Court Opinion

ID: 9748381
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 16:00:53.595745+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:34.979430
License: Public Domain

Justice CASTILLE,
concurring and dissenting.
I join in those parts of the lead opinion analyzing (1) appellant’s argument that he was denied an opportunity to develop his claims below; and (2) those of appellant’s claims which were previously litigated under the PCRA. I also join in the ultimate mandate affirming the denial of PCRA relief. However, I respectfully dissent from the lead’s employing relaxed waiver on this PCRA appeal to reach numerous waived claims.
Appellant raises a number of issues as claims of trial court error. Since those claims could have been raised on appellant’s direct appeal, they are explicitly waived under the PCRA. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(b) (An issue is waived under the PCRA “if the petitioner could have raised it but failed to do so before trial, at trial, during unitary review, on appeal, or in a prior state postconviction proceeding”). The lead opinion nevertheless reviews the waived claims on the merits. It apparently does so because it deems appellant’s “blanket allegation of layered ineffectiveness” as preserving those claims that “would otherwise be deemed waived pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9543(a)(3) and 9544(b).” Op. at 773.
In my view, appellant’s boilerplate, layered claim of counsel ineffectiveness does not undo the PCRA waiver provision and make appellant’s waived claims of trial court error reviewable. Those claims are unequivocally waived under the PCRA. The only versions of these claims that would be reviewable under the PCRA are appellant’s distinct, substantive constitutional claims sounding in the ineffective assistance of his previous counsel. By reaching appellant’s waived claims on the merits, *134the lead opinion employs a form of a relaxed waiver which subverts the statute and is contrary to our decision in Commonwealth v. Albrecht, 554 Pa. 31, 720 A.2d 693 (1998). See Commonwealth v. Marshall, 810 A.2d 1211, 2002 WL 31630168 (Pa.2002) (Castille, J., concurring and dissenting); Commonwealth v. Meadows, 567 Pa. 344, 787 A.2d 312 (2001) (Castille, J., concurring).
I would reject appellant’s claims of counsel ineffectiveness because they are boilerplate and because, as the lead opinion notes, the underlying assertions lack even arguable merit.
Justice EAKIN joins this concurring and dissenting opinion.