Court Opinion

ID: 9699756
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:50:22.563644+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:56.755789
License: Public Domain

JOHNSON, Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. I concur in the majority’s determination of all but Appellant’s second contention concerning overreaching by the prosecutor in his closing summation. The issue has been formulated in terms of ineffective assistance because Appellant’s trial counsel failed to specifically object and failed to file post-verdict motions on behalf of Appellant.
Concerning ineffectiveness of counsel claims, it is well-settled that counsel’s assistance is deemed constitutionally effective once we are able to conclude that a particular course chosen by counsel has some reasonable basis designed to effectuate his client’s interests. • Commonwealth ex rel. Washington v. Maroney, 427 Pa. 599, 235 A.2d 349 (1967). A two-step analysis is used to examine a claim of ineffectiveness:
The Court must first determine whether the issue underlying the charge of ineffectiveness is of arguable merit. Commonwealth v. Sherard, 483 Pa. 183, 394 A.2d 971 (1978). If the underlying issue is found to be of arguable merit, our inquiry shifts to a determination of whether the course chosen by counsel had some reasonable basis aimed at promoting his client’s interests. Commonwealth v. Evans, 489 Pa. 85, 91, 413 A.2d 1025, 1028 (1980); Commonwealth v. Sherard, supra.
Commonwealth v. Jennings, 285 Pa.Super. 295, 298-99, 427 A.2d 231, 232 (1981).
The statements at issue, as made by the prosecutor in reference to the man named Dwight were:
Now, this man, who incidentally told Mr. Womack that he was afraid of getting arrested, said he never asked him his name. Can you believe that if any of you were *412charged with rape, if you thought there was an individual who could free you, could come into court and say, “This is what happened,” wouldn’t you at least get his last name and give it to your attorney? Wouldn’t you try to find out where he is?
You know, both of them talked about the seriousness of this offense, and yet Mr. Womack did not ever get the last name of this man who is not in court, who could free them; who could testify on their behalf. Why?
Why are they saying that the man who talked, the man who offered them the money, the man who did not come forth with the money, is not here? Isn’t it convenient? Isn’t it very very convenient?
(Notes of Testimony, 7/18/80, pp. 626-27.)
The majority states that the man named Dwight who was mentioned by Appellant in his testimony is in the same category as an alibi witness. I disagree.
Appellant testified that Dwight had offered the victim money for consensual sex and then refused to pay the victim after he and Appellant, among others, had had sex with the victim. Appellant further testified that he did not know Dwight’s last name or where he lived.
Even had Dwight appeared at trial, his testimony would not necessarily have exculpated Appellant. The testimony concerning Dwight’s role as a participant in the incident does not lead to the conclusion that Dwight was an alibi witness. Alibi involves a mode of defense and evidence that a party accused of a crime was at a different place than the scene of the crime.
It was improper for the prosecutor to imply that a negative inference could be drawn from Appellant’s failure to call Dwight as a witness where Appellant has given, in my opinion, a satisfactory explanation as to why Dwight did not appear at trial. Commonwealth v. Matt, 295 Pa.Super. 293, 441 A.2d 1239 (1982); Commonwealth v. Harley, 275 Pa.Super. 407, 418 A.2d 1354 (1980). Also, it is unlikely that Dwight would have made himself available to testify in any *413event because of Appellant’s implication of Mm as a co-defendant to the crimes. See Commonwealth v. Harley, supra (no negative inference may be drawn from a party’s failure to call a witness when that witness is so hostile or prejudiced against the party expected to call him that there is a small possibility of obtaining unbiased truth).
Although a prosecutor must have reasonable latitude in presenting his arguments to the jury and in responding to the arguements of defense counsel, Commonwealth v. Dozier, 294 Pa.Super. 249, 439 A.2d 1185 (1982), the comments in the instant case exceeded those bounds. Their unavoidable effect was to create a fixed bias and hostility toward Appellant in the juror’s minds. See Commonwealth v. Smith, 289 Pa.Super. 356, 433 A.2d 489 (1981).
Therefore, as this issue was of arguable merit and no reasonable basis for trial counsel’s failure to object could exist in this case, I would hold Appellant’s trial counsel ineffective.