Title: Com. v. Grahame
Citation: 333 Pa. Super. 224, 482 A.2d 255
Docket Number: N/A
State: Pennsylvania
Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Date: September 7, 1984

333 Pa. Superior Ct. 224 (1984) 482 A.2d 255 COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Lawrence GRAHAME, Appellant. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Submitted November 28, 1983. Filed September 7, 1984. Petition for Allowance of Appeal Denied February 8, 1985. *225 Gregory R. Reed, Easton, for appellant. Michael Vedomsky, Assistant District Attorney, Easton, for Commonwealth, appellee. Before WICKERSHAM, MONTEMURO and MONTGOMERY, JJ. MONTEMURO, Judge: This is an appeal from a judgment of sentence. On May 9, 1981, a jury found the appellant, Lawrence Grahame, to be guilty of robbery,[1] recklessly endangering another person[2] and conspiracy.[3] The appellant filed timely post-verdict motions which were argued to the court en banc. On April 30, 1982, the court issued an order and opinion denying these motions. On July 16, 1982, the appellant was sentenced to seven and one-half (7 1/2) to fifteen (15) years imprisonment on the charge of robbery, one (1) to two (2) years imprisonment on the charge of recklessly endangering another person, and one (1) to two (2) years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy. All sentences were imposed so as to run concurrently. This timely appeal followed. *226 The appellant asks us to consider multiple allegations of error by the trial court; however, we need only consider the appellant's contention that the court erred in denying the appellant's demurrer to all charges for want of sufficient evidence to submit the case to the jury. Commonwealth v. Wimberly, 488 Pa. 169, 171, 411 A.2d 1193, 1194 (1979). See also, Commonwealth v. Gilliard, 300 Pa.Super. 469, 446 A.2d 951 (1982). The evidence presented by the Commonwealth was essentially the testimony of five witnesses: Pamela Kranich, Alton Parks, Nicholas E. Englesson, Detective Joseph Mugavero and Donald Kowalski. Pamela Kranich testified that on December 16, 1980, she was employed as a cashier at the Food Lane Supermarket on Berwick Street in Easton. At approximately 7:30 P.M., a young black male entered the store. Ms. Kranich recognized the male as Alton Parks, whom she had known previously. Parks stood near the door for a few minutes, and then approached Kranich. He inquired if the store carried "hats". Kranich replied negatively. Parks left the store, but returned after a few minutes with two other black males. At the outset of Mrs. Kranich's testimony, she stated, "he came back in with two other gentlemen, which [sic] are sitting right in front of us." (N.T. at 23). She identified one of the men as appellant's *227 co-defendant, Darnell Williams. The prosecutor then asked: (N.T. at 24-25). She then pointed out the appellant. The three men went to the health and beauty aids section of the store, remaining there for a few minutes. They then proceeded to the "cupcake aisle." One of the men picked up a cupcake or pie and brought it up to the register. When Ms. Kranich rang up the purchase, Darnell Williams produced a sawed-off shotgun. The three men reached into the open cash drawer and took all of the money, which they stuffed into a gym bag. The men left and Ms. Kranich alerted the police by means of a security alarm. Approximately two to three weeks later, Detective Mugavero showed an array of six to eight photographs to Ms. Kranich from which she was able to pick out a photograph of Darnell Williams as one of the men who robbed the store.[4] On March 18, 1981, Mrs. Kranich, accompanied by Detective Mugavero and Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Englesson, went to Northampton County Prison to conduct a line-up. The first line-up was comprised of five males, but did not include any of the alleged perpetrators of the robbery. Ms. Kranich did not identify anyone as one of the robbers. A second line-up was conducted; this one comprised of ten males including the appellant. Ms. Kranich failed to identify the appellant as one of the robbers. At the time of the line-up, she admitted to defense counsel that she did not get a good look at the third man. (N.T. at 66). Ms. Kranich also testified, thusly: (N.T. at 56-57). She further admitted that at the preliminary hearing in this matter she had testified that "All blacks look alike." (N.T. at 61). Cross-examination of Ms. Kranich concluded with this exchange: (N.T. at 66-67). On redirect examination, the prosecutor attempted to rehabilitate Ms. Kranich with respect to her identification testimony: (N.T. at 70-71). The Commonwealth thereafter called Alton Parks as a witness.[5] Parks testified that he robbed the Food Lane Market, "but these two [the appellant and his co-defendant] didn't." (N.T. at 77). Parks was directed to tell the court the identities of the other two perpetrators, but he refused.[6] The Commonwealth made a plea of surprise and asked to continue examination of Parks as of cross-examination. The Commonwealth's argument that they were surprised was premised on an oral statement allegedly made by Parks to Detective Mugavero implicating the appellant and Williams. Permission was granted by the court; however, the prosecutor never asked Parks about this statement in the Commonwealth's case-in-chief. Thereafter, the Commonwealth produced the testimony of Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Englesson, who testified about the conditions at the line-up of March 18, 1981. The Commonwealth then offered Detective Mugavero as a witness. Detective Mugavero testified that he was the investigating officer; that he arrested and interviewed Alton Parks; that he conducted the photographic array which included the photograph of Alton Parks and the photographic array which included the photograph of Darnell Williams. He further testified that he was at Alton Park's Juvenile Proceeding; the Preliminary hearings for Darnell Williams and the appellant; the suppression hearing for Darnell Williams, and the line-up for Lawrence Grahame. On redirect examination, the Detective testified that Ms. Kranich identified the appellant at a preliminary hearing. An objection to the question that led to this answer was sustained, and the jury was instructed to disregard the *231 answer. Once again, the Commonwealth failed to inquire about Park's statement implicating the appellant. Finally, the Commonwealth offered the testimony of Donald Kowalski, the Food Lane Manager, who testified that approximately one thousand dollars was missing from the store. Co-defendant, Darnell Williams, testified in his own behalf and offered an alibi as to his whereabouts on the day of the robbery. The appellant, having demurred to the Commonwealth's case offered no evidence in his own behalf. On rebuttal, the Commonwealth again called Alton Parks as a witness. The prosecutor asked: (N.T. at 158). To which Parks replied, "I don't remember?" The question was posed again and Parks testified that he did not make that statement (N.T. at 160-61). Reviewing all of the testimony produced by the Commonwealth at trial, we must conclude that the trial court erred in denying appellant's demurrer to all charges. The Commonwealth has proven that a robbery was committed; that it was committed by three black males; and that two of the males were Alton Parks and Darnell Williams. The appellant, alleged by the Commonwealth to be the third black male involved, is connected to the crime by the identification testimony of Pamela Kranich, who later stated that she did not get a good look at the third man; that she did not know who the third man was; and that she did not remember if Lawrence Grahame was one of the robbers. Her testimony is further weakened by her failure to identify Mr. Grahame at a pretrial line-up, and by her statement that "[a]ll blacks look alike." *232 We are cognizant of the judicial admonitions concerning the province of the jury: Commonwealth v. Webster, 490 Pa. 322, 327-328, 416 A.2d 491, 493 (1980). So too are we cognizant of the Commonwealth's burden to prove the identity of the perpetrator of a crime: Commonwealth v. Hickman, 453 Pa. 427, 430, 309 A.2d 564, 566 (1973). (Emphasis in original). We also reiterate the rule set forth in Commonwealth v. Kloiber, 378 Pa. 412, 424-25, 106 A.2d 820, 826, cert. denied, Kloiber v. Pennsylvania, 348 U.S. 875, 75 S. Ct. 112, 99 L. Ed. 688 (1954). Herein, although Ms. Kranich initially identified the appellant, as well as Parks and Williams, her testimony as to the appellant was decidedly uncertain. In comparison her identification of Parks and Williams remained unshaken even on cross-examination. Additionally, we note Ms. Kranich was unable to pick the appellant out of a line-up, whereas she identified photographs of both Williams and Parks in separate photographic arrays. Finally, we note the Commonwealth's abject failure to rehabilitate her testimony with respect to the identification of appellant. In short, the Commonwealth failed to prove its case against the appellant. Consequently, the judgment of sentence is vacated and the appellant is discharged. Judgment of sentence vacated. WICKERSHAM, J., files dissenting opinion. WICKERSHAM, Judge, dissenting: I DISSENT! On June 9, 1981, trial proceedings were held before the Honorable Michael V. Franciosa, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Northampton County in a criminal trial involving Lawrence Grahame, Jr., appellant.[1] One of the principal Commonwealth witnesses was Pamela Kranich. She testified that on December 26, 1980 at about 7:30 p.m. she was working at a supermarket called Food Lane. She was 19 years of age at the time. Early in her direct testimony she advised the court and jury that two persons entered the store, got a cupcake and a pie and came to her register. At that point she said that Darnell Williams pulled a gun on her (N.T. 23). She said that Darnell Williams was the person in the courtroom on trial and she pointed him out as the "gentleman in the white sweater." *234 She testified further that Lawrence Grahame, Jr., appellant herein, was standing next to Darnell and she stated that Grahame was the person present in the courtroom on trial. She pointed him out (N.T. 25). She said that Lawrence Grahame was carrying a gym bag and that he and Williams and a third person by the name of Alton Parks emptied her drawer of money and put it in the gym bag that Lawrence Grahame was carrying. They left and she pushed the security alarm and called her boss. Her identification of the defendant was positive on direct examination. Any subsequent uncertainty in her identification, developed during questioning by defense counsel, was for the jury. I agree with the conclusion of the Northampton County Court En Banc on this issue where they stated: Brief for Appellee at iv. I would affirm the conviction and judgment of sentence. [1] 18 Pa.C.S. § 3901. [2] Id. § 2705. [3] Id. § 903. [4] Approximately one week after the robbery, Ms. Kranich picked out a photograph of Alton Parks from an array of approximately ten pictures. [5] Parks was tried separately because he was a juvenile at the time of the incident. [6] Parks was held in direct criminal contempt by the court for his refusal to answer. [1] Grahame was tried with co-defendant Darnell Williams.