Opinion ID: 1562759
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Denial of PCRA Hearing

Text: Appellant claims that the PCRA court erred in summarily dismissing the bulk of his claims without affording discovery or an evidentiary hearing. Appellant argues that he was entitled to PCRA discovery, and declares that he should have been afforded an evidentiary hearing on all of his claims because, if proven, the claims would entitle him to relief. The Commonwealth responds that, under Pa.R.Crim.P. 909(B), the PCRA court was justified in dismissing all but one of appellant's claims without a hearing because there was no genuine issue of material fact raised by the claims. Rule 909(B)(2) states that [i]f the judge is satisfied from [his] review [of a PCRA petition] that there are no genuine issues concerning any material fact, the defendant is not entitled to post-conviction collateral relief, and no legitimate purpose would be served by any further proceedings[.] Pa.R.Crim.P. 909(B)(2). When reviewing the PCRA court's denial of post-conviction relief, our standard is limited to whether the trial court's determination is supported by evidence of record and whether it is free of legal error. Commonwealth v. Allen, 557 Pa. 135, 732 A.2d 582, 586 (1999). As our above consideration of appellant's many claims demonstrates, we hold that the PCRA court did not err in dismissing all but one of appellant's claims without discovery or a hearing. Appellant has not shown an entitlement to collateral discovery. With respect to a hearing, the PCRA court and this Court have accepted appellant's arguments as if true, but we have found that appellant's claims nevertheless fail as a matter of law. The PCRA court adequately detailed its reasons for dismissing appellant's claims without an evidentiary hearing as required by Pa.R.Crim.P. 909(B)(2)(a), and although our reasoning often differs from that of the PCRA court, the outcome is the same: appellant's claims do not implicate genuine issues of material fact necessary to dispose of the claims.