Opinion ID: 2268712
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: motion for the dismissal of the february term 1974 indictment

Text: Appellant, in a somewhat related argument, contends that the February 1974 indictment charging him with an assault with the intent to kill one Norman Dugan should be dismissed and future prosecution barred on the theory that the procedures involved violated Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure 316(a) and 140(f). [8] Rule 316(a) provides that an indictment which is not returned against a defendant within a reasonable time may within the court's discretion, be dismissed. [9] It is asserted that the February 1974 indictment charging the assault with intent to kill Norman Dugan was not returned within a reasonable time and that the trial court abused its discretion in not dismissing this indictment. The argument of appellant is premised on the fact that the July 1973 indictments concerning the victim Dugan did not satisfy the mandate of Rule 316(a) since they had allegedly been improperly certified to the Criminal Division. We are not prepared to accept the assumption that Rule 316(a) has been violated. The obvious objective sought to be accomplished by Rule 316(a) was the prevention of prejudice to an accused which might result from the failure of the prosecution to bring the matter before a grand jury within a reasonable time after the arrest and the initial institution of the charges. Where there has been an attempt to have the grand jury pass upon the charges within a reasonable period of time, as was the case here, with regard to the July Dugan indictments, it would appear that the purposes of Rule 316(a) have been achieved. The Rule itself does not specifically require a finding that the indictment process (or the certification process) be without fault. Where an indictment is returned within a reasonable period of time, the fact that the indictment process is later found to be defective does not require a dismissal of the charges in the indictment under Rule 316(a). Instead, the appropriate remedy would depend upon the particular defect in the indicting process. Furthermore, even if we accept the appellant's supposition that the July Term 1973 indictments relating to Dugan are a nullity for purposes of Rule 316(a), we still do not believe that a dismissal of the charges is warranted. First, it is clear from the language of the Rule that a dismissal is within the sound discretion of the trial court and should not be imposed unless required by the interests of justice. Commonwealth v. DiPasquale, 431 Pa. 536, 246 A.2d 430 (1968). Where, as here, the appellant was promptly placed on notice by the return of the July indictments that he was going to be called upon to face the charges stemming from the shooting of both Wilcox and Dugan, the interests of justice cannot be said to require a dismissal. Appellant cannot assign his loss of liberty to this allegedly defective procedure since his detainment was equally attributable to the homicide charges, the procedure of which he does not complain. It is also very significant that the indictments were quashed due to a procedural infirmity and not due to any finding of a substantive deficiency. We agree with the trial court that the relief sought was unwarranted and the refusal to grant said relief was not an abuse of discretion. Rule 140(f) of Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure provides that an accused is entitled to a preliminary hearing within ten (10) days after the preliminary arraignment. [10] Specifically, appellant argues that a preliminary hearing was not conducted on the charges arising from the Dugan shooting until February 5, 1974, although he was arraigned on June 4, 1973, thus causing a blatant violation of the aforestated rule. A careful study of the record, however, convinces us that this argument is at variance with the facts and we, therefore, hold that the hearing on June 15, 1973, substantially complied with the requirements of 140(f). Rule 140(f) was primarily designed to prevent prolonged custody of an accused prior to an independent judicial finding of the existence of probable cause. Under our procedure an individual can be arrested without a warrant where police authorities have determined that probable cause exists. McCray v. Illinois. 386 U.S. 300, 87 S.Ct. 1056, 18 L.Ed.2d 62 (1966); Ker v. California, 374 U.S. 23, 83 S.Ct. 1623, 10 L.Ed.2d 726 (1963); Commonwealth v. Jones, 457 Pa. 423, 322 A.2d 119 (1973); Commonwealth v. Kenney, 449 Pa. 562, 297 A.2d 794 (1972). However, it is imperative that the police judgment be reviewed by an independent judicial authority at the first reasonable opportunity. . . . it is the burden of the Commonwealth at a preliminary hearing to establish at least prima facie that a crime has been committed and the accused is the one who committed it. The hearing's principal function is to protect an individual's right against unlawful detention. Commonwealth v. Mullen, 460 Pa. 336, 341, 333 A.2d 755, 757 (1975). See also, Commonwealth ex rel. Maisenhelder v. Rundle, 414 Pa. 11, 198 A.2d 565 (1964). The record clearly indicates that the June 15, 1973, certification hearing in the Juvenile Division dealt with the offenses relating to both Wilcox and Dugan. The testimony presented covered the entire criminal episode that occurred on May 31, 1973, and put appellant on notice as to what charges he would be obliged to face. Despite the fact that the juvenile petition which had been filed pursuant to Sections 50-302 and 50-314 of the Juvenile Act, December 6, 1972, P.L. 1464, 11 P.S. §§ 50-101 (Supp. 1976-77), failed to include Norman Dugan as a second complainant, all parties were aware that the appellant would be tried for the acts directed towards Dugan as well as towards the deceased. This fact is clearly discernible from the following colloquy between the District Attorney and the Court: MR. CONNARD (Assistant District Attorney): One other thing, as you heard, there was another boy shot at the same time, and there was an arrest by the Police Department, but no petition was filed for the shooting of Norman Douglas [sic]. I ask that that be certified, also. THE COURT: Why don't you certify it and get it all tried down there by the jury at the same time? At the conclusion of the hearing the Court held the appellant over without bail for action by the Grand Jury. It was apparent that he considered the Commonwealth had made out a prima facie case as to the offenses relating to both victims since he certified the charges of the crimes of murder, assault with intent to kill, firearms violations and conspiracy. It cannot be doubted that the assult with intent to kill charge was in fact referring to the shooting of Dugan, despite the fact that his name was inadvertently excluded from the list of complainants on the original petition. [11] Under these circumstances, we find that the hearing of June 15th provided substantial compliance with Rule 140(f) as to the Dugan charges. In addition, it is to be noted that Rule 140(f), unlike Rule 316, does not provide the penalty which should be imposed in the event of a breach. Appellant urges that a dismissal is the appropriate remedy, relying upon an analogy to our treatment of a violation of Rule 130. See, Commonwealth v. Doamaral, 461 Pa. 517, 337 A.2d 273 (1975); Commonwealth v. Rowe, 459 Pa. 163, 327 A.2d 358 (1974); Commonwealth v. Cherry, 457 Pa. 201, 321 A.2d 611 (1974); Commonwealth v. Peters, 453 Pa. 615, 305 A.2d 901 (1973); Commonwealth v. Tingle, 451 Pa. 241, 301 A.2d 701 (1973); Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972). The weakness of this analogy is the failure of appellant to perceive the difference between an exclusionary rule and a sanction which would bar all further prosecution. In discussing the right to a speedy trial, the United States Supreme Court in Barker v. Wingo, supra asserted: The amorphous quality of the right also leads to the unsatisfactorily severe remedy of dismissal of the indictment when the right has been deprived. This is indeed a serious consequence because it means that a defendant who may be guilty of a serious crime will go free, without having been tried. Such a remedy is more serious than an exclusionary rule or a reversal for a new trial, . . . (Emphasis added) Id. 407 U.S. at 522, 92 S.Ct. at 2188. The effect of the application of an exclusionary rule is to deprive the Commonwealth of that evidence which it obtains as a result of a violation of the rule in question. Appellant, however, seeks a far more drastic response to the alleged violation, i.e., a termination of all further prosecution on the charge, even where he is unable to demonstrate a causal connection between any prejudicial event and the alleged irregularity. The inappropriateness of the requested sanction of dismissal is particularly blatant under the present factual posture. Here it is clear that, at best, there was an inadvertent error on the part of the Commonwealth in failing to include Dugan's name on the original petition which did not, in any way, prejudice the defense. We do not believe that the trial court abused its discretion in refusing to dismiss the charges for this minor technical defect in the juvenile petition.