Court Opinion

ID: 9713975
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 05:28:03.2031+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:22.486105
License: Public Domain

CONCURRING OPINION BY
LALLY-GREEN, J.:
¶ 1 I join the Majority’s opinion with the following observations.
¶ 2 It would appear at first blush that this decision is in conflict with our Supreme Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Castillo, 585 Pa. 395, 888 A.2d 775 (2005). In Castillo, the Supreme Court ruled that an untimely concise statement results in waiver of all issues on appeal and mandates dismissal of the appeal.
¶ 3 Following the 2005 Castillo decision, the Supreme Court adopted extensive amendments to Rule 1925, particularly Pa. R.A.P.1925(c)(3). Thus, the Supreme Court adopted the amendments to Rule 1925 with an awareness of Castillo and its progeny. Under Castillo and new Rule 1925, where an appellant files a concise statement late or fails to file it at all, waiver still results. Thus, our resolution of Burton results in no conflict with Castillo. I also observe that waiver for not filing a concise statement is no different from waiver for filing an untimely concise statement. Simply stated, waiver is waiver no matter how it occurs.
¶ 4 Our decision in Burton provides a more flexible and efficient remedy when waiver under Castillo has occurred. This remedy does not unduly punish the appellant for counsel’s lapse. This Court’s focus, in waiver cases relating to concise statements, will be on whether the trial court had an adequate opportunity to prepare an opinion addressing the issues raised on appeal. If it did not, then the remand under Rule 1925(c)(3) is required. If it did, then a remand is not required as *443it would be an unnecessary step in the appellate process.
¶ 5 Also, one may plausibly argue that new Rule 1925, and our interpretation of it, “waters down” the 21-day requirement to the point of meaninglessness. If counsel files the concise statement late, we will now presumably remand for additional Rule 1925 proceedings (if the court did not file a responsive opinion) or ignore the untimeliness (if the court wrote an opinion to this Court’s satisfaction, as in the instant case).
¶ 6 What prevents counsel, or Commonwealth counsel who file criminal appeals, from playing “fast and loose” with the system? 1 To begin, counsel are reminded of their duty as officers of the court to abide by the trial court’s orders. Willful disregard of a Rule 1925 order should not be tolerated. By extension, trial courts are reminded that sanctions are available for willful disregard of trial courts’ Rule 1925 orders. Moreover, I note that counsel have a duty to “make reasonable efforts to expedite litigation consistent with the interests of the client.” Pa. Rule of Professional Conduct 3.2. Ignoring a Rule 1925 order builds delay into the system, to the detriment of the client and the system as a whole. In short, counsel are to discharge ethically their duties to the tribunal and to their clients by abiding by the trial court’s Rule 1925 orders.
¶ 7 With these observations, I join the Majority’s opinion.

. While most criminal appeals come from the defense, a limited number of appeals come from the Commonwealth.