Commonwealth v. Perry
Commonwealth v. Perry
Opinion of the Court
This ease comes to us on appeal from the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, and involves defendant’s claim that the charges against him should have been dismissed because the Commonwealth failed to demonstrate “due diligence” in bringing the defendant to trial at the hearing held on the Commonwealth’s petition to extend the time for trial.
The defendant was arrested and charged with burglary and possessing instruments of crime on July 26, 1977. He was convicted of said crimes on February 10, 1977 after a non-jury trial. He then took this appeal.
The mechanical run date of 180 days pursuant to Rule 1100 of the Pa.Rules of Criminal Procedure was January 22, 1978. Because that date fell on a Sunday the time for trial was extended to Monday, January 23, 1978. Rule 1100 Pa.Rules Crim.Pro. On October 26, 1977 the case was listed for trial. The defendant failed to appear on time for the trial and the case was passed. On January 23, 1978 the Commonwealth filed a timely Petition for an Extension of Time in which to bring the defendant to trial. The defendant answered said petition and filed a motion to dismiss the charges. A hearing was held thereon on February 3, 1978, after which the court granted an extension of time to the Commonwealth. Trial commenced on February 10, 1978 which was the 199th day after defendant’s arrest.
The court below found that the Commonwealth had exercised due diligence in attempting to bring the defendant to trial. The Commonwealth was ready to proceed to trial on October 26, 1977, November 17, 1977 and December 14, 1977 but the case was not reached on any of those dates. The court also found that the defendant’s tardiness in appearing for trial on October 26,1977 resulted in a 22 day delay which is attributable to the defendant. Deducting the 22 day delay caused by the defendant from the 199 days brings the Commonwealth within the 180 day limit. Thus, even if the Commonwealth failed to prove “due diligence” at the Rule 1100 hearing the defendant was tried within the appropriate
The defendant was late on October 26, 1977 because he had been detained at a district hearing. However, the case was then re-listed for trial on November 17,1977. Thus, the defendant’s “unavailability” on October 26, 1977 resulted in the delay. The unavailability of the defendant excludes the delay occasioned thereby from the running of the rule. Commonwealth v. Millhouse, 470 Pa. 512, 368 A.2d 1273 (1977). Section 1100(d)(1) of the rule requires the exclusion of the period of delay resulting from the unavailability of the defendant or his counsel. Commonwealth v. Morgan, 484 Pa. 117, 398 A.2d 972 (1979). The court below found that the defendant’s unavailability on October 26, 1977 resulted in a 22 day delay. Unlike the situation in Morgan, the unavailability of the defendant in our case did result in delaying the schedule of the proceedings. The defendant would have us hold that defendant’s unavailability on October 26, 1977 resulted in only a one day delay, at most, which is attributable to the defendant. The defendant argues that Rule 1100(d)(1) provides that the only delay which can be attributed to the defendant is the actual period of time that he was unavailable. We do not agree. The Rule specifically excludes from the “run time” “such period of delay at any stage of the proceedings as results from : (1) the unavailability of the defendant or his attorney.”
Since the court below correctly attributed the 22 day delay to the defendant and because the case was tried on the 199th day, we hold that the court below did not err in dismissing the defendant’s petition to dismiss the charges.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
. Pa.Rules Crim.Pro. 1100(d)(1).
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting:
Appellant contends that the lower court erred in granting the Commonwealth’s petition for extension of time pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100(c). I agree and, accordingly, would reverse the judgment of sentence and order appellant discharged.
On July 26, 1977, the Commonwealth filed a criminal complaint against appellant, charging him with burglary and possessing instruments of crime. Thus, pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 1100(a)(2), appellant’s trial should have commenced by January 23,1978.
Rule 1100(a)(2) requires the Commonwealth to commence trial within 180 days of the filing of the complaint unless any period of delay beyond 180 days is excludable pursuant to Rule 1100(d) or the run date is properly extended by court order pursuant to Rule 1100(c). The Commonwealth argues, and the majority agrees, that even if the extension in this case were improperly granted, appellant was tried within the Rule 1100 period because it is entitled to exclude twenty-two days. Rule 1100(d)(1) states in part: “In determining the period for commencement of trial, there shall be excludable therefrom such period of delay at any stage of the proceedings as results from: ... the unavailability of the defendant . ...”
In Commonwealth v. Morgan, 484 Pa. 117, 398 A.2d 972 (1979), our Supreme Court rejected the contention which the Commonwealth raises here. In that case, the defendant did not appear on the scheduled trial date, and the trial was rescheduled to a date forty-nine days later. The Commonwealth sought to exclude under Rule 1100(d)(1) the entire forty-nine day period on the ground that defendant’s unavailability on the scheduled trial date prevented the commencement of trial within the Rule 1100 period. In reject
I conclude that the twenty-two day period from October 26, 1977 to November 17, 1977 is not excludable under Rule 1100(d)(1). If scheduling difficulties prevented appellant’s trial from being listed before November 17, that delay is not excludable under Rule 1100(d)(1). In any event, I note that the record contains no explanation for the delay in rescheduling appellant’s trial. It therefore cannot be said that the Commonwealth “exercise[d] due diligence in the avoidance of that delay.” Commonwealth v. Morgan, supra, 484 Pa. at 127, 398 A.2d at 976. Accordingly, because only one day is excludable under Rule 1100(d)(1), appellant must be discharged unless the lower court properly granted the Commonwealth’s extension petition.
I conclude that the Commonwealth failed to establish that it exercised due diligencé in attempting to bring appellant to trial within the Rule 1100 period. As stated above, the Commonwealth in its extension petition merely cited the three occasions on which the case had not been tried and alleged that it had exercised due diligence. At the “hearing” on the petition, the Commonwealth presented no evidence, and the hearing judge apparently based his finding of due diligence solely upon his review of the docket entry notes. This record falls far short of satisfying the Commonwealth’s burden of proving its due diligence by a preponderance of the evidence. The record certainly does not “show the causes of the court delay and the reasons why the delay cannot be avoided.” Commonwealth v. Mayfield, supra, 469 Pa. at 222, 364 A.2d at 1349. See Commonwealth v. Levitt, 287 Pa.Superior Ct. 115, 429 A.2d 1126 (1981) (Commonwealth not entitled to extension where it failed to show that
. In computing the Rule 1100 period, January 22, 1978, the 180th day, is omitted because it was a Sunday. Commonwealth v. Jones, 473 Pa. 211, 214, 373 A.2d 1338, 1339 (1977); Commonwealth v. Thomas, 266 Pa.Superior Ct. 381, 383, 404 A.2d 1340, 1342 (1979); 1 Pa.C.S. § 1908.
. The Commonwealth has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that it is entitled to an exclusion under Rule 1100(d). Commonwealth v. Mitchell, 472 Pa. 553, 564, 372 A.2d 826, 831 (1977); Commonwealth v. Williams, 284 Pa.Superior Ct. 125, 129, 425 A.2d 451, 454 (1981); Commonwealth v. Clark, 256 Pa.Superior Ct. 456, 463, 390 A.2d 192, 195 (1978).
. Accord, Commonwealth v. Manley, 282 Pa.Superior Ct. 376, 422 A.2d 1340 (1980); Commonwealth v. Goodman, 260 Pa.Superior Ct. 266, 393 A.2d 1256 (1978). But see Commonwealth v. Chapman, 271 Pa.Superior Ct. 473, 414 A.2d 352 (1979).
. The Court stated that “[t]he due diligence involved in this case refers to [the Commonwealth’s] obligation to make an effort to reschedule the trial as quickly as the circumstances permit.” Id., 484 Pa. at 127 n.5, 398 A.2d at 976 n.5.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Robert PERRY, Appellant
- Cited By
- 15 cases
- Status
- Published