Court Opinion

ID: 9963584
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-04-25 19:27:58.178658+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T08:24:53.024511
License: Public Domain

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 NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 RONALD GEORGE RAY                     :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 1740 EDA 2023

       Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered June 1, 2023
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-15-CR-0000998-2020

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 RONALD GEORGE RAY                     :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 1741 EDA 2023

       Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered June 1, 2023
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-15-CR-0003099-2019

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 RONALD GEORGE RAY                     :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 1809 EDA 2023

       Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered June 1, 2023
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-15-CR-0002983-2022
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  COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA                   :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                                 :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                                 :
                v.                               :
                                                 :
                                                 :
  RONALD GEORGE RAY                              :
                                                 :
                       Appellant                 :   No. 1810 EDA 2023

        Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered June 1, 2023
    In the Court of Common Pleas of Chester County Criminal Division at
                      No(s): CP-15-CR-0003764-2022

BEFORE:      BOWES, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and COLINS, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY BOWES, J.:                                   FILED APRIL 25, 2024

       These related appeals by Ronald George Ray were taken from the

judgments of sentence imposed after he pled guilty to driving under the

influence of a controlled substance (“DUI”), driving under suspension – DUI

related (“DUS”), and terroristic threats, which triggered revocation of his

probation and resentencing on convictions in two prior cases.            All appeals

present the same legal issue, namely, whether the trial court imposed a

manifestly excessive sentence. For the reasons discussed below, we affirm

the judgments of sentence in all matters.

       On May 22, 2023, Appellant entered an open plea of guilty to a third-

offense DUI and third or subsequent DUS at case number 2983-22. The same

day, he also pled guilty to one count of terroristic threats at case number

3764-22. In light of these new convictions, the trial court determined that

____________________________________________

* Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

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Appellant violated the terms of his probation at case numbers 3099-19 and

998-20 (“VOP cases”). The underlying charges in the VOP cases and the new

conviction for terroristic threats were all based upon incidents of domestic

violence. The court scheduled sentencing as to all four matters for June 1,

2023. Appellant waived the right to a pre-sentence investigation.

      At the sentencing hearing, the court noted that Appellant’s DUI

conviction carried a mandatory minimum of one year in jail while the DUS

called for a mandatory minimum of six months. Through counsel, Appellant

asked the trial court to impose a total aggregate sentence of one to seven

years for all cases, consistent with the mandatory minimum for the DUI

offense, so that he could remain in the county jail. Counsel highlighted to the

court that Appellant has long battled mental health and substance abuse

issues. The Commonwealth, on the other hand, requested an aggregate state

sentence of two to nine years, contending that Chester County lacked any

additional resources or programs that could assist Appellant.

      Ultimately, as to the VOP cases, the court revoked probation and

resentenced Appellant to a collective 160 days to twenty-three months in jail,

with credit for 160 days, paroling Appellant immediately. Regarding the DUI,

DUS, and terroristic threats charges, the court imposed a total sentence of

eighteen months to eight years in prison, followed by five years of probation.

      In all four cases, Appellant timely filed a post-sentence motion

challenging the length of his sentence. The motions were denied without a

hearing. On June 30, 2022, Appellant filed timely notices of appeal in each

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matter, and he complied with the court’s order to file a concise statement of

errors pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). The trial court entered identical Rule

1925(a) opinions in each case. On appeal, this Court consolidated sua sponte

the two appeals arising from the VOP cases into one matter, and separately

consolidated the appeals stemming from his new convictions into another.

The briefs filed by Appellant and the Commonwealth in each consolidated

appeal are materially identical. Accordingly, we have elected to dispose of all

four cases in a single memorandum.

        Appellant presents us with a single issue:     “Did the court abuse its

discretion in sentencing [Appellant] to [eighteen] to [ninety-six months] of

incarceration with [five] years of probation[,] as the trial court violated the

express provisions of the Sentencing Code?” Appellant’s briefs at 8 (cleaned

up).1

        Appellant’s claim implicates the discretionary aspects of his sentence.

It is well-settled that a defendant does not have an absolute right to review

of such a challenge by this Court:

        Rather, an appellant challenging the discretionary aspects of his
        sentence must invoke this Court’s jurisdiction. We determine
        whether the appellant has invoked our jurisdiction by considering
        the following four factors: (1) whether appellant has filed a timely
        notice of appeal; (2) whether the issue was properly preserved at
        sentencing or in a motion to reconsider and modify sentence; (3)
        whether appellant’s brief has a fatal defect; and (4) whether there
        is a substantial question that the sentence appealed from is not
        appropriate under the Sentencing Code.
____________________________________________

1 Our use of the plural here reflects that Appellant’s    briefs are the same in
each appeal.

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Commonwealth v. Solomon, 247 A.3d 1163, 1167 (Pa.Super. 2021) (en

banc) (cleaned up).     In addressing whether a defendant has presented a

substantial question, “[o]ur inquiry must focus on the reasons for which the

appeal is sought, in contrast to the facts underlying the appeal, which are

necessary only to decide the appeal on the merits.”         Commonwealth v.

Rhoades, 8 A.3d 912, 616 (Pa.Super. 2010) (cleaned up).

      Here, Appellant timely appealed and preserved this issue in his post-

sentence motions.     He also included a Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f) statement in his

briefs, asserting that he raised a substantial question because the court: (1)

failed to consider his rehabilitative needs, (2) neglected to state the reasons

for its judgment on the record, and (3) imposed a manifestly excessive

sentence.    See Appellant’s briefs at 5-6.      This constitutes a substantial

question for our review. See Commonwealth v. Raven, 97 A.3d 1244, 1253

(Pa.Super. 2014) (“[A]n excessive sentence claim—in conjunction with an

assertion that the court failed to consider mitigating factors—raises a

substantial question”); Commonwealth v. Simpson, 829 A.2d 334, 338-39

(Pa.Super. 2003) (finding that an allegation that the trial court did not

sufficiently state the reasons for its sentence on the record raises a substantial

question).

      Turning to the merits of these claims, our standard of review is as

follows:

      Appellant must demonstrate that the sentencing court abused its
      discretion. In this context, an abuse of discretion is not shown
      merely by an error in judgment. Rather, Appellant must establish,

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      by reference to the record, that the sentencing court ignored or
      misapplied the law, exercised its judgment for reasons of
      partiality, prejudice, bias or ill will, or arrived at a manifestly
      unreasonable decision.

Solomon, 247 A.3d at 1168 (cleaned up).

      A trial court’s sentence “should call for confinement that is consistent

with the protection of the public, the gravity of the offense as it relates to the

impact on the life of the victim and on the community, and the rehabilitative

needs of the defendant.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 9721(b). “When imposing sentence, a

court is required to consider the particular circumstances of the offense and

the character of the defendant. In considering these factors, the court should

refer to the defendant’s prior criminal record, age, personal characteristics

and potential for rehabilitation.” Commonwealth v. Taylor, 277 A.3d 577,

593 (Pa.Super. 2022) (cleaned up). Furthermore, “the court shall make as a

part of the record, and disclose in open court at the time of sentencing, a

statement of the reason or reasons for the sentence imposed.” 42 Pa.C.S.

§ 9721(b).

      With this background in mind, we address Appellant’s arguments. He

contends that the imposed sentence demonstrates the trial court’s bias

against him because it focuses on the protection of the community and

Appellant’s criminal past, but not his rehabilitative needs. See Appellant’s

briefs at 16-17. Appellant asserts that instead of a lengthy prison sentence,

he needed “proper mental health and drug treatment[.]” Id. at 16. He avers

that the court’s failure to “allude to or acknowledge” his mental health or drug

issues on the record is evidence that it did not fashion a sentence consistent

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with his rehabilitative needs, and thus the court neglected to properly consider

the criteria identified in § 9721. Id. at 17.

      On review, we find no abuse of discretion with the trial court’s sentence.

More particularly, we reject Appellant’s assertion that the court did not

articulate the reasons for its decision on the record or that it failed to consider

his rehabilitative needs. During the sentencing hearing, the court specifically

stated that it was mitigating the sentence imposed in the VOP cases based

upon the evidence presented by counsel as to Appellant’s mental health and

drug usage concerns. See N.T. Sentencing, 6/1/23, at 28 (“The guidelines

are seven to nine months.      So[, by giving time served,] I’m taking in the

mitigation that your attorney has made a good record about your mental

health and everything else.”).

      Further, the court expressly articulated its reasoning for the sentences.

It acknowledged Appellant’s “drug use” and that there was a “mental health

component,” but stated that it had to contend with reoccurring DUI’s and

domestic violence. Id. at 22. The court additionally emphasized the serious

nature of Appellant’s third DUI offense, stating: “When it gets to the third

DUI, I get concerned, because I have had people dying because of DUI’s, and

you have kids. I bring – I have people coming in here who lost their children

to drunk driving or a high driver.” Id. at 26. Moreover, there is no dispute

that at the outset of the hearing, the Commonwealth stressed to the court

that there were no county programs available that would benefit Appellant.

Id. at 3. This information informed the court’s decision to impose a state

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sentence for the DUI, DUS, and terroristic threat convictions, so that Appellant

would have access to a wider array of treatment options.

      Finally, in rebutting Appellant’s claim that the sentence was excessive,

the trial court stated thusly:

      The court took into account all relevant factors, and considered
      the protection of the public, the gravity of the offense, and the
      rehabilitative needs of . . . Appellant. After considering the
      seriousness of the crimes charged, the impact these crimes had
      on the victim and the community, and all other factors, the court
      determined that the sentence imposed was warranted. The
      Commonwealth was actually seeking a longer sentence of [two to
      nine] years [of] imprisonment, while [Appellant] was asking for
      [one to seven] years. It should be noted that the sentence
      Appellant received [with respect to the guilty pleas] was between
      what the Commonwealth and [Appellant] were asking for, and was
      well within the statutory limit for the crimes for which he was
      sentenced. The sentencing guideline ranges were [twelve to
      eighteen] months for the DUI charge and [three to fourteen]
      months for the terroristic threats charge.        His sentence of
      [eighteen to ninety-six] months was within the standard range for
      the crimes to which he pled guilty. Accordingly, Appellant’s
      sentence is proper and should be upheld.

      The court notes that [Appellant] has previously been incarcerated
      at the Chester County Prison and has exhausted all programs and
      resources available to him there. The Commonwealth argued that
      Appellant should receive a state sentence so [that] he could obtain
      additional services at the state level. The court agreed, and
      therefore, sentenced Appellant to a state sentence. Based on
      Appellant’s prior record, his needs for additional services, and the
      failure of all prior rehabilitative attempts at the county level, the
      court properly sentenced Appellant to a state sentence.

Trial Court Opinion, Case Number 2983-22, 10/10/23, at 3-4 (cleaned up).

      In sum, the trial court considered all necessary factors and properly

placed the reason for the sentences on the record. Accordingly, we affirm the

judgments of sentence as to the VOP cases and Appellant’s guilty pleas.

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     Judgments of sentence affirmed.

Date: 4/25/2024

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