J-S23036-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

: PENNSYLVANIA

v. :

:

JAMEEL SHABAZZ, :

:

Appellant : No. 2381 EDA 2016

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence July 21, 2016

in the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County,

Criminal Division, No(s): CP-46-SA-0000555-2016

BEFORE: OLSON, SOLANO and MUSMANNO, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY MUSMANNO, J.: FILED May 19, 2017

Jameel Shabazz (“Shabazz”) appeals from the judgment of sentence 

entered following his conviction of the summary offense of driving while 

operating privilege is suspended or revoked.1 We affirm.

Shortly after midnight on November 25, 2015, Limerick Township 

Police Sergeant Matthew Daywalt (“Sergeant Daywalt”) observed a large 

sport utility vehicle cross the double-yellow lines into oncoming traffic, five 

separate times, on Swamp Pike. Sergeant Daywalt also observed the 

vehicle twice cross the fog line. When Sergeant Daywalt stopped the 

vehicle, the driver, Shabazz, admitted that his driver’s license had been 

suspended. Sergeant Daywalt returned to his vehicle, and confirmed the 

suspension of Shabazz’s driver’s license. 

 

1 See 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1543(a).
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Following a bench trial, the trial court found Shabazz guilty of the 

aforementioned summary offense, and imposed a $200.00 fine. Thereafter, 

Shabazz filed the instant timely appeal. 

Shabazz presents the following claims for our review:

1. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN ADMITTING 

[SHABAZZ’S] DRIVING RECORD INTO EVIDENCE[,] OVER HIS 

OBJECTION[,] AND IN ALLOWING [SERGEANT DAYWALT] TO 

TESTIFY FROM THE RECORD[,] OVER [SHABAZZ’S] 

OBJECTION[,] WHERE THE RECORD WAS NOT CERTIFIED AND 

CONSTITUTED INADMISSIBLE HEARSAY[?]

2. WHETHER THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO SUSTAIN 

[SHABAZZ’S] SUMMARY APPEAL DUE TO THE LACK OF 

SUFFICIENCY OF THE EVIDENCE[,] WHERE THE 

COMMONWEALTH HAD FAILED TO MEET ITS BURDEN BY 

RELYING UPON A DRIVING RECORD WHICH WAS NOT 

CERTIFIED[?]

Brief for Appellant at 4. 

Shabazz first claims that the trial court improperly admitted his driving 

record at trial, and allowed Sergeant Daywalt to testify regarding the 

contents of the driving record. Id. at 8. Shabazz contends that the 

Commonwealth had presented only a faxed copy of his driving record at 

trial, which was not duly certified. Id. Shabazz argues that because the 

driving record was a faxed copy of his record, and not certified, it constituted 

inadmissible hearsay. Id. Shabazz acknowledges that, pursuant to 42 

Pa.C.S.A. § 6104, a public record may be admissible as an exception to the 

rule against hearsay. Brief for Appellant at 9. However, Shabazz contends 

that this hearsay exception would apply “only where a copy of a
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governmental record is authenticated by being attested to by the custodian 

of documents and contains the seal of the officer.” Id. at 10-11. Shabazz 

asserts that Sergeant Daywalt read from the uncertified facsimile, over his 

objection based upon the rule against hearsay. Id. at 12. Finally, Shabazz 

argues that “even if it had been proper for a police officer to testify from a 

document which was improperly admitted into evidence, it would 

nevertheless be a violation of Pennsylvania’s Best Evidence Rule.” Id.

The following standard governs our review of the admissibility of 

evidence:

Admission of evidence is within the sound discretion of the trial 

court and will be reversed only upon a showing that the trial 

court clearly abused its discretion....

Judicial discretion requires action in conformity with law, 

upon facts and circumstances judicially before the court, after 

hearing and due consideration. An abuse of discretion is not 

merely an error of judgment, but if in reaching a conclusion the 

law is overridden or misapplied or the judgment exercised is 

manifestly unreasonable, or the result of partiality, prejudice, 

bias, or ill will, as shown by the evidence or the record, 

discretion is abused.

Commonwealth v. Borovichka, 18 A.3d 1242, 1253 (Pa. Super. 2011) 

(quoting Commonwealth v. Levanduski, 907 A.2d 3, 13-14 (Pa. Super. 

2006) (en banc) (internal citations omitted)).

The Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence provide that hearsay “is not 

admissible except as provided by these rules, ... or by statute.” Pa.R.E. 802. 

Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 803(8) recognizes an exception to the rule 

against hearsay for “public records,” if 
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(A) the record describes the facts of the action taken or matter 

observed;

(B) the recording of this action or matter observed was an official 

public duty; and

(C) the opponent does not show that the source of the information or 

other circumstances indicate a lack of trustworthiness.

Pa.R.E. 803(8). The Comment to Rule 803(8) states that the rule “reflects 

the hearsay exception for public records provided in 42 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 6104.” 

Pa.R.E. 803(8), cmt. 

Section 6104 of the Judicial Code provides as follows: 

(a) General rule.—A copy of a record of governmental action 

or inaction authenticated as provided in section 6103

(relating to proof of official records) shall be admissible as 

evidence that the governmental action or inaction disclosed 

therein was in fact taken or omitted.

(b) Existence of facts.—A copy of a record authenticated as 

provided in section 6103 disclosing the existence or 

nonexistence of facts which have been recorded pursuant to an 

official duty or would have been so recorded had the facts 

existed shall be admissible as evidence of the existence or 

nonexistence of such facts, unless the sources of information or 

other circumstances indicate lack of trustworthiness.

42 Pa.C.S.A. § 6104 (emphasis added). 

Section 6103 provides the method for introducing official records into 

evidence, without the necessity of having a records custodian appear in 
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court to authenticate the documents.2 Section 6103 provides, in relevant 

part, as follows: 

(a) General rule.—An official record kept within this 

Commonwealth by any court, magisterial district judge or other 

government unit, or an entry therein, when admissible for any 

purpose, may be evidenced by an official publication thereof or 

by a copy attested by the officer having the legal custody of the 

record, or by that officer’s deputy, and accompanied by a 

certificate that the officer has the custody. The certificate may 

be made by any public officer having a seal of office and having 

official duties with respect to the government unit in which the 

record is kept, authenticated by the seal of that office ....

42 Pa.C.S.A. § 6103(a) (emphasis added). 

In interpreting sections 6104 and 6103, we are cognizant that, when 

considering statutory language, words and phrases shall be construed 

according to rules of grammar and according to their common and approved 

usage. 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1903(a). Section 1922 of the Statutory Construction 

Act prohibits courts from interpreting statutes in a way that makes words 

used in the statute meaningless or mere surplusage. 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1922. 

Consequently, to be admissible as a public record under section 6104, 

(1) the agency officer having legal custody of Shabazz’s driving record (or 

his/her deputy) must attest to the official copy; (2) a certificate verifying 

 

2 See Thorne v. DOT, Bureau of Driver Licensing, 727 A.2d 1205, 1207 

(Pa. Cmwlth. 1999) (stating that “[t]he legislative purpose behind the 

enactment of section 6103 is to allow a method by which official records may 

be introduced into evidence without the need for bringing the records 

custodian into court to authenticate the records.”). Although the decisions 

of the Commonwealth Court are not binding upon this Court, they may serve 

as persuasive authority. Commonwealth v. Ortega, 995 A.2d 879, 885 

(Pa. Super. 2010).
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that the officer has custody of the original driving record must accompany 

the faxed copy of the driving record; and (3) the public officer issuing the 

certificate must authenticate the certificate with the seal of that official’s 

office. See 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 6103(a), 6104. 

Here, the faxed copy of Shabazz’s driving record included an 

attestation by Kara Templeton (“Templeton”), the Director of the Bureau of 

Driver Licensing for the Secretary of Transportation. Commonwealth Exhibit 

C-1. The facsimile also included a certification that Templeton is the legal 

custodian of the records, and that she has custody of the original records, 

“which are reproduced in the attached certification.” Id. The certification 

concluded with the following statement: “In testimony whereof, I have 

hereunto set my hand and seal of this Department the day and year 

aforesaid.” Id. This statement is followed by the signature of the Secretary 

of Transportation and the word “SEAL.” Id. However, a blank space follows 

the word “SEAL.” Id. 

Upon review, we conclude that the faxed copy of Shabazz’s driving 

record was not “authenticated by the seal of that office,” as required by 42 

Pa.C.S.A. § 6103(a). There is nothing of record indicating that a seal 

appeared beneath the written word “SEAL” on the certification. See 

Commonwealth Exhibit C-1. We cannot ignore section 6103(a)’s 

requirement of a seal, as such an interpretation would improperly render the

term meaningless. See 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1922 (stating that the court cannot 
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construe a statute in a way that makes words used in the statute 

meaningless or mere surplusage). 

At trial, Shabazz objected to the admission of his driving record 

without the seal. N.T., 7/21/16, at 7. Consequently, we conclude that, 

absent the seal required by 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 6103(a), the faxed copy of 

Shabazz’s driving record was not admissible as a “public record.” See 42 

Pa.C.S.A. §§ 6103, 6104.

The Commonwealth posits that Shabazz’s driving record is

nevertheless admissible pursuant to the public record exception to the rule 

against hearsay. Brief for the Commonwealth at 9-10. The Commonwealth 

asserts that, as required by Pa.R.E. 803, Shabazz “failed to show that the 

source of the information or circumstances indicated a lack of 

trustworthiness.” Id.

Rule of Evidence 803 provides that 

[t]he following are not excluded by the rule against hearsay, 

regardless of whether the declarant is available as a witness:

...

(6) Records of a Regularly Conducted Activity. A record (which 

includes a memorandum, report, or data compilation in any 

form) of an act, event or condition if:

(A) the record was made at or near the time by--or from 

information transmitted by--someone with knowledge;

(B) the record was kept in the course of a regularly 

conducted activity of a “business”, which term includes 

business, institution, association, profession, occupation, and 

calling of every kind, whether or not conducted for profit;
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(C) making the record was a regular practice of that 

activity;

(D) all these conditions are shown by the testimony of 

the custodian or another qualified witness, or by a 

certification that complies with Rule 902(11) or (12) 

or with a statute permitting certification; and

(E) the opponent does not show that the source of 

information or other circumstances indicate a lack of 

trustworthiness.

Pa.R.E. 803 (emphasis added). 

Rule of Evidence 902(11) provides that “Certified Domestic Records of 

a Regularly Conducted Activity” are self-authenticating, if the copy “meets 

the requirements of Rule 803(6)(A)-(C), as shown by a certification of the 

custodian or another qualified person that complies with Pa.R.C.P. No. 76.” 

Pa.R.E. 902(11).3 

Our review discloses that the certification attached to the driving 

record states that the document reflects an accurate summary of all records 

in Shabazz’s name. Commonwealth Exhibit C-1. The certification 

additionally states that the Director of the Bureau of Driver Licensing is the 

legal custodian of the driving records, “and has legal custody of the original, 

facsimile, or microfiche records which are reproduced in the attached 

certification.” Id. The certification, however, does not include any language 

regarding the requirements of Pa.R.E. 803(6)(A)-(C). As a result, the 

 

3

Pa.R.E. 902(12) is not applicable here, as it applies to “Certified Foreign 

Records of a Regularly Conducted Activity.” Pa.R.E. 902(12). 
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document is not self-authenticating pursuant to Pa.R.E. 902(11). 

Consequently, the trial court improperly admitted the faxed copy of 

Shabazz’s driving record at trial. Our analysis, however, does not conclude 

at this point.

An error will be deemed harmless if

(1) the error did not prejudice the defendant or the prejudice 

was de minimus; or (2) the erroneously admitted evidence was 

merely cumulative of other untainted evidence which was 

substantially similar to the erroneously admitted evidence; or (3) 

the properly admitted and uncontradicted evidence . . . was so 

overwhelming and the prejudicial effect of the error was so 

insignificant by comparison that the error could not have 

contributed to the verdict.

Commonwealth v. Markman, 916 A.2d 586, 603 (Pa. 2007). 

Here, the record reflects that Shabazz’s driving record was cumulative 

of other properly admitted evidence. At trial, Sergeant Daywalt testified 

that, upon stopping Shabazz’s vehicle, Shabazz stated that his driver’s 

license was suspended “because he failed to respond to a violation.” N.T., 

7/21/16. Thus, the fact of Shabazz’s suspended license was established by 

the testimony of Sergeant Daywalt. See Commonwealth v. Herb, 852 

A.2d 356, 361 (Pa. Super. 2004) (concluding that circumstantial evidence 

was sufficient to establish a violation of 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 1543(b) (driving 

while operating privilege is suspended or revoked-DUI related), where 

defendant admitted that his license was suspended (DUI related) and that 

he drove the vehicle). Because Shabazz’s faxed copy of his driving record 
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provided cumulative evidence of his suspended license, we conclude that the 

admission of the copy constituted harmless error. 

Shabazz next challenges the sufficiency of the evidence underlying his 

conviction of driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked. Brief 

for Appellant at 14. Shabazz argues that the Commonwealth failed to 

establish that he had notice of the suspension of his operating privilege. Id. 

Shabazz also contends that, while Sergeant Daywalt’s testimony “may have 

served to establish the element of actual notice, the Commonwealth did not 

establish the fact of suspension even by a preponderance of the evidence, 

let alone beyond a reasonable doubt.” Id. (footnote omitted). 

In reviewing a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, 

[t]he standard we apply ... is whether[,] viewing all the evidence 

admitted at trial in the light most favorable to the verdict winner, 

there is sufficient evidence to enable the fact-finder to find every 

element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In applying 

the above test, we may not weigh the evidence and substitute 

our judgment for the fact-finder. In addition, we note that the 

facts and circumstances established by the Commonwealth need 

not preclude every possibility of innocence. Any doubts 

regarding a defendant’s guilt may be resolved by the fact-finder 

unless the evidence is so weak and inconclusive that as a matter 

of law no probability of fact may be drawn from the combined 

circumstances. The Commonwealth may sustain its burden of 

proving every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt 

by means of wholly circumstantial evidence. Moreover, in 

applying the above test, the entire record must be evaluated and 

all evidence actually received must be considered. Finally, the 

[finder] of fact[,] while passing upon the credibility of 

witnesses[,] and the weight of the evidence produced, is free to 

believe all, part or none of the evidence.
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Commonwealth v. Fabian, 60 A.3d 146, 150-51 (Pa. Super. 2013) 

(citation omitted). “This standard of deference is not altered in cases 

involving a bench trial, because the province of a trial judge sitting without a 

jury is to do what a jury is required to do.” Commonwealth v. Lee, 956 

A.2d 1024, 1027 (Pa. Super. 2008) (internal quotation marks and citation 

omitted). 

Pursuant to section 1543(a) of the Vehicle Code, “[e]xcept as provided 

in subsection (b), any person who drives a motor vehicle on any highway or 

trafficway of this Commonwealth after the commencement of a suspension, 

revocation or cancellation of the operating privilege and before the operating 

privilege has been restored is guilty of a summary offense.” 75 Pa.C.S.A. 

§ 1543(a). 

When viewed in a light most favorable to the Commonwealth, the 

evidence established that on November 25, 2015, Sergeant Daywalt stopped 

Shabazz’s vehicle, while he was driving on Swamp Pike in Limerick 

Township. N.T., 7/21/16, at 5. When Sergeant Daywalt approached the 

vehicle, Shabazz stated that his operating privilege was suspended “because 

he failed to respond to a violation.” Id. We conclude that this evidence was 

sufficient to sustain Shabazz’s conviction of driving while his operating 

privilege was suspended or revoked. See Herb, 852 A.2d at 361. 

Accordingly, we affirm Shabazz’s judgment of sentence.

Judgment of sentence affirmed.
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Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 5/19/2017