Court Opinion

ID: 9763698
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:52:43.963753+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:48.577674
License: Public Domain

PRICE, Judge,
concurring:
I fully agree with the majority’s conclusion that Pa.R. Crim.P. 1123 is applicable in cases involving summary convictions. I also agree that it would be unjust to penalize this appellant by finding a waiver of his substantive allegations. I do this, however, only in the interest of uniformity in the application of the rules for it is clear that Pa.R. Crim.P. 1123 has always applied to summary convictions. Indeed, many past summary appeals have been placed before us in compliance with Rule 1123 and our decision today fails to recognize that many of our courts of common pleas and members of the bar have always recognized the obvious; that is, the applicability of the rules. I write separately to emphasize several points regarding the impact of today’s decision.
By concluding that appellant did not waive his substantive claims notwithstanding his failure to file post-trial motions as required by Rule 1123, our holding that the Rule applies *302to summary cases is given purely prospective effect.1 Accordingly, post-trial motions will be required to preserve issues for appeal in all summary cases in which the de novo trial in the court of common pleas results in a finding of guilt after the date of this decision or July 1, 1981,2 whichever is earlier. Furthermore, in those appeals now pending in this court involving summary cases in which post-trial motions were not filed, the proper course is to remand to permit the filing of those motions nunc pro tunc.
Finally, I view our decision today as merely an isolated departure from, and not the abandonment of, the settled policy of this court regarding our sua sponte review of issues not properly placed before us. It is clear that, absent a claim that the failure to file specific post-trial motions was involuntary or that the trial court failed to comply with Rule 1123(c),3 if an appellant has not presented his substantive allegations in compliance with Rule 1123, we will not undertake a sua sponte review of those issues. Commonwealth v. Harmon, 267 Pa.Super. 224, 406 A.2d 775 (1979); Commonwealth v. Tegano, 265 Pa.Super. 453, 402 A.2d 526 (1979); Commonwealth v. Smith, 258 Pa.Super. 148, 392 A.2d 727 *303(1978); Commonwealth v. Taylor, 257 Pa.Super. 298, 390 A.2d 831 (1978) (equally divided court); Commonwealth v. Richter, 257 Pa.Super. 260, 390 A.2d 812 (1978) (equally divided court). Following our decision today, that policy is of equal application in appeals arising from summary offense convictions.
CAVANAUGH, J., joins.

. “There is, of course, no obstacle in applying a procedural rule which is not constitutionally based in a manner which is prospective only.” Commonwealth v. Tarver, 467 Pa. 401, 406, 357 A.2d 539, 542 (1976). See Commonwealth v. Milliken, 450 Pa. 310, 300 A.2d 78 (1973) ; Commonwealth v. Hynd, 230 Pa.Super. 114, 326 A.2d 434 (1974) . See also Commonwealth v. Spencer, 442 Pa. 328, 275 A.2d 299 (1971).

. July 1, 1981 is the effective date of the revisions to the Comments to Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure 67 and 1123, which revisions clarify that post-verdict motions are required after a finding of guilt at a de novo trial in a summary case.

. Upon the finding of guilt, the trial judge shall advise the defendant on the record:
(1) of the right to file post-verdict motions and of the right to the assistance of counsel in the filing of such motions and on appeal of any issues raised therein;
(2) of the time within which he must do so as set forth in paragraph (a); and
(3) that only the grounds contained in such motions may be raised on appeal.
Pa.R.Crim.P. 1123(c).