Court Opinion

ID: 9737263
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 19:20:18.087651+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:23:57.661259
License: Public Domain

Concurring
DEL SOLE, P.J.:
¶ 1 I join the Majority. I write separately to invite the Appellate Court Rules Committee to consider modifying Pa. R.A.P.1925.
¶ 2 In Commonwealth v. Lord, 553 Pa. 415, 719 A.2d 306 (1998), the Supreme Court, recognizing that appellate review is substantially impeded by the absence of a trial court opinion, held that the appellant’s failure to include issues in an ordered 1925(b) statement resulted in waiver. As the court pointed out:
Rule 1925 is intended to aid trial judges in identifying and focusing upon those issues which the parties plan to raise on appeal.
Lord, 719 A.2d at 308.
¶ 3 I suggest the rule be modified to account for those situations where the trial court’s reasons appear of record, or where the trial court knows what issues will be raised on appeal and prepares an opinion addressing those issues. For instance, in cases where post-trial or post-sentencing motions have been filed, or a single issue is raised in a dispositive motion, the trial court can set forth the reasons for its ruling.
¶4 Given that in many cases, trial judges do not require 1925(b) statements, and waiver is probably the least favored method of resolving issues, the interests of justice may be better served by revisiting this rule.
¶ 5 KLEIN, J., joins.