Court Opinion

ID: 9785210
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 21:10:13.535074+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:36:11.638406
License: Public Domain

Justice SAYLOR,
dissenting.
The allocatur stage is normally reserved for making the threshold determination of whether to grant discretionary review. See Supreme Court IOP § 5C. Here, however, the majority undertakes merits review at the allocatur stage. Thus, it proceeds to enter an order dispositive of factual and legal matters in this case, although we have no briefs, and the respondent was not required to file an answer and has not done so.
*295The basis for the majority’s order is its assertion that “[i]t is undisputed the trial court ... notified Petitioners’ counsel of the upcoming trial at 3:55 p.m.” There is, however, no finding to this effect by the court of original jurisdiction, no affirmative admission by the respondent, and no factual record from which such a fact could be derived. At this juncture, there is only the assertion by Petitioners’ counsel.
I maintain the concern that the Court should exercise greater restraint at the discretionary review stage. Cf. Progressive N. Ins. Co. v. Henry, 4 A.3d 153 (Pa.2010) (Saylor, J., dissenting); County of Berks v. Int’l Bhd. of Teamsters Local Union No. 429, 600 Pa. 128, 963 A.2d 1272, 1272-73 (2009) (Saylor, J., dissenting). While the sentiment appears to prevail that this type of error-review case does not warrant full briefing and ordinary consideration by this Court on the appeal docket, I remain of the view that shortcutting such process is not a tenable alternative in the absence of concretely established facts and clearly and directly applicable law. Cf. id.; Supreme Court IOP § 3(B)(5).
Justice EAKIN joins this Dissenting Statement.