Court Opinion

ID: 9728866
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 14:17:53.165966+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:25:51.966178
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Justice,
dissenting.
Unlike the majority, I see no reason for this Court now to remand for an evidentiary hearing to determine some “conceivable” reason trial counsel might have had for failing to preserve the issue of pre-trial counsel’s ineffectiveness. In my view, the record is clear that the issue should have been preserved. See Commonwealth v. Hubbard, 472 Pa. 259, 286, 372 A.2d 687, 700 (1977) (Hubbard I) (Roberts, J., joined by Manderino, J., dissenting). “No ‘reasonable basis designed to effectuate’ appellant’s interests” exists which would justify counsel’s failure to preserve the issue. Id., 472 Pa. at 288, 372 A.2d at 700-701. See also Commonwealth v. Hubbard, 485 Pa. 353, 360, 402 A.2d 999, 1003 (1979) (Hubbard II) (Roberts, J., dissenting). I would therefore vacate judgments of sentence and remand for a hearing on the merits of appellant’s claim.