Court Opinion

ID: 9762288
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:19:03.648666+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:32.859501
License: Public Domain

WIEAND, Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. This is not a “borderline case.” Appellant’s assertion that trial counsel promised him a “county time” sentence in return for a plea of guilty is patently frivolous. Such a promise is contradicted by appel*184lant’s express representations to the contrary at the time of the guilty plea colloquy. “A criminal defendant who elects to plead quilty has a duty to answer questions truthfully. We cannot permit a defendant to postpone the final disposition of his case by lying to the court and later alleging that his lies were induced by the prompting [or ineffectiveness] of counsel.” Commonwealth v. Brown, 242 Pa.Superior Ct. 240, 247, 363 A.2d 1249, 1253 (1976).
Becausé appellant’s PCHA assertion is flatly and unequivocally contradicted by his own statements made during the guilty plea colloquy, I would affirm the order dismissing the PCHA petition without a hearing.