Court Opinion

ID: 9352543
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-01-06 20:08:26.172036+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T16:57:41.325033
License: Public Domain

J-A27044-22

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 NICHOLAS RAY HUFFMAN                  :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 361 MDA 2022

     Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered January 31, 2022
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-28-CR-0000417-2021

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 NICHOLAS RAY HUFFMAN                  :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 362 MDA 2022

     Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered January 31, 2022
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-28-CR-0000418-2021

 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA          :   IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
                                       :        PENNSYLVANIA
                                       :
              v.                       :
                                       :
                                       :
 NICHOLAS HUFFMAN                      :
                                       :
                   Appellant           :   No. 363 MDA 2022

     Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered January 31, 2022
   In the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County Criminal Division at
                     No(s): CP-28-CR-0000501-2019
J-A27044-22

BEFORE:      DUBOW, J., McLAUGHLIN, J., and COLINS, J.*

MEMORANDUM BY COLINS, J.:                         FILED: JANUARY 6, 2023

        Appellant, Nicholas Ray Huffman, appeals the judgments of sentence

imposed following a revocation of probation in each of the underlying matters.

He challenges the discretionary aspects of his sentence.      Upon review, we

affirm.

        At 10:57 p.m. on December 2, 2018, Chambersburg police officers

responded to a report of an active domestic dispute at the home of Appellant’s

parents.     Affidavit of Probable Cause for Criminal Complaint, CP-28-CR-

000501-2019, 12/6/18.          Appellant’s mother alleged that he pushed her,

causing her to strike her head on a small dresser, and then struck her four to

five times on the left side of her head. Id. Appellant then tried to grab his

sister before his father intervened. Id. Appellant’s other sister made a five-

minute recording of the dispute in which Appellant stated, “I will kill everybody

if you call the cops,” and admitted to pushing his mother. Id.

        On October 28, 2019, Appellant pleaded guilty to terroristic threats as

a misdemeanor of the first degree and simple assault as a misdemeanor of

the second degree at CP-28-CR-0000501-2019.1 Written Guilty Plea Colloquy,

CP-28-CR-0000501-2019, 10/28/19, 2. The parties left the sentence to the

discretion of the court but agreed that the terms for each count would be

____________________________________________

*   Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

1   18 Pa.C.S. §§ 2706(a)(1) and 2701(a)(1), respectively.

                                           -2-
J-A27044-22

designated to run concurrently and that the Commonwealth would “stand

silent” at the time for recommendations at a deferred sentencing hearing. Id.

On   December       18,   2019,     the   court   adopted   Appellant’s   sentencing

recommendation and imposed concurrent terms of twenty-four months’

probation.2       Sentencing      Orders,      CP-28-CR-0000501-2019,     12/18/19;

Appellant’s Pre-Sentence Memorandum, CP-28-CR-0000501-2019, 12/9/19,

5.

       On February 24, 2021, Appellant’s probation officer notified the court of

an impending violation of probation hearing. The alleged violations included

that: (1) home visits resulted in the conclusion that Appellant had not been

there for days and his whereabouts were unknown; (2) Appellant had

admitted to daily heroin use for a two-week period; (3) Appellant left an in-

patient treatment program after six days even though he was ordered to

attend treatments until he was successfully discharged; (4) Appellant failed to

report a change of address to his probation officer; (5) Appellant failed to

provide documentation for completion of a mental health evaluation; and (6)

Appellant failed to provide acceptable proof of employment. Gagnon II Notice,

2/24/21, 1-2.

____________________________________________

2 The offenses had offense gravity scores of three and Appellant had a prior
record score of zero. Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing Forms, CP-28-
CR-0000501-2019, 1/28/20, 1-2; 204 Pa. Code § 303.15 (offense listing; 7th
ed. amend. 4).      Accordingly, the Sentencing Guidelines recommended
minimum sentences of restorative sanctions to one month of imprisonment,
plus three months for aggravating circumstances. 204 Pa. Code § 303.16(a)
(basic sentencing matrix; 7th ed. amend. 4).

                                           -3-
J-A27044-22

        Appellant was subsequently charged with new offenses committed on

April 2, 2021.      The Pennsylvania State Police responded to a report that

Appellant had used a victim’s debit card without authorization to withdraw

$100 from an automated teller machine at a Sheetz store.          Affidavit of

Probable Cause for Criminal Complaint, CP-28-CR-0000417-2021, 4/3/21, 1-

2. The victim informed the police that Appellant was inside her residence and

appeared to “be under the influence.” Id. at 1. A minor in the victim’s home

related that she observed Appellant’s use of the debit card. Id. She also

related that she observed him “buy drugs” at a Dollar Tree store.         Id.

Appellant allegedly admitted the allegations to a responding trooper, agreeing

that he purchased heroin from his “usual drug dealer” to support his ongoing

addiction. Id. at 2. When Appellant was subsequently processed in a Franklin

County jail, a jail officer seized a capsule of suspected fentanyl from him.

Affidavit of Probable Cause for Criminal Complaint, CP-28-CR-0000418-2021,

1.

        On May 20, 2021, Appellant pleaded guilty to access device fraud as a

misdemeanor of the first degree at CP-28-CR-0000417-2021, and knowing or

intentional possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl/Schedule II

narcotic) as an ungraded misdemeanor at CP-28-CR-0000418-2021.3 Order,

CP-28-CR-0000417-2021, 5/20/21, 1; Order, CP-28-CR-0000418-2021,

5/20/21, 1. In exchange for the pleas, the Commonwealth agreed to nolle

____________________________________________

3   18 Pa.C.S. § 4106(a)(1) and 35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(16), respectively.

                                           -4-
J-A27044-22

prosse additional charges, recommend concurrent sentences of thirty-six

months’ restrictive probation with time served for access device fraud and

twelve months’ restrictive probation with time served for the controlled

substance charge, and recommend probation revocation sentences of thirty-

six months’ restrictive probation with time served for terroristic threats and

twenty-four months’ restrictive probation with time served for simple assault.

Written Guilty Plea Colloquies, CP-28-CR-0000417-2021 & CP-28-CR-

0000418-2021, 1-2.          On the same date, the court revoked Appellant’s

probation at CP-28-CR-0000501-2019, and imposed the agreed-upon terms

of probation.4      Sentencing Orders, CP-28-CR-0000501-2019, CP-28-CR-

0000417-2021 & CP-28-CR-0000418-2021, 5/20/21, 1; Order of Court, CP-

28-CR-0000501-2019, 5/20/21, 1.

____________________________________________

4 With respect to the new offenses, Appellant had a prior record score of one
and offense gravity scores of four for access device fraud and three for
knowing or intentional possession of a controlled substance. Pennsylvania
Commission on Sentencing Forms, CP-51-CR-0000417-2021, 8/19/21, 1;
Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing Forms, CP-51-CR-0000418-2021,
8/19/21, 1; 204 Pa. Code § 303.15 (offense listing; 7th ed. amend. 6). The
Sentencing Guidelines recommended minimum sentences of restorative
sanctions to nine months’ imprisonment, plus three months for aggravating
circumstances, for access device fraud and restorative sanctions to six
months’ imprisonment, plus three months for aggravating circumstances, for
knowing or intentional possession of a controlled substance. 204 Pa. Code §
303.16(a) (basic sentencing matrix; 7th ed. amend. 6).

Newly adopted resentencing guidelines at 204 Pa. Code § 307 did not apply
for purposes of the resentencing at CP-28-CR-0000501-2019 because the
offenses in that matter were committed prior to January 1, 2020. See 204
Pa. Code § 307.2(b).

                                           -5-
J-A27044-22

       On October 19, 2021, Appellant’s probation officer notified the court of

another impending violation of probation hearing. The alleged grounds for the

violation were that: (1) Appellant was unsuccessfully discharged from a court-

ordered inpatient drug and alcohol treatment program on August 2, 2021; (2)

Appellant was unsuccessfully discharged from a different drug and alcohol

treatment program on September 14, 2021; and (3) Appellant was

unsuccessfully discharged from the Good Wolf Treatment Court on September

17, 2021.5      Notification of Hearing, 10/19/21, 1.    Present counsel was

subsequently appointed due to a conflict of interest. Order of Court, 10/22/21,

1.

       At the ensuing hearing, Appellant waived a hearing on the determination

of a probation violation and admitted that he was unsuccessfully discharged

from inpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs at Concept 90 and

Pyramid Bellevue, and was unsuccessfully discharged from the Good Wolf

Treatment Court. N.T. 1/31/22, 4-5. On that basis, the court found him in

violation of his probation, and proceeded to resentence him. Id. at 5-6. The

court imposed twelve to sixty months’ imprisonment for terroristic threats and

concurrent imprisonment terms of six to twenty-four months for simple

assault, six to twenty-four months for access device fraud, and three to twelve

____________________________________________

5 The Good Wolf Treatment Court is Franklin County’s “specialty court for
defendants whose criminal behavior evolved from addiction to controlled
substances or alcohol.” Revocation Court Opinion, 3/29/22, 2 n.2.

                                           -6-
J-A27044-22

months for knowing or intentional possession of a controlled substance.6 Id.

at 23-25; Sentencing Orders, 1/31/22.

       The court prefaced the imposition of the sentence with the following

remarks:

       THE COURT: All right. The record should reflect the Court has
       taken several minutes here to fashion the sentences to be
       imposed. We have previously reviewed prior to the hearing, the
       intermediate violation summary sheet and the attachments
       hereto.

       We are familiar with the Defendant’s participation in the Good Wolf
       Treatment Court as we are the primary judge presiding over the
       Good Wolf Treatment Court. We are also aware of his progress or
       lack thereof in the program as we were -- the judge that
       terminated the Defendant’s participation in the Good Wolf
       Treatment Court as reflected in the packet.

       Mr. Huffman, your attorney has pointed out some legal precepts
       in your case. We are generally aware of those.

       First, the statute cited by your attorney appropriately dealing with
       the considerations for the Court when any sentence of total
       confinement is considered after a representation of probation.
       Those consideration[s] are whether the Defendant has been
       convicted of another crime or the conduct of the Defendant
       indicates that it is likely that he will commit another crime if he is
       not in prison or such sentence is essential to [v]indicate the
____________________________________________

6  The resentencing guidelines did not apply to Appellant’s convictions for
terroristic threats and simple assault because those crimes occurred prior to
January 1, 2020. 204 Pa. Code § 307.2 (amend. 1). Those guidelines applied
to the remaining offenses and recommended the same terms as the initial
sentencing guidelines for technical probation violations: minimum sentences
of restorative sanctions to nine months’ imprisonment, plus three months for
aggravating circumstances, for access device fraud and restorative sanctions
to six months’ imprisonment, plus three months for aggravating
circumstances, for knowing or intentional possession of a controlled
substance. 204 Pa. Code § 307.3(a) (amend. 1). The new terms for those
offenses was thus within the recommended guideline ranges.

                                           -7-
J-A27044-22

     authority of the Court, which I don’t believe there is any dispute
     that you have not been convicted of a new offense.

     So the question for the Court is whether we can find that your
     conduct indicates that it is likely that you will commit another
     crime if you are not in prison -- and/or the sentence of total
     confinement is necessary to [v]indicate the authority of the Court.

     We listened intently to your statement. And what I listen for,
     particularly when Defendants have written something out, as I
     often tell participants in the Good Wolf Treatment Court is because
     writing is a deliberative process. It takes time. You must think
     about what you are saying, what you are trying to communicate.
     And it affords you an opportunity to really think about what you
     are saying.

     So when I have Defendants come before me whether it is Good
     Wolf Treatment Court or any other type of proceeding and have
     something written out, I listen very intently because that is the
     best insight into what you are thinking because you have to take
     time. You have to take time to write and deliberate upon what
     you wanted to say.

     And of particular interest to me in what you wrote is a couple of
     things. The first of which is I did not hear to any great extent
     words of contriteness, words of understanding, words of
     acceptance, words of realization. And I took notice of that
     because what appears to be lost on you, Mr. Huffman, is the
     common denominator in the problems in your life is you. You
     have your own particular view of what happened and then in an
     isolated circumstance that view may be just as likely as any other
     to be true.

     But the more circumstances in which you find yourself having
     problems, the less likely it is that is some external factor as
     opposed to an internal factor because you are becoming the
     common denominator to the problems that you have.

     The question that’s outstanding, one that your attorney has
     raised, is whether that is due to some mental health issues that
     remain unaddressed or not fully addressed or whether it is some
     nefarious or other deliberative or intentional conduct on your part
     that can only be remedied by total confinement.

                                    -8-
J-A27044-22

     But something else you said sort of gave me the clue to the answer
     to that. You mentioned several times that during the course of
     your struggle with addiction you had a girlfriend, she became your
     fianc[é], and you were attempting either intentional or through
     not taking proactive prophylactic measures to have a child.
     Unfortunately, that didn’t -- it doesn’t sound like that occurred.

     But what that made me think about is what would possess a
     person in your circumstances to do that?

     I cannot imagine having such a lack of insight, lack of judgment -
     - you are in the throws of addiction and you are trying to create a
     new life that you are going to be responsible for? That is an
     astounding lack of judgment. Absolutely astounding that you
     think either -- and maybe you weren’t trying to have a baby, but
     obviously you weren’t taking steps to prevent it, which is another
     astounding lack of judgment. You are in no way, shape or form
     in a position to be a parent. You would be responsible for an
     absolute defenseless child while you yourself were under the
     control of a drug.

     Astounding lack of judgment.

     And that tells me with some degree of confidence that you are just
     not interested in release -- getting released from the addiction you
     suffer from. It is just astounding to me. Your issues at Concept
     90 and Pyramid Bellevue stem in no small part from issues with
     authority. That goes -- strikes at the heart of the elements of
     9771 whether your conduct indicates that it is likely that you will
     commit a new offense if you are not incarcerated. Everything that
     I have heard leads me to that conclusion.

     The recommendation of the adult probation department is
     properly more lenient than it should be. You are in front of the
     Court to be resentenced on four different offenses ranging from
     financial crimes, access device fraud, to drug offenses, simple
     possession, to violent conduct, simple assault and terroristic
     threats. You violated just about every general criminal crimes –
     criminal offenses we have financial, drugs, and violence.

     Your conduct since being convicted and being under the sentence
     and jurisdiction of the Good Wolf Treatment Court does not
     provide any confidence that you are in the process of reformation,
     let alone rehabilitation, and living a life of nondrug use.

                                    -9-
J-A27044-22

      So even though we find the recommendation to be lenient, we will
      accept it. Recognizing that it is not entirely clear whether all of
      your problems result from your selfish desires or whether they
      result from true mental health issues. It is quite clear that both
      are playing a role of some type and it is not at all reasonable to
      lay it entirely on your mental issues.

N.T. 1/31/22, 18-22. Appellant timely filed separate notices of appeal in each

of the underlying matters.     Notices of Appeal, 2/25/22.      This Court later

granted Appellant’s motions to consolidate these appeals.         Superior Court

Order, 8/11/22.

      Appellant presents the following question for our review:

      Did the trial court abuse its discretion by issuing sentences of total
      confinement to a state correctional institution in contravention of
      42 Pa.C.S. §[ ]9771, which requires a finding that Appellant[:] (1)
      committed another crime[;] (2) be likely to commit a crime if not
      imprisoned[;] or (3) be committed to prison to vindicate the
      authority of the court?

Appellant’s Brief at 8.

      Appellant asserts that the revocation court abused its discretion by

imposing an imprisonment term based on its finding, for purposes of 42

Pa.C.S. § 9771(c), that he was likely to commit another crime if he is not

imprisoned.   Appellant’s Brief at 12-19.     In particular, he cites the court’s

comments about his lack of judgment with respect to his efforts at procreation

during his addiction to drugs as proof that the court was biased against him.

Id. at 14-16. Additionally, he asserts that the court improperly discounted

the role that mental health issues played in his failure to address his addiction

                                     - 10 -
J-A27044-22

problem. Id. at 16-18. We are obligated to find this claim unreviewable due

to Appellant’s failure to preserve it before the trial court.

      A claim that a probation revocation court erred in imposing a sentence

of imprisonment without finding a quantum of evidence in support any of the

§ 9771(c) factors implicates the discretionary aspects of a sentence.     See

Commonwealth v. Schutzues, 54 A.3d 86, 98 (Pa. Super. 2012)

(“[C]hallenges under § 9771(c) are not among the narrow class of issues that

implicate the legality of a sentence. Simply put, if a defendant believes that

the record is devoid of evidence supporting total confinement under § 9771(c),

he must preserve that argument as a challenge to the discretionary aspects

of the sentence.”); see also Commonwealth v. Cartrette, 83 A.3d 1030,

1041 (Pa. Super. 2013); Commonwealth v. Malovitch, 903 A.2d 1247,

1250-51 (Pa. Super. 2006); Commonwealth v. Ferguson, 893 A.2d 735,

737-38 (Pa. Super. 2006); Commonwealth v. McAfee, 849 A.2d 270, 274-

75 (Pa. Super. 2004).

      A discretionary sentencing claim can only be reviewed by this Court

provided that it is either preserved before the trial court in either an oral

motion at sentencing, raised following the imposition of the sentence at issue,

or in timely-filed post-sentence motion:

      Challenges to the discretionary aspects of sentencing are not
      automatically reviewable as a matter of right. Commonwealth
      v. Hunter, 768 A.2d 1136, 1144 (Pa. Super. 2001). Prior to
      reaching the merits of a discretionary sentencing issue, we must
      determine: (1) whether appellant has filed a timely notice of
      appeal; (2) whether the issue was properly preserved at

                                      - 11 -
J-A27044-22

      sentencing or in a motion to reconsider and modify sentence; (3)
      whether appellant’s brief sufficiently addresses the challenge in a
      statement included pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f); and (4)
      whether there is a substantial question that the sentence appealed
      from is not appropriate under the Sentencing Code.
      Commonwealth v. Evans, 901 A.2d 528, 533 (Pa. Super. 2006).

      To properly preserve an issue challenging the discretionary
      aspects of sentencing, a defendant must object and request a
      remedy at sentencing, or raise the challenge in a post-sentence
      motion. Commonwealth v. McAfee, 849 A.2d 270, 275 (Pa.
      Super. 2004). The Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure
      specifically caution defendants that, when filing post-sentence
      motions, “[a]ll requests for relief from the trial court shall be
      stated with specificity and particularity[.]”         Pa.R.Crim.P.
      720(B)(1)(a). See Commonwealth v. Tejada, 107 A.3d 788,
      798-99 (Pa. Super. 2015) (noting that the trial court must be
      given the opportunity to reconsider its sentence either at
      sentencing or in a post-sentence motion).              See, e.g.,
      Commonwealth v. Mann, 820 A.2d 788, 793-94 (Pa. Super.
      2003) (concluding that the defendant waived his discretionary
      aspects of sentencing claim regarding the sentencing court’s
      failure to state the reasons for his sentence on the record where
      the defendant’s post-sentence motion only argued that his
      sentence was unduly severe and that the trial court abused its
      discretion under the sentencing code).

Commonwealth v. Clary, 226 A.3d 571, 579 (Pa. Super. 2020); see also

Pa.R.A.P. 302(a) (“Issues not raised in the trial court are waived and cannot

be raised for the first time on appeal.”).

      Here, Appellant did not raise any claims about his sentence following

the imposition of the terms of imprisonment and before the conclusion of the

sentencing hearing. N.T. 1/31/22, 25-26. There is also nothing in the certified

record reflecting that Appellant ever filed any post-sentence motions: the trial

court’s dockets in the underlying matters do not contain any entries reflecting

the filing of post-sentence motions; the certified records do not contain post-

                                     - 12 -
J-A27044-22

sentence motions; and no post-sentence motions are addressed in Appellant’s

brief or the revocation court’s opinion.      Accordingly, Appellant waived his

claim, and we cannot address the merits of the issue. See Commonwealth

v. Moser, 283 A.3d 850, 858 (Pa. Super. 2022) (“[Moser] has failed to

preserve his challenge by objecting at sentencing or by filing a motion to

reconsider and modify his sentence. Therefore, he has not properly invoked

this Court’s jurisdiction to review his claim.”). The revocation court’s efforts

to address the claim on the merits in its Rule 1925(a) opinion does not save

this claim being waived for purposes of our review. See Commonwealth v.

Tejada, 107 A.3d 788, 799 (Pa. Super. 2015) (noting that prior decisions of

this Court which found that discretionary aspects of sentencing claims can be

preserved when raised for the first time in a Rule 1925(b) statement were

overruled by implication), citing Commonwealth v. Melendez-Rodriguez,

856 A.2d 1278, 1288 (Pa. Super. 2004) (en banc) (“a party cannot rectify the

failure to preserve an issue by proffering it in response to a Rule 1925(b)

order”) (citation omitted).

      Judgments of sentence affirmed.

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary

Date: 01/06/2023

                                     - 13 -