Court Opinion

ID: 9695899
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 18:31:05.483298+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:17.216316
License: Public Domain

SPAETH, Judge,
concurring:
I think it clear that appellant was denied effective counsel at sentencing, for counsel did not fulfill his duty to put appellant before the court in the best possible light. Commonwealth v. Cullen, 216 Pa.Super. 23, 260 A.2d 818 (1970). Whether appellant was denied effective counsel at trial, however, seems to me a more difficult issue. While I agree with the majority that he was, I arrive at that conclusion by reasoning different from the majority’s.
The majority gives two reasons for its conclusion that trial counsel’s representation of both appellant and Handy involved the possibility of harm to appellant.
First, the majority notes that appellant as part of his testimony said Handy had assaulted the victim with a *344belt buckle. I agree that because of this testimony, “the effectiveness of [appellant’s] defense of consent [was] weakened.” Majority opinion at 342. That, however, does not show any harm to appellant arising from the fact that he and Handy were represented by the same attorney. Handy might argue that it did: Why should his attorney, by questioning appellant, bring out that he had assaulted the victim? Or, to put it differently: If Handy had had his own, separate, attorney, would not that attorney have cross-examined appellant on his testimony that Handy had assaulted the victim ? Handy, however, is not before us. So far as appellant is concerned, it only appears that his (and Handy’s) attorney asked appellant about a fact (Handy assaulting the victim) that hurt both appellant and Handy. This may show that the attorney was ineffective, but it does not show that his ineffectiveness arose from his representation of both appellant and Handy.
Second, the majority notes that Handy’s decision not to testify “at least potentially eroded” appellant’s defense. Majority opinion at p. 342. Again, I agree; the jury might have thought, despite the judge’s instruction to the contrary, that Handy’s decision not to testify implied his guilt; and from this the jury might have gone on to think that because Handy was guilty, so was appellant. However, this danger is present in every case involving two or more defendants where one defendant decides not to testify. The question here is whether Handy’s decision not to testify was motivated by advice given him by his attorney. If it was, reversal would be required, for since Handy’s attorney was also appellant’s, a conflict of interest would arise: in order to help his client Handy, the attorney might have to hurt his client appellant. Here, however, at the PCHA hearing the attorney testified that he had advised Handy that he should testify, and the hearing judge accepted this testimony.
*345Further in regard to Handy’s decision not to testify, the majority notes that Handy had made an incriminating statement, which, had he testified, might have been used to impeach him. I do not see how this fact helps appellant. The statement incriminated not only Handy but also appellant. Therefore, if by not testifying Handy was able to preclude introduction of the statement, he helped not only himself but also appellant.
Despite these difficulties, I have concluded that a new trial should be awarded. The fact that appellant testified that Handy had assaulted the victim shows — or at least strongly suggests — that appellant was hostile to Handy: he was trying to persuade the jury that it was not he but Handy who had acted criminally. This shows —or at least strongly suggests — that Handy was in turn hostile to appellant. (It is conceivable, I admit, that Handy said to himself that appellant was justified in being hostile to him, but it seems unlikely.) Thus it appears that one attorney represented two clients, each hostile to the other, which is a situation “ ‘at least show[ing] the possibility of harm.’ ” Commonwealth v. Breaker, 456 Pa. 341, 345, 318 A.2d 354, 356 (1974).
This appearance, moreover, gains substance from the fact that shortly before trial, the attorney wished to withdraw. He did not withdraw because, to quote the lower court, “the writer of this opinion indicated to him that he should remain in the case so as to avoid a further continuance of the trial, which would have been required if he had been permitted to withdraw.” Opinion of lower court at 2. It is regrettable that the lower court exerted such pressure on the attorney; the attorney was in a better position than was the court to appraise the possibility of harm arising from dual representation. It is regrettable for another reason. This matter comes before us as a Post Conviction Hearing Act proceeding. The hearing judge in that proceeding was the same judge as had been the trial judge. Thus, in ruling upon *346appellant’s post-conviction claim that there had been a conflict of interest, the judge was in the position of having already decided that there had not been a conflict. He had, in short, pre-judged the case. Ordinarily, unless abuse of discretion appears, we are bound by findings made in a PCHA proceeding. Commonwealth ex rel. Johnson v. Rundle, 440 Pa. 485, 270 A.2d 183 (1970). Given the circumstances here, I do not think we are bound. Thus we are left, as I see the case, with two facts: the attorney’s judgment that he ought to withdraw; and the apparent hostility between his clients. I think these are enough to require a new trial.