Opinion ID: 1972943
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hude Appeal

Text: Appellant, Manfred Hude, was charged with twenty counts of possession and delivery of marijuana and one count of corruption of a minor. The charges arose out of a series of sales of marijuana to the same individual which were alleged to have occurred between October 1974 and January 1975. Nine of the possession and delivery counts were dismissed before trial. In June 1975, the Commonwealth brought Hude to trial on three of the remaining possession and delivery charges and on the corruption charge. The Commonwealth's evidence consisted solely of the testimony of Barry Hagemus who asserted that on numerous occasions during the fall and winter of 1974-1975, Hude had sold him varying amounts of marijuana. The jury acquitted Hude of all charges. During the course of the trial Hude was questioned by his attorney as follows: Q: Were you ever dealing drugs? A: No. On July 15, 1975, the Commonwealth charged Hude with perjury based on this statement. At the perjury trial, the Commonwealth again called Barry Hagemus who testified to the alleged purchases of marijuana from Hude. The trial judge, sitting without a jury, found Hude guilty of perjury. [1] In both the trial on the substantive issue and the subsequent perjury trial the Commonwealth relied exclusively on the testimony of Barry Hagemus who, in each instance, related that he would meet Hude at prearranged locations where the transfers of marijuana and money took place. In each instance Hude insisted that he had no involvement with Barry Hagemus. Hude appealed the perjury conviction to the Superior Court contending that the perjury prosecution violated the double jeopardy clause and the principle of collateral estoppel. The Superior Court affirmed on the basis of Commonwealth v. Klinger, 264 Pa.Super. 21, 398 A.2d 1036 (1979); Commonwealth v. Hude, 267 Pa.Super. 133, 406 A.2d 554 (1979). We granted appellant's petition for allowance of appeal.