Court Opinion

ID: 9700549
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 21:34:53.909334+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:11.026017
License: Public Domain

ZAPPALA, Justice,
dissenting.
When the Appellant’s judgment of sentence came before this Court on direct appeal, Commonwealth v. Breakiron, 524 Pa. 282, 571 A.2d 1035 (1990) (Breakiron I), Mr. Chief Justice Nix authored a Dissenting Opinion, which I joined, in which he *545concluded based solely on the existing record that trial counsel “was blatantly remiss” in his handling of issues regarding the Appellant’s mental status and evaluation under the Mental Health Act. He characterized it as “a grievous failure to provide effective representation in a capital case.” Id. 571 A.2d at 1046. Because the question of ineffective assistance of counsel had not been raised by the parties, however, it was not specifically addressed in the Opinion of the Court.
A challenge to counsel’s stewardship has now been squarely presented in the context of the Appellant’s petition under the Post-Conviction Relief Act. The majority concedes “it appears that trial counsel did mishandle the competency evaluation in a number of respects,” and in his testimony at the PCRA hearing “trial counsel was not able to articulate a reasonable basis for failing to comply with the [Act].” Opinion at 1099. Nevertheless, the majority determines that these errors were not prejudicial at either the guilt or the sentencing phase of the trial. Because I continue to believe that “we cannot say with certainty that appellant was competent to stand trial or that an insanity defense was inappropriate,” Breakiron I, 571 A.2d at 1046, (Nix, C.J., dissenting), I respectfully dissent.