Court Opinion

ID: 9889831
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-11 17:10:33.056546+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:48:32.179753
License: Public Domain

J-A23040-23

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37

  SHAQUITA WILSON                              :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                               :        PENNSYLVANIA
                       Appellant               :
                                               :
                                               :
                v.                             :
                                               :
                                               :
  CLAUDIO FERRER JR.                           :   No. 452 MDA 2023
            v.                                 :
                                               :
                                               :
  CLAUDIO FERRER SR. AND EXIA                  :
  FERRER                                       :
                                               :
                       Intervenors             :
                                               :
                                               :

             Appeal from the Order Entered February 17, 2023
    In the Court of Common Pleas of York County Civil Division at No(s):
                           2020-FC-001476-03

BEFORE:      LAZARUS, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*

MEMORANDUM BY STEVENS, P.J.E.:                        FILED OCTOBER 11, 2023

       Appellant, Shaquita Wilson (“Mother”), appeals from the February 17,

2023, order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of York County finding her

in contempt and imposing sanctions for violating the July 26, 2022, custody

order, which, inter alia, granted partial physical custody of three minor

children to Claudio Ferrer, Sr., and Exia Ferrer (“Paternal Grandparents”).

____________________________________________

* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
J-A23040-23

After a careful review, we conclude Mother’s pro se brief is substantially

defective and prevents meaningful appellate review. Accordingly, we quash

this appeal.

       We need not delve into the facts and procedural history underlying this

appeal. To summarize, Mother and Claudio Ferrer, Jr. (“Father”), who never

married, are the biological parents of H-L.F. (born in 2014), A.Y.F. (born in

2016), and A.Z.F. (born in 2016) (collectively “the children”). The trial court

initially granted sole legal and physical custody of the children to Mother;

however, on February 25, 2022, Paternal Grandparents filed a complaint in

custody/petition to intervene seeking partial physical custody pursuant to 23

Pa.C.S.A. § 5325(2).1

       By order entered on June 22, 2022, the trial court granted Paternal

Grandparents’ petition to intervene and directed them to file an amended

custody complaint, which they did on June 24, 2022. On July 26, 2022, the

trial court filed an interim order granting sole legal custody and primary

physical custody of the children to Mother; however, the order provided for

partial custody of the children to Paternal Grandparents.

       On September 21, 2022, Paternal Grandparents filed a petition for

contempt against Mother averring she did not permit partial custody as

provided for under the July 26, 2022, custody order. By order entered on

____________________________________________

1 Therein, Paternal Grandparents asserted Father was incarcerated.

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November 29, 2022, the trial court found Mother in contempt of the July 26,

2022, custody order.          The trial court ordered Mother to pay Paternal

Grandparents’ attorney’s fees in connection with the contempt petition.

       On January 4, 2023, Paternal Grandparents filed a second petition for

contempt against Mother averring she did not permit partial custody as

provided for under the July 26, 2022, custody order. Following a hearing, by

order entered on February 17, 2023, the trial court granted Paternal

Grandparents’ second petition for contempt. The trial court ordered Mother

to pay Paternal Grandparents’ attorney’s fees in connection with the second

contempt petition.

       On Monday, March 20, 2023, Mother filed a timely notice of appeal from

the February 17, 2023, contempt order,2 as well as a contemporaneous

Concise Statement of Matters Complained of on Appeal. See Pa.R.A.P.

____________________________________________

2 The February 17, 2023, order finding Mother to be in contempt and imposing

sanctions is a final appealable order. See Rhoades v. Price, 874 A.2d 148
(Pa.Super. 2005) (en banc) (where the wife was ordered to pay the husband’s
counsel fees as a sanction for contempt the order was final and appealable).
Consequently, Mother had thirty days to file an appeal from the February 17,
2023, order. See Pa.R.A.P. 903(a). Since the last day fell on Sunday, March
19, 2023, Mother’s notice of appeal regarding the contempt order was timely
filed on March 20, 2023. See 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1908 (regarding the computation
of time).
       To the extent Mother attempts to litigate the trial court’s November 29,
2022, contempt order, which imposed sanctions, we note Mother did not file
an appeal therefrom within thirty days, and accordingly, this Court lacks
jurisdiction to address issues related thereto. See Cheathem v. Temple
University Hospital, 743 A.2d 518 (Pa.Super. 1999).

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1925(a)(2)(i) and (b). The trial court filed a responsive opinion pursuant to

1925(a)(2)(ii).

      Initially, we note that appellate briefs must materially conform to the

requirements of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure. Pa.R.A.P.

2101. If the defects in the brief are “substantial, the appeal or other matter

may be quashed or dismissed.” Id. This Court has stated:

      [A]lthough this Court is willing to liberally construe materials filed
      by a pro se litigant, pro se status generally confers no special
      benefit upon an appellant. Commonwealth v. Maris, 629 A.2d
      1014, 1017 n.1 (Pa.Super. 1993). Accordingly, a pro se litigant
      must comply with the procedural rules set forth in the
      Pennsylvania Rules of the Court. Id. This Court may quash or
      dismiss an appeal if an appellant fails to conform with the
      requirements set forth in the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate
      Procedure. Id., Pa.R.A.P. 2101.

Commonwealth v. Freeland, 106 A.3d 768, 776-77 (Pa.Super. 2014)

(citations omitted).

      Further, Pennsylvania Rule of Appellate Procedure 2111(a) mandates

that the brief of the appellant shall consist of the following matters, separately

and distinctly entitled and in the following order:

      (1) Statement of Jurisdiction.
      (2) Order or other determination in question.
      (3) Statement of both the scope of review and the standard of
        review.
      (4) Statement of the questions involved.
      (5) Statement of the case.
      (6) Summary of argument.
      (7) Statement of the reasons to allow an appeal to challenge the
        discretionary aspects of a sentence, if applicable.

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      (8) Argument for appellant.
      (9) A short conclusion stating the precise relief sought.
      (10) The opinions and pleadings specified in paragraphs (b) and
        (c) of this rule.
      (11) In the Superior Court, a copy of the statement of errors
        complained of on appeal, filed with the trial court pursuant to
        Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), or an averment that no order requiring a
        statement of errors complained of on appeal pursuant to
        Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) was entered.
      (12) The certificates of compliance required by Pa.R.A.P. 127 and
      2135(d).

Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a).

      Citing the above rules, this Court has explained that we “will not

consider the merits of an argument, which fails to cite relevant case or

statutory authority. Failure to cite relevant legal authority constitutes waiver

of the claim on appeal.” In re Estate of Whitley, 50 A.3d 203, 209

(Pa.Super. 2012). See Commonwealth v. Sanford, 445 A.2d 149

(Pa.Super. 1982).

      In the case sub judice, Mother has not attempted to structure her brief

to comply with the Rule 2111(a) requirements, thus hampering effective

appellate review. Sanford, supra. Specifically, her six-page brief, which is

in the format of a letter, merely sets forth a litany of facts presented in an

incoherent manner.

      Aside from attaching a copy of the trial court’s February 17, 2023, order

and opinion, Mother’s brief contains none of the requirements set forth in Rule

2111(a), including no statement of jurisdiction, no statement of scope and

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standard of review, no statement of questions involved, no statement of the

case, no summary of argument, no citations to the record or legal authority,

and no coherent, developed argument. See Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a). Further, she

has not attached a copy of her Rule 1925(b) statement to her brief.

     As this Court has held:

     When issues are not properly raised and developed in briefs,
     when the briefs are wholly inadequate to present specific issues
     for review, a court will not consider the merits thereof. The
     Rules of Appellate Procedure clearly provide that an appeal may
     be quashed “if the defects are in the brief…of the appellant and
     are substantial[.]” Pa.R.App.P. 2101.

Sanford, 445 A.2d at 150-51 (citations omitted). See Commonwealth v.

Nachmenson, 540 MDA 2020, 2021 WL 225611 (Pa.Super. filed 1/22/21)

(unpublished memorandum) (quashing appeal where the defects in the pro se

brief were substantial and prevented meaningful review); K.B. v. D.A.P., 598

MDA 2021, 2021 WL 4739422 (Pa.Super. filed 10/12/21) (unpublished

memorandum) (quashing appeal where the pro se appellate brief failed to

raise or properly address any issues); Commonwealth v. Hoffman, 1288

MDA 2020, 2021 WL 1743018, *2 (Pa.Super. filed 5/3/21) (unpublished

memorandum) (quashing appeal due to defective appellate brief and noting it

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is not our duty to give pro se litigants a “do over” based on their lack of legal

knowledge).3

       As in the cases cited supra, we find the defects in Mother’s brief are

substantial so as to preclude effective appellate review. We recognize that

Mother is proceeding pro se.           However, we decline to become Mother’s

counsel. While we are willing to construe liberally materials filed by a pro se

litigant, “[a]ny layperson choosing to represent herself in a legal proceeding

must, to some reasonable extent, assume the risk that her lack of expertise

and legal training will prove her undoing.” Commonwealth v. Rivera, 685

A.2d 1011, 1013 (Pa.Super. 1996) (citation omitted).

       Based on the aforementioned, we quash this appeal.

       Appeal quashed.

Date: 10/11/2023

____________________________________________

3 We note that, pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 126(b), unpublished non-precedential

decisions of the Superior Court filed after May 1, 2019, may be cited for their
persuasive value. We find guidance in the unpublished memorandums cited
supra and find them to be persuasive in this matter.

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