Court Opinion

ID: 9706353
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 01:41:21.070264+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:22:21.893482
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING STATEMENT BY
GRACI, J.:
¶ 1 I join the disposition of the majority and its opinion except for footnote 4. In *1215my view, as Appellant received consecutive sentences of imprisonment and probation totaling four years less a day, his case is governed not by our decision in Commonwealth v. Salisbury, 823 A.2d 914 (Pa.Super.2003), but instead by our more recent decision in Commonwealth v. Millward, 830 A.2d 991, 994-995 (Pa.Super.2003). Millward concluded that the rule followed in Salisbury was inapplicable where the appellant was sentenced to a term of three years probation. However, because this case is before us in a timely appeal from a judgment of sentence, we may resolve Appellant’s sentencing question for, as the majority quite properly points out, we may correct an illegal sentence sua sponte. Opinion, at 1214.
¶ 2 I write separately also to express my understanding of the majority’s reliance on Commonwealth v. Archer, 722 A.2d 203 (Pa.Super.1998) (en banc), for the proposition that “[a]n illegal sentence can never be waived and may be reviewed sua sponte by this Court.” Opinion, at 1214.
¶ 3 I agree with the validity of this statement in the procedural posture of this case as it is before us in a timely direct appeal from a judgment of sentence. We explained Archer in Commonwealth v. Edrington, 780 A.2d 721, 723 (Pa.Super.2001), saying, “[s]o long as jurisdictional requirements are met, ‘[a]n illegal sentence can never be waived and may be reviewed sua sponte by this court.’ Commonwealth v. Archer, 722 A.2d 203, 209 (Pa.Super.1998).” In Edrington, we also directed the reader to “[s]ee generally Commonwealth v. Fahy, 558 Pa. 313, 737 A.2d 214 (1999) (holding legality of sentence issue must give way to jurisdictional time limits.”). Edrington, 780 A.2d at 723. We further explained that challenges to the legality of a sentence “can be raised sua sponte by this Court, where our jurisdiction is firm.” Id. (citation omitted).
¶ 4 Here, there is no question that our jurisdiction is firm to decide this timely filed direct appeal. Accordingly, since we can raise this issue concerning the legality of the imposition of the ignition interlock sentence sua sponte, it is inconsequential that Appellant raised it in the context of ineffective assistance of counsel. Edring-ton, 780 A.2d at 723 (court considered challenge to the legality of sentence on Commonwealth’s appeal despite fact that Commonwealth failed to file a court-ordered statement of matters complained of on appeal since court could (and did) consider legality of sentence sua sponte).
¶ 5 I am concerned, however, at the breadth of the statement by the majority that “an illegal sentence can never be waived” as it no longer has any currency, in my view, in the context of post conviction collateral appeals under the Post Conviction Relief Act, 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 9541 et seq. (“PCRA”).
¶ 6 There is to be sure, authority for the proposition that claims of illegality of sentence can never be waived. See e.g. Commonwealth v. Diamond, 376 Pa.Super. 485, 546 A.2d 628, 631 n. 3 (1988) (citing Commonwealth v. Fulton, 315 Pa.Super. 420, 462 A.2d 265, 266 n. 4 (1983)). These cases, of course, predate the 1995 amendments to the PCRA which added the jurisdictional time limit to such proceedings. Subsequent to those amendments our Supreme Court has stated unequivocally that “[although legality of sentence is always subject to review within the PCRA, claims must still first satisfy the PCRA’s time limits or one of the exceptions thereto.” Commonwealth v. Fahy, 558 Pa. 313, 737 A.2d 214, 223 (1999) (citation omitted). See also Commonwealth v. Guthrie, 749 A.2d 502, 503 (Pa.Super.2000) (citing Fahy and stating that “[e]ven within the PCRA, the time limits described in 42 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 9545 have been held to apply to ques*1216tions raising the legality of sentence.”). While cases decided since the adoption of the 1995 amendments continue to invoke the “legality of sentence can never be waived” language, see, e.g., Commonwealth v. Davis, 760 A.2d 406, 409 (Pa.Super.2000); Commonwealth v. Hockenberry, 455 Pa.Super. 626, 689 A.2d 283, 288 (1997), appeal denied, 548 Pa. 645, 695 A.2d 784 (1997), in light of Fahy and its progeny, which emphasize the jurisdictional nature of the PCRA time limits, cases such as Davis and Hockenberry may not accurately reflect current law.7
¶ 7 Edrington, as noted above, recognized this change in the law by noting that “jurisdictional requirements” had to be met to raise a challenge to the legality of sentence. Id., at 723. That was clearly the import of Edrington’s citation to Fahy after its citation to Archer as holding that a “legality of sentence issue must give way to jurisdictional time limits.” Edrington, at 723.
¶ 8 Here, of course, there is no jurisdictional problem since this direct appeal from the judgment of sentence was timely perfected. Accordingly, since we could address the issue sua sponte, it matters not that the issue was raised on direct appeal in the context of a claim of ineffectiveness of counsel.
¶ 9 With these thoughts, I join the majority.

. In my view, there is nothing inequitable or unjust in requiring that challenges to the legality of a sentence be raised within one year of the date that a defendant’s conviction becomes final. Just as a defendant, through the exercise of due diligence, can ascertain if his or her attorney filed a requested appeal within one year of the date his or her conviction became final, Commonwealth v. Carr, 768 A.2d 1164, 1168 (Pa.Super.2001), a year is "sufficiently generous,” Commonwealth v. Zuniga, 772 A.2d 1028, 1032 (Pa.Super.2001), to allow a defendant to determine if his or her sentence is illegal and to file a PCRA petition raising the issue.