Court Opinion

ID: 9711869
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:40:49.268933+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:08.066275
License: Public Domain

CAVANAUGH, Judge,
dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent.
I begin by noting that no brief has been filed on behalf of the appellee. Court records indicate that all efforts of the prothonotary of this court and the Commonwealth to contact appellee’s attorney of record have failed, and apparently the appellee herself is unaware of the whereabouts of her attorney. As such, I can only conclude that counsel has abandoned representation of her client.
In doing so, counsel for the appellee has failed to comply with the requirements regarding withdrawal of counsel as set forth historically in Commonwealth v. Palmer, 455 Pa. 111, 314 A.2d 853 (1974), and no waiver of the right to counsel has been shown, as required by Commonwealth v. Collins, 295 Pa.Super. 380, 383, 441 A.2d 1283, 1284 (1982) (citations omitted).
Additionally, even if this were a collateral appeal which did not involve the strict requirements of Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738, 87 S.Ct. 1396, 18 L.Ed.2d 493 (1967) rehrg. denied at 388 U.S. 924, 87 S.Ct. 2094, 18 L.Ed.2d 1377, we would be required to review counsel's explanation of a no-merit letter if one were submitted. See Commonwealth v. Finley, 379 Pa.Super. 390, 550 A.2d 213 (1988).
My review of the extraordinary posture of this appeal leads me to conclude that the abandonment of representation of the appellee has worked to her serious prejudice. I would therefore hold that this case must be remanded for the appointment of counsel or to allow appellee to hire new counsel if she is in a position to do so. In so concluding, I note that the Commonwealth in this matter has filed an appeal and even though there is no appellee’s brief, sought and obtained permission to present a “reply brief”. More*513over, it appears to me that the Commonwealth has chosen to couch its appeal in language characterized by an ad hominum attack on the trial judge. The majority result will be particularly devastating to the appellee since she undoubtedly will not learn of the majority’s mandate until she is summoned for resentencing presumably to face a penitentiary sentence now that her county sentence has been vacated as inadequate. Furthermore, I believe the majority’s disposition eradicates the trial judge’s traditional powers of lenity and compassion which our court should reserve for the discretion of the trial judges who have firsthand knowledge of and exposure to convicted defendants.
Secondly, I note that the majority disposition fails to give due deference to the mandates of Commonwealth v. Devers, 519 Pa. 88, 546 A.2d 12 (1988). See also Commonwealth v. Fenton, 388 Pa.Super. 538, 566 A.2d 260 (1989).
Finally, appellate counsel could argue the effect of Commonwealth v. Tuladziecki, 513 Pa. 508, 522 A.2d 17 (1987), since this is an appeal from the discretionary aspect of sentencing. Our court has not hesitated to dismiss such appeals when they fail to state substantial grounds for consideration of the appeal. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Blair, 394 Pa.Super. 207, 575 A.2d 593 (1990), and Commonwealth v. Smith, 394 Pa.Super. 164, 575 A.2d 150 (1990).
Since I feel that the majority disposition seriously compromises the appellee’s rights I would remand for a hearing on representation and with directions to provide for counsel under the proper circumstances.