Court Opinion

ID: 9756294
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:21:15.741081+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:18.503169
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Jacobs, J.:
In this case the appeal of defendant was argued at Harrisburg on March 13, 1972. Appellant died April *47821, 1972, before we had handed down a decision. The Commonwealth-appellee petitioned for a dismissal of the appeal on the ground that the issue had become moot. Appellant’s attorney opposed the motion “in the interests of justice”. Because of Commonwealth v. Walker, 447 Pa. 146, 288 A.2d 741 (1972), the majority is filing an opinion covering the merits of the appeal. In Walker the defendant-appellant died while the appeal was pending. A petition to abate was filed by the appellant and a petition to dismiss was filed by the Commonwealth. Both motions were refused and in a footnote the Court said, “[I]t is in the interest of both a defendant’s estate and society that any challenge initiated by a defendant to the regularity or constitutionality of a criminal proceeding be fully reviewed and decided by the appellate process.” Id. at 148, 288 A. 2d at 742. Justice Pomeroy filed a dissenting opinion on the basis that the appeal should have been dismissed as moot by reason of the death of the appellant.
Realizing, of course, that we cannot overule the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, I still feel that I must put my protest on record in this procedural matter. As pointed out by Justice Pomeroy in Walker, the Court is engaging in a useless exercise. The appellant cannot be punished and with the appeal pending the conviction never became final. Left that way substantial justice is done to both the Commonwealth and the appellant.
We, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, are overruling a long-established principle of this Court. In Commonwealth v. Crowley, 28 Pa. Superior Ct. 618 (1905), which involved exactly the same situation as now before this Court, our opinion in its entirety was as follows: “This appeal was argued on March 7, 1905, and was held under advisement. Before a decision was rendered, it was shown to us, by suggestion of the dis*479trict attorney in writing, duly filed, that the appellant died on or about March 13, 1905. It is clear, both upon reason and authority, that under such circumstances, the appeal abates and that nothing remains for the appellate court to do but to make the formal order to that effect.
“Now October 9, 1905, the appeal is abated.”
In Commonwealth v. Dunn, 57 Pa. Superior Ct. 162 (1914), the appellant died after appeal and before argument. In a short opinion by President Judge Rich, citing abundant authority, we abated the appeal. See cases therein cited, particularly List v. Pennsylvania, 131 U.S. 396 (1888); O’Sullivan v. People, 144 Ill. 604, 32 N.E. 192 (1892); and State v. Martin, 30 Ore. 108, 47 P. 196 (1896).
No property rights of appellant or his estate are involved. Attainder of felony with its consequent forfeiture of property is forbidden by the Pennsylvania Constitution. Any liability for a fine imposed on conviction and not paid abates upon the death of the defendant. Commonwealth v. Embody, 143 Pa. Superior Ct. 354, 17 A. 2d 620, allocatur refused, 143 Pa. Superior Ct. xxi (1941). See also Commonwealth to use of Bruce v. Moran, 251 Pa. 477, 483, 96 A. 1089, 1090 (1916) (affirming on the opinion of this Court), wherein we said: “All of these lines of reasoning seem to converge to the support of the proposition that the death of one convicted in and sentenced by a criminal court worked a discharge of every obligation imposed by and rooted in his sentence.”
I am unable to find any benefit which might inure to the defendant’s estate. Nor can I see any benefit to society from the majority opinion, ably written though it is. Absent some compelling reason the busy appellate courts of Pennsylvania should not spend their time and energy in deciding the merits and writing opinions in moot cases. That task should be reserved for the law *480schools. In the interest of justice I would abate this appeal.
Wright, P. J., and Watkins, J., join in this dissenting opinion.