Court Opinion

ID: 9730897
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:27:15.341331+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:10.553336
License: Public Domain

NIX, Justice,
dissenting.
The majority properly determines that counsel failed in his responsibility to his client when he elected to abandon the claim that his client’s statement was the product of an illegal arrest. Under the facts produced on the record before the suppression court, the Commonwealth chose not to challenge the averment that the initial arrest was, in fact, illegal but rather attempted to rely upon a legal theory (assuming the illegality of the arrest) which we subsequently determined to be without merit. See Commonwealth v. Yocham, 473 Pa. 445, 375 A.2d 325 (1977). Clearly the claim was of arguable merit and defense counsel’s explanation for his decision not to pursue it (i. e. his personal investigation) was inadequate for the reasons stated in the majority opinion.
At this point, however, I am forced to depart from the reasoning of the majority. Rather than deciding the question before the Court, which was whether the appellant’s right to a direct appeal was denied because of ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, the majority proceeds to go beyond the issue presented and decides the ultimate issue that the statement is to be suppressed and that a new trial is to be awarded. A finding that appellate counsel was ineffective is appropriately remedied by providing the appellant with another direct appeal wherein he has the opportunity to be represented by competent counsel.
In instances where the validity of the suppression claim is obvious, judicial economy may justify a deviation from the normal procedure. Here, however, although it is clear that the suppression record was inadequate to support the admissibility of the statement, there was testimony offered in the post conviction hearing to suggest that the Commonwealth might have a basis for sustaining the admission of the statement. By following the normal procedure the Com*484monwealth could seek to introduce this evidence (a showing that the initial arrest was based upon probable cause) by a request for remand in the direct appeal. The majority’s approach requires a new trial, which in this case may well be unnecessary. I dissent.