Opinion ID: 2317503
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Presence at the Change of Venue Hearing

Text: Appellant maintains that he was denied his inherent right to be present at the change of venue hearing held on December 18, 1969. There is much authority to support this claim. It is well established that the accused has a right to be present at every stage of the proceedings in a capital case. Commonwealth v. Scoleri, 399 Pa. 110, 124-25, 160 A. 2d 215, cert. denied 364 U.S. 849, 81 S. Ct. 93 (1960); Commonwealth v. Ballem, 386 Pa. 20, 123 A. 2d 728, cert. denied 352 U.S. 932, 77 S. Ct. 235 (1956); Commonwealth ex rel. Tanner v. Claudy, 378 Pa. 429, 431, 106 A. 2d 401 (1954); Commonwealth v. Johnson, 348 Pa. 349, 352, 35 A. 2d 312, 313 (1949); Commonwealth v. Silcox, 161 Pa. 484, 496, 29 Atl. 105, 106 (1894); Dunn v. Commonwealth, 6 Pa. 384 (1847). These cases would appear to apply to any evidentiary hearing which is held during the course of pretrial proceedings and the trial. The right of the accused to confront all witnesses against him during the course of the proceedings is unquestioned. United States ex rel. Oliver v. Rundle, 417 F. 2d 305, cert. denied 397 U.S. 1050, 90 S. Ct. 1388 (1970); Commonwealth v. Thomas, 443 Pa. 234, 279 A. 2d 20, 23 (1971). Rule 1117 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure states that [t]he defendant shall be present at the arraignment, at every stage of the trial including the impanelling of the jury and the return of the verdict, and at the imposition of sentence.. . . Even assuming that appellant's claim is correct, on the record, the defendant's absence from this change of venue proceeding would be harmless error. Chapman v. California, 386 U.S. 18, 87 S. Ct. 824 (1967); Commonwealth v. Camm, 443 Pa. 253, 268, 277 A. 2d 325, 333 (1971); Commonwealth v. Padgett, 428 Pa. 229, 237 A. 2d 209 (1968); cf. United States v. Alper, 449 F. 2d 1223 (3rd Cir. 1971). We have already concluded that the denial of the change of venue was clearly proper. There is no indication that the defendant desired to testify at the hearing. Furthermore, appellant was in no way deprived of his right to confront witnesses against him because the Commonwealth did not present any witnesses in opposing the motion.