Court Opinion

ID: 9543937
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 16:50:44.621887+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:11:31.540680
License: Public Domain

WIEAND, Judge,
concurring and dissenting:
I agree with the majority that the trial court properly refused to order a re-transfer of appellant’s person from the State Correctional Institute at Graterford to the Bucks County Prison. Compare: Meachum v. Fano, 427 U.S. 215, 96 S.Ct. 2352, 49 L.Ed.2d 451 (1976). The original transfer from the Bucks County Prison was made for administrative reasons, because of overcrowding and the length of the term which appellant had been sentenced to serve, and did not entail misconduct, actual or alleged. The transfer was authorized by and accomplished in accordance with the Act of July 11, 1923, P.L. § 1 as amended, 61 P.S. § 72.
However, appellant’s plea bargain contained a provision, accepted by the trial court, that his term of imprisonment would be served at the Bucks County Prison. It is not denied that this provision of the bargain was a material and inducing factor in the entry of appellant’s guilty plea. The Commonwealth, therefore, had an affirmative duty to honor the promise pertaining to the place where appellant would be required to serve his term of imprisonment. See: Commonwealth v. Zuber, 466 Pa. 453, 458, 353 A.2d 441, 444 (1976); Commonwealth v. Zakrzewski, 460 Pa. 528, 533, 333 A.2d 898, 900 (1975).
This bargain was violated when the trial court, four days after sentence had been imposed, approved appellant’s transfer to the State Correctional Institution at Graterford. If overcrowded prison conditions prevented the Commonwealth from honoring the benefit for which appellant bargained and which induced him to enter a plea of guilty, then he must be given the opportunity to withdraw his plea of guilty. See: Commonwealth v. King, 24 Chester 355 (1976). *447I would permit appellant to withdraw that plea of guilty. I would not dismiss his petition for habeas corpus without granting such relief merely because he expressed a preference for the benefit of his bargain rather than rescission and withdrawal of the plea of guilty.