Case Name: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellee, v. Yakee BENTLEY, Appellant; Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Yakee Bentley, Appellee
Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 2003-08-21
Citations: 831 A.2d 668
Docket Number: 
Parties: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellee, v. Yakee BENTLEY, Appellant. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Yakee Bentley, Appellee.
Judges: BEFORE: TODD, GRACI and TAMILIA, JJ.
Reporter: West's Atlantic Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 831
Pages: 668–673

Head Matter:
COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellee, v. Yakee BENTLEY, Appellant. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Appellant, v. Yakee Bentley, Appellee.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Submitted May 21, 2003.
Filed Aug. 21, 2003.
Lee Mandell, Philadelphia, for Bentley.
Catherine L. Marshall, Asst. Dist. Atty., Philadelphia, for Com.
BEFORE: TODD, GRACI and TAMILIA, JJ.

Opinion:
OPINION BY
TAMILIA, J.:
¶ 1 The Commonwealth appeals from an Order dated April 26, 2002 granting Yakee Bentley's post-sentence motion for new trial. On appeal, the Commonwealth claims the trial court's Order granting Bentley's post-sentence motion for new trial is a legal nullity because the court no longer had jurisdiction to rule on this matter pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 720, Post-Sentence Procedures; Appeal.
¶ 2 Following a non-jury trial held on September 20 — 24, 2001, appellee/cross appellant Bentley was found guilty of first degree murder and criminal conspiracy. On November 8, 2001, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and ten (10) to twenty (20) years imprisonment for criminal conspiracy to run concurrently with the sentence for murder. Thereafter, on November 13, 2001, trial counsel filed a post-sentence motion and then withdrew from the case. New counsel, appointed on November 19, 2001, notified the trial court that he intended to file a supplemental motion alleging ineffective assistance of trial counsel and asked for time to further investigate the matter. A hearing on trial counsel's ineffectiveness was held on April 11 and 26, 2002. On the final day of the hearing, more than 150 days after Bentley's post-sentence motion was filed, the trial court granted his request for a new trial. On May 8, 2002, the Commonwealth initiated its timely appeal from the Order granting a new trial, and Bentley filed his appeal from the denial of his post-sentence motion by operation of law on April 12, 2002.
¶ 3 There is only one issue at the heart of these consolidated appeals, that is whether or not the trial court had the requisite authority, i.e., jurisdiction, to issue the April 26, 2002 Order granting Bentley's post-sentence motion for new trial. Because the trial court faded to act within the prescribed time period, the Commonwealth contends the post-sentence motion was deemed denied by operation of law and the trial court lost jurisdiction to consider the matter. In response, Bentley contends Rule 720 does not constitute a jurisdictional bar, and the trial court's delay in ruling on his post-sentence motion is inconsequential and excusable. For the following reasons, we agree with the Commonwealth's position.
¶4 Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 720, in pertinent part, reads:
(B) Optional Post-Sentence Motion.
(3) Time limits for Decision on Motion.
The judge shall not vacate sentence pending decision on the post-sentence motion, but shall decide the motion as provided in this paragraph.
(a) Except as provided in Paragraph (B)(3)(b), the judge shall decide the post-sentence motion, including any supplemental motion, within 120 days of the filing of the motion. If the judge fails to decide the motion within 120 days, or to grant an extension as provided in paragraph (B)(3)(b), the motion shall be deemed denied by operation of law.
(b) Upon motion of the defendant within the 120-day disposition period, for good cause shown, the judge may grant one 30-day extension for decision on the motion. If the judge fails to decide the motion within the 30-day extension period, the motion shall be deemed denied by operation of law.
Comment: See Rules 622, 606, and 608.
The purpose of this rule is to promote the fair and prompt disposition of all issues relating to guilty pleas, trial, and sentence by consolidating all possible motions to be submitted for trial court review, and by setting reasonable but firm time limits within which the motion must be decided....
DISPOSITION
Under paragraph (B)(3), once the defendant makes a timely written postsen-tence motion, the judge retains jurisdiction for the duration of the disposition period....
Pa.R.Crim.P. 720(B)(3), Comment (emphasis added).
¶ 5 The plain text of Rule 720 clearly states that, at most, a trial court judge has 150 days to render a ruling on a post-sentence motion before the motion is deemed denied by operation of law. See Pa.R.Crim.P. 720(B)(3)(a), (b). Herein, Bentley filed his post-sentence motion on November 13, 2001; the trial court, however, did not rule on this motion until 164 days had lapsed. Bentley, however, argues the passage of more than 150 days after the filing of the post-sentence motion is not a controlling factual event in this case because the time limitations set forth in Rule 720 do not operate as an unbending mechanical "jurisdictional bar". More specifically, Bentley contends these time limitations are similar to a statute of limitations subject to equitable tolling in situations like this one where the post-sentence motion was timely filed and the ruling on the motion was delayed due to extraordinary circumstances. Although we find this argument intriguing, it lacks merit.
¶ 6 Subsections 720(B)(3)(a) and 720(B)(3)(b) make it abundantly clear that time is of the essence in that a court's failure to rule on a post-sentence motion within the prescribed time period equates to denial of such motion "by operation of law." Pa.R.Crim.P. 720(B)(3)(a), (b). Our reading of the Comment section of Rule 720 further convinces us that time is of utmost importance. The mission of Rule 720 is "to promote the fair and prompt disposition of all issues relating to guilty pleas, trial, and sentence." Pa.R.Crim.P. 720, Comment. To obtain these objectives, Rule 720 imposes "firm time limits" on trial court judges to deliberate on pending post-sentence motions. Id. In fact, a trial court judge's legal authority to even entertain such motions is entirely contingent upon his/her compliance with the time requirements set forth in Rule 720 as they are jurisdictional in nature. The above quoted portion of the Rule 720 Comment titled "DISPOSITION" explicitly states that a trial court's authority to rule on a post-sentence motion is finite in nature. To be more specific, a trial court "retains jurisdiction" to rule on a post-sentence motion only "for the duration of the disposition period" as set forth in subsection 720(B)(3). Pa.R.Crim.P. 720, Comment, "DISPOSITION". As such, we conclude the trial court's inability to render a ruling on Bentley's motion within the prescribed time period divested the court of jurisdiction to render a decision at a later date.
¶ 7 Our interpretation of Rule 720 is solidly supported by the prevailing case law. In Commonwealth v. Santone, 757 A.2d 963 (Pa.Super.2000), this Court held a trial court's modification Order issued beyond the time period set forth in Rule 1410, renumbered Rule 720 (amended March 1, 2000, effective April 1, 2001), was a legal nullity because the court no longer had jurisdiction to issue the modification Order. Accordingly, as jurisdiction goes to a court's fundamental authority to entertain claims, the trial court herein had no authority to hand down the April 26, 2002 Order granting Bentley's motion for new trial. See Santone, supra at 966.
¶ 8 Order vacated and case remanded for reinstatement of original sentence. Following reinstatement, Bentley may file a notice of appeal if desired.
¶ 9 The appeal at No. 1596 EDA 2002 is quashed.
¶ 10 Jurisdiction relinquished.
¶ 11 GRACI, J., joins and files a Concurring Opinion.
.Although as a technical matter we have before us consolidated appeals, the parties' briefs clearly reveal there is only one issue for our consideration, that is whether or not the trial court had the requisite authority to enter the April 26, 2002 Order granting Yakee Bentley's motion for new trial.
. 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2502(a).
. Id. § 903.
. As a result of Bentley's apparent neglect to move for a 30-day extension, it technically appears the trial court's Order granting the 30-day extension to decide the post-sentence motion was entered improperly on its own initiative. See Pa.R.Crim.P. 720(B)(3)(b). Accordingly, Bentley's post-sentence motion for new trial court was deemed denied by operation of law on March 13, 2002, 120 days after the motion was filed. Giving Bentley the benefit of every doubt, however, we review this appeal in its present posture.
. In his appeal, defendant argued in response to the Commonwealth's appeal only that the trial court had jurisdiction to grant his post-sentence motion for a new trial. On this basis defendant was not an aggrieved party and his appeal is quashed.