Opinion ID: 220788
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Pabon's Conviction and State Court Appeals

Text: At trial, the jury found Pabon guilty on all counts but could not agree on a sentence. Judge Greenspan imposed two consecutive life sentences for the murders of Vargas and Carisquilla, six to 20 years for conspiracy, concurrent terms of five to 20 years for each aggravated assault conviction, one to two years for possessing an instrument of crime, and one to two years for reckless endangerment. Pabon's appeal to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania raised six substantive issues, including the Bruton issue into which we now make a threshold inquiry. The Superior Court adopted an opinion written by Judge Greenspan as its own and affirmed Pabon's convictions. Commonwealth v. Pabon, 768 A.2d 886 (Pa.Super.2000). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court then denied Pabon's petition for allowance of appeal. Pabon timely filed a pro se petition pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief Act (PCRA). Sondra Rodrigues was appointed counsel and filed an amended petition and memorandum of law. The PCRA Court, in an opinion written by Judge Greenspan, dismissed the petition on the merits without a hearing. Pabon appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which affirmed the PCRA Court's dismissal in an unpublished decision. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court again denied allowance of appeal. Pabon's subsequent petition for a writ of certiorari was denied by the United States Supreme Court.