Opinion ID: 1973852
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The trial court erred in allowing appellant to be extradited to New Jersey against his wishes when more serious charges were pending against him in Pennsylvania resulting in a violation of appellant's right to a speedy trial.

Text: Appellant first claims that his right to a speedy trial was violated because the trial court did not view the withdrawal of his guilty plea as triggering the 120 day period the Commonwealth had in which to bring him to trial. When discussing this issue in the trial court opinion, the trial judge viewed appellant's plea withdrawal as a game that appellant was playing with the court system. In addition, the trial judge stated the following: [f]or us, the single most important feature is the fact that Brown already had his trial in Pennsylvania when he was assigned to the court of Judge Lisa Richette for trial on October 23, 1985 [when appellant's guilty plea was accepted].. . . Since defendant actually had his trial in Philadelphia, he has no legitimate complaint that his speedy trial rights were violated because of his extradition to another state. Trial court opinion at p. 16. Because of this discussion, appellant infers that the trial judge considered the withdrawal as a factor to be weighed against him and that the trial court failed to view the withdrawal of the guilty plea as triggering another 120 day period. We do not agree that the above discussion means the trial judge did not view appellant's withdrawal of his  guilty plea as triggering the 120 day period; however, even assuming that the trial judge did mean this, we may affirm the trial court's decision on a basis other than that relied on by the trial court. Commonwealth v. Toanone, 381 Pa.Super. 336, 553 A.2d 998 (1989). Regardless of the trial judge's unfavorable opinion of appellant's motives, we have reviewed the record and have found that appellant's Rule 1100 rights were not violated. Appellant was arrested on April 16, 1985. Because appellant's whereabouts had been unknown and he could not be apprehended, the 180-day period provided for in Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100 commenced on this date, rather than the date the written complaint was filed. Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100(c)(1). On July 1, 1985, appellant waived his Rule 1100 rights until November 6, 1985. Any period of time for which a defendant waives Rule 1100 is excluded from the applicable time period. Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100(c)(2). On October 23, 1985, appellant pled guilty to murder before Judge Richette, who found him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. On November 1, 1985, appellant withdrew that guilty plea. For Rule 1100 purposes, trial commences when a guilty plea is entered by a defendant and accepted by the trial court. Commonwealth v. Bytheway, 290 Pa.Super. 148, 434 A.2d 173 (1981). Furthermore, when a defendant subsequently withdraws his guilty plea, the Commonwealth has 120 days to commence new trial, as dictated by Rule 1100(d)(1). Commonwealth v. Lewis, 295 Pa.Super. 61, 440 A.2d 1223 (1982) (en banc). Therefore, the Commonwealth had 120 days after November 1, 1985 in which to begin another trial. On February 5, 1986, within that 120 day period, appellant himself requested a continuance and waived his Rule 1100 rights until June 4, 1986. Subsequently, both appellant and the Commonwealth requested various continuances over a two-year period and trial was eventually set for June 26, 1987. In his brief, appellant notes that the purpose of these extensions was to allow both the prosecution and the defense to prepare for  trial. Apparently, appellant has no complaint with these extensions. On May 29, 1987, a hearing was held before Judge Durham to determine whether another extension should be granted to the Commonwealth so that appellant could be extradited to New Jersey to stand trial on the charges which were pending there. Although appellant wished to stand trial in Pennsylvania first, Judge Durham granted the extension and appellant was extradited to New Jersey. Appellant now claims that this extension was improperly granted. At the hearing, the judge was informed that new defense counsel had just been appointed and had not yet received discovery from previous counsel. New counsel did not contend that he could have been prepared for trial by the time of the then existing run date which was June 30, 1987. Furthermore, trial was scheduled in New Jersey for the following week. A grant of an extension will not be overruled on appeal absent an abuse of discretion by the trial court. Commonwealth v. Lohr, 503 Pa. 130, 468 A.2d 1375 (1983). Based on the above facts, we find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in granting the extension so that appellant could be extradited to New Jersey to stand trial there first. When appellant was extradited to New Jersey, the trial date for the Pennsylvania charges was set for September 29, 1987 and the Rule 1100 run date was October 28, 1987. On June 3, 1987, appellant pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter in New Jersey and on July 30, 1987, he was sentenced for that crime. Appellant then fought extradition from New Jersey back to Pennsylvania and was not returned until March, 1988. While the proceedings against appellant in New Jersey were concluded almost two months prior to the September trial date, and appellant admits in his brief that this trial date was well within the 120 day limit, he now claims that his Rule 1100 rights were violated by his extradition to New Jersey.  Rule 1100(c)(3)(i) provides that the unavailability of a defendant or his attorney tolls the running of the 120 days which the Commonwealth has to bring a defendant to trial. A defendant who is incarcerated in another state will be considered unavailable for the purposes of Rule 1100 for the period of time that he is absent despite the Commonwealth's diligent efforts. Commonwealth v. Lloyd, 370 Pa.Super. 65, 535 A.2d 1152 (1988), appeal denied, 518 Pa. 637, 542 A.2d 1367 (1988); Commonwealth v. Maxwell, 355 Pa.Super. 575, 513 A.2d 1382 (1986), allocatur granted, 513 Pa. 633, 520 A.2d 1384 (1987), appeal dismissed, 569 A.2d 328 (1990). While appellant was in New Jersey fighting extradition back to Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth filed petitions for extensions of Rule 1100. Because of appellant's unavailability, these extensions were granted. We find that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in granting the Commonwealth's petitions to extend when appellant was absent from Pennsylvania by his own doing. On March 29, 1988, the Commonwealth was granted a petition to extend the Rule 1100 run date until June 24, 1988. Appellant's trial began on April 29, 1988. This trial date was within the original 120 day period, as properly extended. Appellant contends that the Commonwealth was not diligent in bringing him to trial because it knew or should have known that he would not waive extradition back to Pennsylvania. This contention is meritless. Furthermore, even had the Commonwealth failed to exercise due diligence, charges will not be dismissed without a finding that the extension of time prejudiced the defendant. Commonwealth v. Tyler, 382 Pa.Super. 384, 555 A.2d 232 (1989), allocatur denied, 523 Pa. 631, 564 A.2d 1260 (1989). Appellant claims he was prejudiced in that, as a result of his conviction of voluntary manslaughter in New Jersey, his diminished capacity defense to the Pennsylvania charges  was rendered useless. To support this contention, appellant points to 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9715 which provides: Any person convicted of murder in the third degree in this Commonwealth who had previously been convicted at any time of murder or voluntary manslaughter in this Commonwealth or of the same or substantially equivalent crime in any other jurisdiction shall be sentenced to life imprisonment, notwithstanding any other provision of this title or other statute to the contrary. Appellant asserts that had his diminished capacity defense been successful, the jury would have found him guilty of murder in the third degree as opposed to murder in the first degree, but he would have still been sentenced to life imprisonment because of § 9715. Therefore, the extradition and conviction in New Jersey prejudiced his later trial in Pennsylvania. Appellant overlooks one important factor in making this analysis, i.e., his diminished capacity defense was not successful and the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, not third-degree murder. Appellant then received a life sentence because the jury could not unanimously agree to impose the death penalty. The earlier conviction in New Jersey had no bearing on appellant's conviction in Pennsylvania; therefore, appellant was not prejudiced by his extradition to New Jersey.