Commonwealth v. Parker
Commonwealth v. Parker
Opinion of the Court
OPINION OF THE COURT
This is an appeal from the Superior Court’s Order affirming a Bradford County Common Pleas Court’s Order entered March 6,1990, revoking appellant’s parole and ordering him to complete the term of imprisonment imposed on April 3, 1989. On April 3, 1989, appellant was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of forty-five days to twenty-three months and twenty-nine days for pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol. On May 26, 1989, appellant was granted parole and was released from custody on May 30, 1989. One
On December 5, 1989, in an unrelated incident, appellant was involved in an altercation which resulted in appellant being shot in the leg by his brother. Appellant was subpoenaed to testify at his brother’s preliminary hearing. When called to testify, appellant initially invoked his right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment. The district attorney offered appellant use immunity in exchange for his testimony. In reliance upon the district attorney’s statements, appellant testified.
Appellant contends that the trial court erred in revoking his May 26, 1989 parole. Specifically, he claims that the court erred in rejecting his affirmative defense of “estoppel of prosecution.” See, Commonwealth v. Kaye, 232 Pa.Super. 506, 335 A.2d 426 (1975). (Superior Court indicated estoppel of prosecution defense may be recognized in certain situations). Appellant contends that the immunity promised him, albeit defective, should estop the Commonwealth from prosecuting his parole violation. However, we need not decide whether a defective grant of immunity would estop the Commonwealth from prosecuting a parole violation because, in this case, even a perfect grant of immunity would not preclude the Commonwealth from prosecuting appellant with evidence wholly independent of his compelled testimony.
It is generally recognized that there are two types of immunity, transactional and use immunity. Transactional immunity precludes prosecution for any transaction concerning which testimony was compelled, regardless of its source. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 507 Pa. 27, 30 n. 3, 487 A.2d 1320, 1321 n. 3 (1985); Riccobene Appeal, 439 Pa. 404, 411-412, 268 A.2d 104, 109 (1970). Use immunity, which is not as broad as transactional immunity, prohibits the use or derivative use of any compelled testimony. Commonwealth v. Johnson, 507 Pa. at 30, 487 A.2d at 1321; Kastigar v. United States, 406 U.S. 441, 92 S.Ct. 1653, 32 L.Ed.2d 212 (1972). Use immunity, however, does not prohibit prosecution for all crimes arising out of the transaction testified to, if the evidence is obtained independently of the compelled testimony. Riccobene Appeal, 439 Pa. at 412, 268 A.2d at 109.
Accordingly, we find that the appellant’s parole was properly revoked, and affirm the order of the Superior Court.
. The district attorney had no authority to grant appellant immunity. Pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 5947, the district attorney must request from the court an order granting immunity. The statute provides in relevant part:
[A] district attorney may request an immunity order from any judge of a designated court, and that judge shall issue such an order, when in the judgment of the ... district attorney:
(1) the testimony or other information from a witness may be necessary to the public interest; and
(2) a witness has refused or is likely to refuse to testify or provide other information on the basis of his privilege against self-incrimination.
42 Pa.C.S.A. § 5947(b) (emphasis added).
In this case, a request was never made and an order was never issued. Therefore, it was under a defective grant of immunity that appellant testified. See, Commonwealth v. Johnson, 507 Pa. 27, 487 A.2d 1320 (1985).
. Appellant previously waived a Gagnon I hearing. Gagnon v. Scarpelli, 411 U.S. 778, 93 S.Ct. 1756, 36 L.Ed.2d 656 (1973). In Gagnon, the United States Supreme Court held that due process requires that a probationer, like a parolee, be given a preliminary (Gagnon I) and a final (Gagnon II) hearing prior to revoking probation. See Morrissey v. Brewer, 408 U.S. 471, 92 S.Ct. 2593, 33 L.Ed.2d 484 (1972) (regarding parole revocations).
. Subsequently, appellant petitioned the Common Pleas Court and was again granted parol on May 30, 1990; he was released from custody on June 16, 1990.
. A tape of the preliminary hearing played at appellant’s Gagnon II hearing, and made a part of the record, demonstrates that the district attorney offered appellant only use immunity. (N.T. 3/6/90, p. 27-28).
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting.
I dissent. I am not satisfied that the record in this matter satisfactorily establishes that the subsequent investigation and revocation of Appellant’s parole were not derived from the fruits of Appellant’s own allegedly immunized statements. I believe it to be highly suspect that an offer of use immunity
Reference
- Full Case Name
- COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania, Appellee, v. John Thomas PARKER, Appellant
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- 7 cases
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- Published