Court Opinion

ID: 9749625
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 16:54:15.164041+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:53.992906
License: Public Domain

*10CAVANAUGH, Judge,
dissenting:
I disagree with the majority’s conclusion that the evidence was sufficient beyond a reasonable doubt to support a finding of constructive possession.
As the majority itself notes, the evidence adduced to support a finding of constructive possession was equivocal. Virtually all of the evidence cited by the majority was as consistent as not with a negative inference that the contraband was possessed by appellant. According to Officer Lenihan’s testimony, the female passenger had moved from the center to the passenger seat, on which side the door was open and the window rolled down, and thus had as much access to the area where the contraband was found as did appellant. Under these circumstances, a reasonable doubt is raised as to whether it was appellant who was in constructive possession of the contraband. See, Commonwealth v. Juliano, 340 Pa.Super. 501, 490 A.2d 891 (1985); Commonwealth v. Wisor, 466 Pa. 527, 353 A.2d 817 (1976); Commonwealth v. Boatwright, 308 Pa.Super. 41, 453 A.2d 1058 (1982).
While it is true that we must view the evidence and reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth as verdict winner, it is equally true that the Commonwealth has the burden of producing evidence sufficient to sustain its propositions beyond a reasonable doubt in the first instance. The entire tenor of the majority’s opinion inferentially places the burden upon appellant to disprove rather than upon the Commonwealth to prove possession. I believe that this is error and therefore