Court Opinion

ID: 9697184
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 19:08:10.92898+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:29.789202
License: Public Domain

*123OLSZEWSKI, Judge,
concurring:
Although I heartily join Judge Kelly’s decision affirming the lower court’s denial of the recusal motion, I am, however, reluctant to concur with his decision to remand this case for a determination of appellant’s indigence. If it were not for appellant’s claim of “layered” ineffectiveness of counsel, I would be compelled to affirm the trial court decision since it appears that the arguments raised in the present PCHA petition were either finally litigated or waived with respect to trial counsel’s representation. 42 Pa.C.S.A. Sec. 9541 et seq.; Pa.R.Crim.P. 1501 et seq.; see also, Commonwealth v. El-Amin, 321 Pa.Super. 46, 467 A.2d 886 (1983) (Cercone, P.J.). Moreover, those issues of trial counsel’s ineffectiveness which were not raised by his then newly appointed appellate counsel are deemed waived. Commonwealth v. Thomas, 335 Pa.Super. 323, 484 A.2d 155 (1984).
I, as well as this Court, look with disapproval upon a defendant’s efforts to obtain relief from criminal convictions by abusing ineffective assistance of counsel claims where counsel clearly has provided reasonable and conscientious legal services. Commonwealth v. Hudson, 336 Pa.Super. 174, 485 A.2d 487 (1984).