Opinion ID: 1512513
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: biagini

Text: In the Biagini case the Superior Court overruled the trial court and held that the arrest was unlawful as it was not based upon probable cause. However, it went on to hold that the legality of the arrest was irrelevant to the conviction for resisting arrest and thus, affirmed the conviction. The relevant facts are as follows. Officer Snyder, while on a routine patrol in a residential neighborhood in North Belle Vernon at 3:00 a.m., heard a disturbance. The disturbance, a loud voice shouting, seemed to emanate from the rear of a home. Upon investigating, the officer observed Biagini stagger out of the alley between the houses, look up and down the street, and stagger back into the alley. The officer drove down the alley and encountered Biagini in the rear yard of his house with an unidentified female. The officer inquired of Biagini as to the disturbance. Biagini initially responded, in a loud voice, that there was no problem and then pointed at two other individuals across the alley. The officer told Biagini to remain where he was and went to investigate the other individuals. Biagini, however, left the yard and went into his home. The other individuals told Officer Snyder that Biagini had been screaming at them from his back yard and threw an object at them which they thought, from the sounds of the impact, to be a glass bottle. The officer returned to speak to Biagini. As Biagini had left the alley, the officer approached the house and knocked on the door. Biagini responded by screaming at the officer Who the [expletive] is tearing down my door? Officer Snyder asked Biagini to come out to the patrol car and answer a few questions. Biagini refused and in vulgar terms ordered the officer off his porch. The officer then told Biagini he was under arrest for public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Biagini refused to comply with the officer's request to come quietly. Biagini shook free of the officer's hold and re-entered his home. Officer Snyder went back to his patrol car, turned on his flashing lights, called for back-up, and again knocked on Biagini's door. Officer Snyder renewed his request that Biagini accompany him to the patrol car and Biagini renewed his vulgar refusal. The officer attempted to seize Biagini and a scuffle ensued. Officer Snyder was punched in the mouth and Biagini was subdued with the aid of the additional officers who had responded to the back-up call. Biagini was searched and a set of brass knuckles and a small amount of marijuana were found on his person. At trial Biagini demurred to the evidence arguing that all the charges must be dismissed as the arrest was illegal. The trial court denied the demurrer. Biagini was subsequently convicted, after a non-jury trial, for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, prohibited offensive weapons, and possession of a small amount of marijuana. In the opinion of the trial court denying Biagini's post-trial motions the court concluded that the arrest was valid: But after considering all of the credible evidence, it is plain to this Court that the defendant was arrested initially for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct as a result of the defendant's conduct in the presence of the officer. The behavior of the defendant on the porch of his residence, which was directed toward the officer, while the officer was conducting his investigation into a public disturbance that had earlier caught his attention, was sufficient to justify his immediate apprehension. The Superior Court, in reviewing the same set of facts, determined that the trial court's legal conclusion as to the validity of the arrest was in error. That Court concluded: Though Biagini's conduct may have been intemperate, unreasonable, or unjustified, here we are unable to conclude that Biagini created any public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly created a risk thereof. 18 Pa.C.S. § 5503.[ [2] ] No violent crime had been committed; no reference to a crowd or any inquisitive, uninvolved neighbors appears in the record. Biagini screamed Who the [expletive] is tearing down my door? while answering the door, before he knew it was Snyder. Being both vulgar and loud to a police officer, while in a private residence, does not constitute disorderly conduct. [citation omitted]. What emerges is that Biagini, while allegedly intoxicated, in his home and on his porch was loud and vulgar in telling Snyder he did not want to cooperate with the officer's investigation. This incident lacks the indicia of disorder characteristic of confrontations with `the very type of spark the statute so plainly seeks to extinguish before it becomes a flame'. [ Commonwealth v.] Beattie, [411 Pa.Super. 177] at 187, 601 A.2d [297] at 302. Since the factual findings do not support the trial court's legal conclusion, we are constrained to conclude that Snyder did not have probable cause to arrest Biagini for disorderly conduct. We are also unable to conclude that Snyder had probable cause to arrest Biagini for public drunkenness. While Biagini was allegedly intoxicated in his home and on his porch, it is apparent from the record that he had not appeared in any public place manifestly under the influence of alcohol to the degree that he [might] endanger himself or other persons or property, or annoy persons in his vicinity. 18 Pa.C.S. § 5505[ [3] ] (emphasis supplied). Commonwealth v. Biagini, 428 Pa.Super. 634, 627 A.2d 199 (1993). Although the Superior Court agreed with Biagini that Officer Snyder had no probable cause to arrest him, the Court went on to reason that regardless of the legality of the arrest, the conviction for resisting arrest must stand, as Biagini had no right to resist the officer in the performance of [his] duty. quoting 18 Pa.C.S. § 2702(a)(3). [4]