Court Opinion

ID: 9697616
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 19:23:04.436553+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:33.709506
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Justice
(concurring).
Although I join in the majority opinion, I find it necessary to note an anomaly created by our rule of criminal procedure regarding pretrial motions to suppress evidence.
Pretrial motions to suppress evidence are authorized by Pa.R.Crim.P. 323. Subsection (a) of that rule, however, appears to restrict the availability of such motions to those relating to “evidence alleged to have been obtained in violation of the defendant’s constitutional rights.” The exclusionary rule created in Commonwealth v. Futch, 447 Pa. 389, 290 A.2d 417 (1972), is based on nonconstitutional law. Nevertheless, it is clear that Futch claims may be raised in pretrial motions to suppress. Cf. Commonwealth v. Riley, 462 Pa. 190, 340 A.2d 427 (1975). While this is surely preferable prac*383tice, an accused should not be barred from raising a Futch claim for the first time at trial as long as a reader of Rule 323(a) might be led to believe that such motions are available only for constitutional claims.
As a result of the wording of the rule and the practice of hearing Futch claims at a suppression hearing, a situ-" ation has been created wherein suppression motions based upon alleged violations of constitutional rights must be raised before trial, but suppression motions based upon alleged violations of rights created by statute or rule may be presented either before or at trial.
Treating a motion to suppress evidence allegedly the product of a violation of constitutionally-created rights different from motions to suppress evidence alleged to be the product of a violation of rights created by statute, decision or rule is unjustifiable. In my view, Rule 323(a) should be amended to make clear that a motion pursuant to that rule is the proper procedure by which an accused may seek the suppression of evidence obtained in violation of any right whether created by constitution or otherwise.