Opinion ID: 2066555
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Appellant's boilerplate request for new trial counsel

Text: In his fifth and final underlying issue based on the PCRA court's denial of an evidentiary hearing, appellant claims that direct appeal counsel was ineffective for failing to argue that the trial court erred in failing to grant a timely hearing on appellant's pre-trial petition for new appointed trial counsel. Appellant argues that the trial court wrongly relied on appellant's statement to the court that he was satisfied with counsel's representation because he only meant that he was satisfied with trial counsel's advice to waive a motion to suppress. The Commonwealth offers four independent reasons why the instant claim does not entitle appellant to relief. Specifically, the Commonwealth contends that: (1) the claim is presented on a second page of appellant's Statement of Questions Involved, in violation of Pa.R.A.P. 2116; (2) appellant fails to present any affidavit or other offer of proof specifying what allegations he would have raised at a hearing on his petition for new counsel; (3) a hearing was unwarranted because any putative error could still be corrected since the case had not yet proceeded to trial (Commonwealth's Brief at 68); and (4) a pre-trial colloquy conducted by the trial court sufficed to provide appellant an opportunity to raise any concern he had with his representation. This last argument forwarded by the Commonwealth was the PCRA court's basis for denying relief on the instant claim. The decision of whether to appoint new counsel lies within the sound discretion of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Spotz, 562 Pa. 498, 756 A.2d 1139, 1150 (2000) (citing Commonwealth v. Segers, 460 Pa. 149, 331 A.2d 462, 465 (1975)). A hearing on a motion for new counsel is not required where the defendant provides only a general averment of inadequate representation. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. (Raymond) Williams, 514 Pa. 62, 522 A.2d 1058, 1061 (1987). On collateral appeal, an appellant who is alleging ineffectiveness must set forth an offer to prove at an appropriate hearing sufficient facts upon which an appellate court can conclude that trial counsel may have, in fact, been ineffective. This Court will no longer consider claims of ineffective assistance of counsel in the abstract. Commonwealth v. Floyd, 506 Pa. 85, 484 A.2d 365, 368 (1984) (quoting Commonwealth v. Pettus, 492 Pa. 558, 424 A.2d 1332, 1335 (1981)). On October 30, 1992, more than six months before trial, appellant filed three standardized forms in the trial court, namely: a Motion for Bill of Particulars; a Motion to Quash the Issuing Authority's Transcripts, Lack of Credibility; and a Petition for Withdrawal of Counsel and Appointment of New Counsel. The new counsel petition read, in its entirety, as follows: TO THE HONORABLE JUDGES OF THE AVOVE [sic] SAID COURT: I, RODNEY COLLINS, Pro-se Petitioner in the foregoing action respectfully represents [sic] the following: (1) On 7-14-92, Petitioner was arrested and charged with a series of offenses arising out ot [sic] an alleged MURDER, having occurred in the city and county of Philadelphia. (2) During the PRE-HEARING proceedings of this matter, Petitioner was represented by LOUIS SAVINO, Esq., at the time of the aforementioned proceedings said counsel was ineffective at PRE-HEARING, proceedings. Petition for Withdrawal of Counsel and Appointment of New Counsel (filed Oct. 30, 1992) (emphasis added to indicate appellant's written responses in blank spaces on form). As set forth in his Brief to this Court, appellant's supposed grounds for an entitlement to new counsel that he would have explored at a hearing are that trial counsel had inadequately prepared for trial and was burdened by a conflict of interest due to his prior representation of Aaron Montague. We have already determined that trial counsel's appearance on behalf of Aaron Montague at a sentencing hearing in an unrelated drug case did not create a conflict of interest that could have compromised counsel's representation of appellant at his trial. With respect to trial counsel's allegedly inadequate preparation for trial, appellant asserts that the trial court should have inquired into whether trial counsel: had investigated the facts of the case; had interviewed witnesses; and had investigated other suspects, including Aaron Montague. Appellant, however, did not include these allegations in his petition for new counsel and apparently never raised them before the trial court at any time. We find this Court's decision in ( Raymond) Williams, supra, instructive here. In Williams, the capital defendant wrote a letter to the trial court shortly before jury selection requesting withdrawal of his counsel for the reason that he felt he would `not get proper representation from [counsel].' 522 A.2d at 1061. Counsel actually joined in the request, stating that he and the defendant wouldn't be able to enjoy any kind of cooperation and noting that the defendant had filed suit against him in federal court. Id. The trial court summarily denied the defendant's request on the grounds that he failed to state `substantial reasons' why new counsel should be appointed. Id. On appeal, this Court affirmed the denial [i]n view of [the defendant]'s failure to supply any reasons, much less substantial ones, why new counsel should be appointed. Id. Instantly, appellant's new counsel petition included the solitary bald assertion that trial counsel was ineffective at pre-hearing proceedings. Not only did appellant's petition assert inadequate representation in generic fashion, similar to the petition that was summarily denied in Williams, but, even now, appellant fails to specify any way in which trial counsel was ineffective when representing him at any pre-trial proceeding. The broad allegations of trial counsel's inadequate trial preparation that appellant alleges in his Brief to this Court are simply irrelevant to counsel's effectiveness at pre-trial proceedings. In sum, appellant now claims that the trial court should have allowed him to explore a pre-trial ineffectiveness allegation, the basis of which he never specified and, in any event, one that he now abandons in favor of the many allegations raised herein of counsel's inadequate preparation for trial and deficient performance during trial. Because there is no genuine issue of material fact with respect to this frivolous underlying claim of trial court error, appellant's derivative ineffectiveness claim did not warrant a hearing in the PCRA court.