Court Opinion

ID: 9766292
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 04:39:35.704215+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:21.070660
License: Public Domain

PRICE, Judge
(dissenting).
Following a jury trial, appellant was found guilty of rape and criminal conspiracy. On April 9, 1975, he was sentenced to one to two years imprisonment on the conviction for criminal conspiracy and five to fifteen years imprisonment on the conviction for rape, sentences to run concurrently. I agree with appellant’s contention that he was denied a fair and impartial trial, and would reverse and remand for a new trial.
Briefly, the facts indicate that at approximately 11:00 a.m. on May 8, 1974, the victim and a girl friend left high school intending to meet a boy for lunch! Instead, the girls went for a car ride with one William Wagner. Wagner also picked up appellant, and the four went to a house on Gates Street in Philadelphia. Several other males were also at the house.
While at the house, all those present drank liquor and “snorted” narcotics. The victim stated she participated because appellant had a gun and she was frightened. *206After this, the victim’s girl friend was beaten by Wagner, and when the victim attempted to aid her friend, she was thrown against the wall. The girls attempted to leave but were prevented by one of the males. The victim testified that a short time later, appellant and a co-defendant forced her into a storage room and there both men forcibly raped her. Another of the men also attempted to have sexual relations with the victim, but she became hysterical and he was unable to carry out his intentions.
The victim, her girl friend, appellant, and several others then drove by car to appellant’s house on Clare Street. There, the victim managed to escape. A passing police officer noticed her sitting in a parking lot, crying, and stopped to investigate. The victim gave the officer Wagner’s name, as well as descriptions of the two men who had raped her, and information about the Gates Street address. Several of those involved were immediately arrested and identified by the victim. The appellant was later arrested and also identified by the victim.
Unfortunately, appellant filed only boiler-plate written motions in arrest of judgment and for a new trial. However, the lower court opinion indicates that additional grounds for a new trial were alleged orally and were considered by the lower court. Although this procedure of accepting oral post-trial motions does not comply with Pa.R.Crim.P. 1123(a) and has been condemned by our supreme court in Commonwealth v. Blair, 460 Pa. 31, 331 A.2d 213 (1975), our supreme court has established an exception to Blair in Commonwealth v. Bailey, 463 Pa. 354, 344 A.2d 869 (1975). Where the relevant events in a case occurred before Blair, and where the lower court considered any additional grounds for post-trial motions which were made orally, these additional grounds will not be deemed waived. The case at bar falls under this exception.
*207Appellant contends that the district attorney made certain comments during his closing remarks which were so prejudicial and inflammatory as to deny him a fair and impartial trial. The district attorney stated that appellant and his witnesses had lied on the stand. The prosecutor also stated that . . the immunity of gangsterism — the immunity of safety ends here upon the facts that you [the jury] hear from that witness stand.” (NT 636-37)
In Commonwealth v. Potter, 445 Pa. 284, 285 A.2d 492 (1971), our supreme court reversed a conviction where the district attorney branded the appellant’s testimony a “malicious lie.” The court went on to say that this “. . injected his [the district attorney’s] highly prejudicial personal opinion of appellant’s credibility into evidence, thereby clearly and improperly intruding upon the jury’s exclusive function of evaluating the credibility of witnesses.” 445 Pa. at 287, 285 A.2d at 493. See also Commonwealth v. Brooks, 454 Pa. 75, 309 A.2d 732 (1973). Our courts have also held that reversible error occurred when a prosecutor referred to the defendants as “hoodlums” and “animals.” Commonwealth v. Lipscomb, 455 Pa. 525, 317 A.2d 205 (1974).
I conclude that the instant factual situation is controlled by the above-cited cases, and I would, therefore, reverse the judgment of sentence and remand for a new trial. “[T]he prosecuting attorney enjoys an office of unusual responsibility, and . . . his trial conduct should never be vindictive or attempt in any manner to influence the jury by arousing their prejudices.” Commonwealth v. Toney, 439 Pa. 173, 180, 266 A.2d 732, 736 (1970). The prosecutor’s remarks went beyond the scope of fair play and should not be permitted.
The majority, however, would hold that the objection to the district attorney’s comments that appellant and his witnesses were lying is waived. This is apparently based on the lower court’s failure to specifically discuss *208this point in its opinion. However, I believe such a conclusion represents an improper application of the waiver doctrine.
The lower court in its opinion states: “ [defendant claims that the Court erred in not declaring a mistrial because of remarks by the District Attorney in closing argument.” I note that the district attorney’s closing, remarks were transcribed and that appellant’s counsel made timely objections, on the record, to the district attorney’s statements. In light of the lower court’s acknowledgment of the general allegations of improper remarks, I must conclude that all objections to allegedly improper comments were presented to the lower court. I cannot agree that this point was waived.
I would reverse the judgment of sentence and remand for a new trial.
HOFFMAN and CERCONE, JJ., join in this opinion.