Court Opinion

ID: 9764135
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:11:41.992971+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:53.969320
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Judge Colins:
I must vigorously dissent. I do not agree with the majority’s conclusion that the issues involved in this matter are jurisdictional and can, therefore, be raised by this Coui't sua sponte.
It is axiomatic that the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction to hear a petition for the allowance of an appeal nunc pro tunc, concerning a license suspension matter which arose in Philadelphia County.
The Department simply sat on its hands and failed to raise any appropriate defenses below. The issue of timeliness has been presented for the first time in this Court. If the Department wished to contest the allowance of the appeal nunc pro tunc, the Department should have contested it in its answer to the petition, which it did not do, as none was filed, or raised it as an issue on the record in the trial court below. This was not done. Therefore, despite the fact that the majority may be correct in its general statement of the law, the opinion violates the fundamental principle of appellate review that issues not *207raised in the court below will not be considered on appeal. McSwain v. Commonwealth, 103 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 326, 520 A.2d 527, petition for allowance of appeal denied, 517 Pa. 600, 535 A.2d 1058 (1987). See Pa. R.A.P 302(a). See also R. Darlington, K. McKeon, D. Schuckers, K. Brown, Pennsylvania Appellate Practice §302:1.
It was within the province of the trial court, as fact-finder, to reject the testimony of the police officer and accept that of the defendant. We must accept the wisdom of the trier of fact and not substitute our judgment for that of the trial court in such matters. In Department of Transportation, Bureau of Traffic Safety v. O’Connell, 521 Pa. 242, 555 A.2d 873 (1989), our Supreme Court, in no uncertain terms, cautioned appellate courts that they must not interfere with the factual findings of trial courts:
When appellate courts review the decision of a court of common pleas in a license suspension case, the scope of review is limited to determining whether the findings of fact of the trial court are supported by competent evidence and whether the trial court committed an error of law or an abuse of discretion in reaching its decision. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Transportation v. Korchak, 506 Pa. 52, 483 A.2d 1360 (1984); Bureau of Highway Safety v. Wright, 355 Pa. 307, 49 A.2d 783 (1946).
Questions of credibility and conflicts in the evidence presented are for the trial court to resolve, not our appellate courts. Korchak; see also, Waigand v. Commonwealth, 68 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 541, 449 A.2d 862 (1982); McMahon v. Commonwealth, 39 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 260, 395 A.2d 318 (1978).
*208As long as sufficient evidence exists in the record which is adequate to support the finding found by the trial court, as factfinder, we are precluded from overturning that finding and must affirm, thereby paying the proper deference due to the factfinder who heard the witnesses testify and was in the sole position to observe the demeanor of the witnesses and assess their credibility. This rule of law is well established in our jurisprudence and is rooted in concepts of fairness, common sense and judicial economy. Norfolk & W. Ry. Co. v. Pa. Public Utility, 489 Pa. 109, 413 A.2d 1037 (1980); PHRC v. Chester Housing Authority, 458 Pa. 67, 327 A.2d 335 (1974); Burbage v. Boiler Eng’g. & Supply Co., 433 Pa. 319, 249 A.2d 563 (1969); D.F. Bast, Inc. v. Pa., PUC, 397 Pa. 246, 154 A.2d 505 (1959); see also, McGoverns Estate v. State Employment Retirement Bd., 512 Pa. 377, 517 A.2d 523 (1986).
Id. at 248, 555 A.2d at 875-876.
By explicitly choosing to accept the appellees testimony over that of the officers, the trial court was correct in holding that the Department had failed to satisfy its burden of proving that the arresting officer had reasonable grounds to believe that the appellee was driving while intoxicated.
Accordingly, the opinion of the trial court should be affirmed.