Court Opinion

ID: 9641531
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 17:33:55.965423+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:10:38.160787
License: Public Domain

SPAETH, Judge,
concurring:
I concur in the result reached by the majority but believe that in evaluating the delayed arrest we should apply a somewhat different test than does the majority, namely:
“where there was an investigative justification for the delay and a strongly corroborated identification of the accused, a substantial showing of prejudice is required before a claimed denial of due process will be sustained.”
*367Commonwealth v. De Rose, 225 Pa.Super. 8, 11, 307 A.2d 425, 427 (1973).
Applying this test, I conclude: First, there was sufficient “investigative justification” for the delay. In this regard, it seems to me that the knowledge the police had of appellant’s habits was more likely to be valuable than the knowledge they might have gained from the records that appellant says they should have searched. Second, there was “a strongly corroborated identification of the accused.” The victim’s statements to the police are relevant to this issue. Finally, appellant failed to make “a substantial showing of prejudice.” Simply saying that he was unable to recall his actions on the day of the crime was not enough. Frequently one is unable to recall what one did on a particular day, but then, upon consulting others, one’s recollection may be refreshed. Appellant made no showing that he had made any such attempt.