Court Opinion

ID: 9730742
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 15:22:27.758032+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:08.964588
License: Public Domain

SPAETH, Judge,
concurring:
The record shows that appellant’s counsel never informed appellant that his representation of a co-defendant might result in a conflict of interest. I am troubled by this fact; I can think of no reasonable basis to justify the omission. Cf. Commonwealth v. Mabie, 467 Pa. 464, 359 A.2d 369 (1976); Commonwealth v. Jones, 263 Pa.Super. 149, 397 A.2d 790 (1978) (SPAETH, J., dissenting) (counsel ineffective for failing to interview a potentially important witness). Nevertheless, because appellant has not shown that he was prejudiced (or potentially prejudiced) by counsel’s representation of his co-defendant, appellant is not entitled to a new trial. Commonwealth v. Cox, 441 Pa. 64, 270 A.2d 207 (1970); Commonwealth ex rel. Washington v. Maroney, 427 Pa. 599, 235 A.2d 349 (1967).
I also wish to note that my concurrence here is not inconsistent with my dissenting opinion in Commonwealth v. *174Bracero, 189 Pa.Super. 262, 396 A.2d 709 (1978). In Bracero, I encouraged the court to hold that in every criminal case where one attorney represents two or more defendants, the trial judge must conduct an on-the-record colloquy to determine whether a conflict of interest exists. There the defendant asserted on direct appeal that he was denied effective counsel because his counsel represented a co-defendant. Here appellant waited seven years before asserting his counsel’s ineffectiveness in collateral proceedings. Because I believe that the requirement of an on-the-record colloquy should not be applied retroactively, I would not hold appellant’s counsel ineffective for failing to secure the sort of colloquy that I said in Bracero should be required, but that was not required at the time of appellant’s trial.
For these reasons I concur in the majority’s order.