Opinion ID: 2555770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Prior Criminal Acts Evidence and Jury Instruction

Text: In Issue 6, Appellant argues that the admission of evidence related to his other homicides in Clearfield, Schuylkill, and York counties without an appropriate and immediate cautionary instruction violated the Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments. Appellant's Brief at 32. On direct appeal, this Court held that the trial court did not err with respect to the timing or content of the limiting instruction as to other crimes evidence. Spotz III, 759 A.2d at 1286-87. Recognizing that Appellant's claim of trial court error in Issue 6 had been previously litigated and was therefore not cognizable under the PCRA, the PCRA court correctly held that Appellant was entitled to no relief on this issue. PCRA Court Opinion at 24. However, as another sub-claim in Issue 6, Appellant further asserts that direct appeal counsel was ineffective in the manner in which he challenged the jury instruction. More specifically, Appellant argues that direct appeal counsel was ineffective because he failed to raise a violation of Appellant's state and federal constitutional rights, but rather relied only upon state decisional law. This is a distinct claim and one that has not been previously litigated. See Commonwealth v. Collins, 585 Pa. 45, 888 A.2d 564, 573 (2005) (holding that a Sixth Amendment claim of ineffectiveness raises a distinct legal ground for purposes of state PCRA review under § 9544(a)(2) ... [and] a PCRA court should recognize ineffectiveness claims as distinct issues and review them under the three-prong ineffectiveness standard announced in [ Commonwealth v. Pierce, 515 Pa. 153, 527 A.2d 973 (1987)]). Although ineffective assistance of direct appeal counsel is a distinct claim, Appellant fails to develop and argue it as such. Other than baldly asserting four times that the failure to provide an appropriate and/or immediate instruction to the jury constituted a violation of his Sixth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights, Appellant does not explain or develop this issue. See Appellant's Brief at 32-34. He sets forth no constitutional argument relevant to either the federal or state Constitution. Remarkably, although Appellant faults direct appeal counsel for, inter alia, failing to cite to federal law, Appellant likewise fails to cite even a single federal case to support his bald assertion of federal constitutional violations. Nor does he offer the slightest explanation or elucidation of his claim of a state constitutional violation. A constitutional claim is not self-proving, and we will not attempt to divine an argument on Appellant's behalf. Appellant's claim of ineffective assistance of direct appeal counsel in Issue 6 is waived for lack of development. See Commonwealth v. Steele, 599 Pa. 341, 961 A.2d 786, 797 (2008) (stating that when an appellant fails to set forth all three prongs of the ineffectiveness test and [to] meaningfully discuss them, he is not entitled to relief, and we are constrained to find such claims waived for lack of development).