Court Opinion

ID: 9700188
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 21:15:18.531706+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:08:02.687767
License: Public Domain

NIX, Justice
(dissenting).
This matter presents an appeal from a summary conviction in the Municipal Court of Philadelphia County, for alleged contemptuous conduct by appellants in the presence of the court.1 I dissent from the opinion expressed by the majority because I do not believe that the merits of this appeal are properly before the Court for our review.
The Municipal Court of Philadelphia was created under Article 5 Section 6(c) of the Pennsylvania Constitution to replace the previously existing magistrate courts of that county. Appeals from the Municipal Court are *630governed by the Act of October 17, 1969, P.L. 259, § 19, 17 P.S. § 711.19 (Supp.1975) which provides:
“Any party may appeal the judgment of the municipal court to the Common Pleas Court of Philadelphia within thirty days of the entry of judgment: Provided, however, That appeals from summary convictions in municipal court shall be governed by the Minor Judiciary Court Appeals Act.”
Since the action taken below was a summary conviction,2 we then must look to the provisions of the Minor Judiciary Court Appeals Act for further instruction as to the appropriate appellate procedure in this case. The Minor Judiciary Court Appeals Act sets forth the following appeal procedure:
.“§ 3003. Summary proceedings.
(a) In all eases of summary proceedings, the defendant, upon conviction by an issuing authority, may appeal to the court of common pleas of the judicial district in which the minor judiciary court is held.
(f) Upon the filing of the transcript and other papers of the proceeding by the issuing authority, the case shall be heard de novo by the appropriate division of the court of common pleas as the president judge shall direct.” (Emphasis added).
The cited portions of Section 3003 of the Minor Judiciary Court Appeals Act were retained by Pa.R.Crim.P. 67(a) and (e) adopted September 18,1973, and made effective January 1, 1974. See also, Pa.R.Crim.P. 159(e). Significantly, section (f) of Rule 67 provides:
“This rule shall provide the exclusive means of appealing from a summary conviction. Courts of common pleas shall no longer issue writs of certiorari in such cases.”
*631Thus, it appears clear that these appellants were entitled to an appeal which consisted of a trial de novo in the Court of Common Pleas as a matter of right. Therefore, the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County may not refuse to entertain jurisdiction in cases of this type where an appeal has been timely filed in accordance with the pertinent rules. The obvious remedy, in my judgment, would be to remand the cause to the Court of Common Pleas with instructions that they proceed in accordance with statutes of this Commonwealth and the Rules of this Court.
On the contrary, the majority has seen fit to all but ignore the question of jurisdiction [see footnote 3 in majority opinion] and address at length the merits. The initial fallacy with this approach is that these appellants were entitled to a trial de novo as a matter of right regardless of the merits. I fully recognize that the reason behind the rule permitting an absolute right for a trial de novo in the Common Pleas Court is the fact that the Municipal Court’s procedure does not provide an opportunity for trial by jury. I am also aware that it would be reasonable to restrict this type of appeal to those cases where the accused is entitled to trial by jury in the first instance. However, such a distinction has not been made, but rather the pertinent statutes and rules expressly afford this method of appeal in the cases of summary proceedings. Under these circumstances, there is no basis to justify a deviation from the prescribed procedure.
I am further distressed because the course chosen by the majority encourages disruption of the orderly process of appellate review established by the enactment of the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act of 1970. 1970, July 31, P.L. 673, No. 223, art. I, § 101 et seq.; 17 P.S. 211.-101 et seq. (Supp.1975-76). The majority accepted jur*632isdiction of this appeal under Section 503(a) which provides:
“The failure of an appellee to file an objection to the jurisdiction of an appellate court on or prior to the hearing of the appeal, or within such earlier time as may be specified by general rule or rule of court, shall, unless the appellate court shall otherwise order, operate to perfect the appellate jurisdiction of such appellate court, notwithstanding any provision of this act, or of any general rule adopted pursuant to section 505 of this act, vesting jurisdiction of such appeal in another appellate court.” (Footnote omitted).
I do not believe that this section should be used to allow parties to select their forum for an appeal where it is obvious that the jurisdiction lies elsewhere. This particular- provision serves a salutary purpose where there is a serious question as to where jurisdiction lies between the court chosen and another court. Here it is unquestioned that the direct appeal would not lie in this Court, thus I do not believe jurisdiction should have been accepted under Section 503 (a).
As noted by the majority, earlier contempt cases, also involving members of the group to which instant appellants belong, were appealed to this Court and jurisdiction was accepted. In those cases the parties had appealed from Municipal Court orders of contempt to the Common Pleas Court. Their appeals were dismissed for want of jurisdiction. In view of Article 5 Section 9 of the Pennsylvania Constitution which guarantees a right of appeal in all cases and after a study of the Appellate Court Jurisdiction Act which does not, in my judgment, provide for a direct appeal from a judgment of criminal contempt by a judge of the Municipal Court to the Common-' wealth Court, Superior Court or this Court, I was of the view that the order of the Common Pleas Court denying the appeal for want of jurisdiction presented an issue of immediate public importance which would justify our as*633sumption of plenary jurisdiction pursuant to Section 205.3 I remain of that view.
Although the procedural posture in those cases was different in that there was formal action by the Court of Common Pleas the underlying issue remains the same, i. e., whether the Common Pleas Court had jurisdiction in these cases.4 Since the instant matter was ripe for decision prior to the earlier appeals, the question of jurisdiction should have been decided. Had the course been followed, there would have been no necessity to reach the merits.
Accordingly, I would transfer the matter to the Court of Common Pleas to proceed with a de novo appeal for all appellants.
POMEROY, J., joins in this dissent.

. “The judges of the municipal court shall have the same power to issue attachments and punish for contempt as the judges of the courts of common pleas of this Commonwealth.” 1969, Oct. 17, P.L. 259, § 17, 17 P.S. § 711.17 (Supp.1975).

. The action of the court below was pursuant to Act of June 16, 1836, P.L. 784, § 23 III; 17 P.S. § 2041 III.

. That section provides:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Supreme Court may, on its own motion or upon petition of any party, in any matter pending before any court or justice of the peace of this Commonwealth involving an issue of immediate public importance, assume plenary jurisdiction of such matter at any stage thereof and enter a final order or otherwise cause right and justice to be done.”

. While the desirable procedure would have been for appellants to have lodged their appeal in the Court of Common Pleas, their failure to do so is understandable in light of that Court’s clear pronouncement that it did not have jurisdiction in these matters.