i at e l y s e n t e n c e d t o a t e rm o f p r o b at i o n o f o n e ( 1 ) y e ar . T i m e l y P o s t - S e n t e n c e M o t i o n s w e r e fil e d an d w e r e d e n i e d o n J anu ary 3 1 , 2 0 1 7
. T h i s a p p e a l fo ll o w e d
. O n a p p e a l , th e D e fe n d an t c h a ll e n g e s th e w e i g h t an d s u ffi ci e n c y o f th e e v i d e n c e . H i s
c l a i m s ar e a d dr e s s e d a s fo ll o w s :

1 1 8 P a . C
. S
. A
. § 2 7 0 l ( a ) ( l ) 2 1 8 P a . C
. S
. A. § 5 5 0 3 ( a ) ( 2 )

### 1
. S u ffi c i e n c y o f t h e E v i d e n c e I n i t i a ll y , th e D e fe n d an t ar g u e s th at th e e v i d e n c e w a s i n s u ffi ci e n t t o s u p p o rt th e c o n v i c t i o n fo r S i mp l e A s s au lt
. A c ar e fu l r e v i e w o f th e r e c o r d r e v e a l s th at th i s c l a i m i s m e r i t l e s s . T h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d at tri a l e s t ab li s h e d th at i n th e e ar l y m o rn i n g h o ur s o f N o v e mb e r 1 2 , 2 0 1 5 , th e D e fe n d an t w a s att e mp t i n g t o c a s h a c h e c k a t th e c u s t o m e r s e rv ic e d e s k o f th e S h a dy s i d e G i an t E a g l e M ark e t D i s tri c t. W h e n th e K ar e n H i l b e rt , th e G i an t E a g l e e mp l o y e e , w a s
un a b l e t o c a s h th e c h e c k , th e D e fe n d an t s p o k e t o D e t e c t i v e Jo hn G i l k e y , w h o w a s w o rk i n g a d e t a il at th e t i m e . D e t e c t i v e G il k e y e xp l a i n e d th e s t o r e ' s c h e c k c a s h i n g p o li c y an d th e n l e ft th e
ar e a . T h e r e a ft e r , D e t e c t i v e G il k e y w a s c a ll e d b a c k t o th e c u s t o m e r s e rv i c e ar e a b y M s . H il b e rt b e c au s e th e D e fe n d an t h a d b e c o m e l o u d an d d i s o r d e r l y an d s h e a s k e d th at h e b e r e m o v e d fr o m th e s t o r e . D e t e c ti v e G il k e y t o o k th e D e fe n d an t b y th e c o at an d e s c o rt e d h i m t o w ar d th e d o o r . W h e n th e y h a d r e a c h e d th e o ut e r l o b b y d o o r t o th e p ark i n g l o t , th e D e fe n d an t s wun g h i s fr e e arm
an d h i t D e t e c t i v e G il k e y . A ft e r b r e ak i n g fr e e , h e · s wun g a t D e t e c t i v e G il k e y a g a i n , b u t th e D e t e c ti v e w a s a

b l e t o d o d g e th e p un c h
. T h e D e fe n d an t w a s e v e n t u a ll y s u b d u e d an d t ak e n i n t o
c u s t o dy . T h e i n c i d e n t w a s c a p t ur e d o n s urv e i ll an c e v i d e o , w h i c h w a s v i e w e d b y th i s C o urt d ur i n g th e tr i a l. W h e n r e v i e w i n g a c h a ll e n g e t o th e s u f fi c i e n c y o f th e e v i d e n c e , th e c o urt mu s t d e t e rm i n e

" w h e th e r , v i e w i n g a ll th e e v i d e n c e a dm i tt e d a t tr i a l i n th e li g h t m o s t fav o rab l e t o th e v e r d i c t
w i nn e r , th e r e i s s u ffi c i e n t e v i d e n c e t o e n a b l e th e fa c t - fi n d e r t o fi n d e v e r y e l e m e n t o f th e c ri m e b e y o n d a r e a s o n a

b l e d o ub t .. . [ A n a

p p e ll a t e c o urt ] m ay n o t w e i g h th e e v i d e n c e an d s ub s t i t u t e [ i t s J j u d g m e n t fo r th e fa c t fi n d e r . 

### In a d d i t i o n . . . th e fa c t s an d c i r c um s t an c e s e s t ab li s h e d b y th e C o mm o nw e a lth n e e d n o t p r e c l u d e e v e ry p o s s i b ili ty o f i nn o c e n c e . Any d o ub t s r e g ar d i n g
2

### a

p p e ll an t' s g u il t m ay b e r e s o l v e d b y th e fa c t - fi n d e r un l e s s th e e v i d e n c e i s s o w e ak an d i n c o n cl u s i v e th a t a s a m att e r o f l aw n o p ro b a b il ity . o f fa c t m ay b e draw n fr o m th e c o mb i n e d ci r c um s t an c e s . . . F urth e rm o r e , th e C o m m o nw e a lth m ay s u s t a i n i t s b ur d e n o f p r o v i n g e v e ry
e l e m e n t o f th e c r i m e b e y o n d a r e a s o n ab l e d o ub t b y m e an s o f w h o ll y c i r c um s t an t i a l e v i d e n c e . " .c& m m o nw c a ll h v . L e � , 9 1 1 A. 2 d 5 5 8 , 5 6 3 ( P a . S u p e r . 2 0 0 6 )
. O ur C r i m e s C o d e d e fi n e s S i mp l e A s s au lt a s fo ll o w s : 

### §2 7 0 1. S i m p l e a s s a u lt ( a ) O ff e n s e d e fi n e d - E

x c e p t a s p ro v i d

e d u n d e r s e c t i o n 2 7 0 2 (

r e l a t i ng to ag g ra v a te d a s s a u lt

) , a p e r s o n i s gu il ty o f a s s a u lt 

## if h e : ( 1 ) a tte m

p t s to c a u s e o r i n te n t i o n a ll

y, kn o w i n g l

y o r re c k l es s l y c a u s es b o d il y i nj u r y to a n o t h e r ; 1 8 P a . C
. S
. A
. § 2 7 0 1. T h e e v i d e n c e d i s c u s s e d a b o v e i s c l e arl y s u ffi c i e n t t o s u p p o rt th e c o n v i c t i o n fo r S i mp l e A s s au l t. D e t e c t i v e G il k e y t e s t i fi e d th at th e D e fe n d an t h i t h i m o n c e an d att e mp t e d t o h it h i m a
s e c o n d ti m e . A s n o t e d a b o v e , th e i n c i d e n t w a s c a p t ur e d o n s urv e ill an c e v i d e o . T h e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d at tr i a l e s t a

b li s h e d a ll o f th e r e qu i s it e e l e m e n t s o f th e c r i m e o f s i mp l e a s s au l t , an d thu s th e e v i d e n c e w a s s u ffi c i e n t t o s u p p o rt th e c o n v i c t i o n . T h i s c l a i m i s m e r i t l e s s . 

### 2
. W e i g h t o f th e E v i d e n c e N e x t , th e D e fe n d an t ar g u e s th at th e v e r d i c t w a s a g a i n s t th e w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e . A g a i n , th i s c l a i m i s m e ri t l e s s . It i s w e ll
- e s t a

b li s h e d th at th e " s c o p e o f r e v i e w fo r [ a w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e ] c l a i m i s
v e r y n arr o w . T h e d e t e rm i n ati o n o f w h e th e r t o g r an t a n e w tri a l b e c au s e th e v e r d i c t i s a g a i n s t th e
w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e r e s t s w i th i n th e d i s c r e t i o n o f th e tr i a l c o urt , an d [ th e a p p e ll at e c o urt ) w ill
3n o t d i s t ur b th a t d e c i s i o n a

b s e n t an a

b u s e o f d i s c r e t i o n . W h e r e i s s u e s o f c r e d i b i li ty an d w e i g h t
ar e c o n c e rn e d , i t i s n o t th e fun c ti o n o f th e a p p e ll at e 

### c o urt t o s ub s t it u t e i t s j u d g m e n t b a s e d o n a
c o l d r e c o r d fo r th a t o f th e tr i a l c o urt . T h e w e i g h t t o b e a c c o r d e d c o n fli c t i n g e v i d e n c e i s
e x c l u s i v e l y fo r th e fa c t - fi n d e r , w h o s e fi n d i n g s w ill n o t b e d i s t ur b e d o n a

p p e a l i f th e y ar e
s u p p o rt e d b y th e r e c o r d
. A c l a i m th a t th e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d a t tri a l w a s c o n tra d i c t o r y an d
un ab l e t o s u

p p o rt th e v e r d i c t r e qu i r e s th e g ran t o f a n e w tr i a l o n l y w h e n th e v e r d i c t i s s o c o n trary t o th e e v i d e n c e a s t o s h o c k o n e ' s s e n s e o f j u s t i c e . " � o m m o nw e a l th v . Kn o x , 5 0 A
. 3 d 7 3 2 , 7 3 7
- 8 ( P a . S u p e r . 2 0 1 2 )
. M o r e o v e r , " w h e n th e c h a ll e n g e t o th e w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e i s p r e d ic a t e d o n th e
c r e d i b ili ty o f tri a l t e s t i m o ny , [ a p p e ll a t e ] r e v i e w o f th e tr i a l c o urt ' s d e c i s i o n i s e x tr e m e l y li m i t e d
. G e n e ra ll y , un l e s s th e e v i d e n c e i s s o unr e li a b l e an d / o r c o n tra d i c t o r

y a s t o m ak e any v e r d i c t b a s e d th e r e o n p ur e c o n

j e c t ur e , th o s e typ e s o f c l a i m s ar e n o t c o g n i z ab l e o n a p p e ll a t e r e v i e w . " C 0 m m 9 mv e al th v . B o w t, n , 

### 5 5 A .3 d 1 2 5 4 , 1 2 6 2 ( P a . S u p e r . 2 0 1 2 )
.

" W h e r e th e tri a l c o urt h a s r u l e d o n th e w e i g h t c l a i m b e l o w , an a p p e ll a t e c o urt ' s ro l e i s n o t t o c o n s i d e r th e un d e rl y i n g qu e s ti o n o f w h e th e r th e v e r d i c t i s a g a in s t th e w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e . R a th e r , a p p e ll a t e r e v i e w i s li m i t e d t o w h e th e r th e tri a l c o urt p a l p ab l y a b u s e d i t s d i s c r e t i o n i n
r u li n g o n th e w e i g h t cl a i m . " 

### C o mm o nw eulth v . S b a H e r , 4 0 A
. 3 d 1 2 5 0 , 1 2 5 3 ( P a . S u p e r . 2 0 1 2 )
.

" A m o t i o n fo r n e w tri a l o n g ro un d s th a t th e v e r d i c t i s c o n trar y t o th e w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e
c o n c e d e s th a t th e r e i s s u ffi c i e n t e v i d e n c e t o s u s t a i n th e v e r d i c t b u t c o n t e n d s , n e v e rth e l e s s , th a t th e v e r d i c t 

### i s a g a i n s t th e w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e . " C o m m o nw e a l th 

### v . M o r e n o , 1 4 A. 3 d 

### 1 3 3 , 1 3 6 ( P a . S u p e r . 2 0 1 1 )
.

4

### A t th e c o n c l u s i o n o f th e e v i d e n c e , th i s C o urt p l a c e d i t s fi n d i n g s o n th e r e c o r d
. I t s t a t e d : T H E C O U R T ; O k ay . G i v i n g c r e d i b ili ty t o O ffi c e r G il k e y ra th e r th an t o M r . N e a l w h o s e t e s t i m o ny s e e m e d t o b e w e ak an d e v a s i v e P m g o in g t o fi n d th e d e fe n d an t g u il ty o f s i mp l e a s s au lt
. I fe e l th at h e d i d a s s au lt th e o ffi c e r . W h e th e r o r n o t th e t a z e r w a s a

p p ro p ri at e l y u s e d i s n o t i n my p urv i e w t o d e c i d e , an d I w ill fi n d th e d e fe n d an t n o t g u i l ty o f d i s o r d e rl y c o n d u c t. ( T ri a l T ran s c ri p t , p . 2 2 )
. B e c au s e th e D e fe n d an t p ro p e rl y ra i s e d h i s w e i g h t o f th e e v i d e n c e cl a i m o n P o s t - S e n t e n c e M o t i o n s , th e a

p p e ll a t e c o urt ' s r e v i e w i s o n l y d i r e c t e d t o th i s C o urt ' s d i s c r e t i o n i n d e ny i n g th e
m o t i o n . S e e S h a ff

e r , s u p r a . A ft e r r e v i e w i n g th e r e c o r d an d th e e v i d e n c e d i s c u s s e d a b o v e , i t
c ann o t b e s a i d un d e r any an a l y s i s th at th e t e s t i m o ny p r e s e n t e d at tri a l w a s 

### " s o unr e li ab l e an d / o r
c o n tra d i c t o r

y a s t o m ak e any v e r d i c t b a s e d th e r e o n p ur e c o n j e c t ur e , " s e e B o w e n , 

### s u

p ra . D e t e c t i v e G il k e y , w h o s e t e s t i m o ny th i s C o urt fo un d t o b e c r e d i b l e , t e s t i fi e d th at th e D e fe n d an t
s tru c k h i m an d a tt e mp t e d t o h i t h i m a s e c o n d t i m e . G i v e n th e e v i d e n c e p r e s e n t e d at tr i a l an d d i s c u s s e d a

b o v e , th e r e i s n o qu e s t i o n th a t th e v e r d i c t w a s a p p r o p ri at e an d n o t " s h o c k i n g " t o th e
c o n s ci e n c e . T h i s cl a i m mu s t 

### fa i l. A c c o r d i n g l y , fo r th e a

b o v e r e a s o n s o f fa c t an d l aw , th e j u d g m e n t o f s e n t e n c e e n t e r e d o n Janu ar y 1 9 , 2 0 1 7 mu s t b e a ffi rm e d
.

5