Com. v. Hodge, R. ( 2016 )

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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
RICHARD DEAN HODGE,
Appellant No. 1895 WDA 2015
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence August 25, 2015
in the Court of Common Pleas of Mercer County
Criminal Division at No.: CP-43-CR-0000240-2015
BEFORE: OLSON, J., DUBOW, J., and PLATT, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY PLATT, J.: FILED JULY 11, 2016
Appellant, Richard Dean Hodge, appeals pro se from the judgment of
sentence imposed following his guilty plea to one count of corrupt
organizations and three counts of possession with intent to deliver (PWID) a
controlled substance, arising from his involvement in a heroin distribution
ring.1 Appellant challenges the trial court’s determination that his past
conviction for abuse of a corpse2 rendered him ineligible for a Recidivism
Risk Reduction Incentive (RRRI) sentence. Upon careful review we are
____________________________________________
*
Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
1
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 911(b)(2); 35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(30).
2
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5510.
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constrained to agree, and therefore we vacate the judgment of sentence and
remand for re-sentencing.
We take the facts and procedural history in this matter from the trial
court’s October 13, 2015 opinion.
On June 12, 2015, [Appellant pleaded] guilty to [one]
count of corrupt organizations, [one] count of [PWID] [ten] but
less than [fifty] grams of heroin, a second offense, [one] count
of [PWID] [five] but less than [ten] grams of heroin, a second
offense, and [one] count of [PWID] less than [one] gram of
heroin, a second offense.
[Appellant] was sentenced on August 25, 2015, to a term
of imprisonment of not less than [two and one-half] nor more
than [ten] years on the charge of corrupt organization[s]; to a
consecutive term of imprisonment of not less than [two and one-
half] nor more than [ten] years on the charge of PWID heroin,
more than [ten] grams but less than [fifty] grams; to a
consecutive term of imprisonment of not less than [two and one-
half] years nor more than [five] years on the charge of PWID
heroin, more than [five] grams but less than [ten] grams; and a
concurrent sentence of not less than [two] years nor more than
[five] years on the remaining count of PWID. [This resulted in
an aggregate sentence of not less than seven and one-half nor
more than twenty-five years’ imprisonment.]
The sentences were all within the standard range of the
sentencing guidelines.
[The trial] court decline[d] to impose a RRRI minimum
sentence because of [Appellant’s] prior conviction for abuse of a
corpse and there was no waiver by the Commonwealth.
[Appellant], although represented by counsel, filed on his
own a motion to modify sentence[] on August 28, 2015. Among
the issues raised in that motion was that the court erred in not
imposing a RRRI minimum sentence.
The motion was denied without a hearing.
(Trial Court Opinion, 10/13/15, at 2-3) (unnecessary capitalization omitted).
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Appellant, acting pro se, filed a notice of appeal on September 11,
2015. Pursuant to the court’s order, Appellant filed a counseled concise
statement of errors complained of on appeal on October 13, 2015. See
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). The trial court entered its opinion the same day. See
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a). On February 2, 2016, after a Grazier3 hearing, the trial
court granted Appellant’s motion to proceed pro se and permitted counsel to
withdraw from representation.
Appellant raises one issue on appeal.
1. Did the [s]entencing [c]ourt err as a matter of [l]aw or abuse
its discretion when it denied Appella[nt] the benefits of the RRRI
[s]tatute where it is not clearly defined if Appellant’s prior
conviction for abuse of corpse is considered a “crime of violence”
which makes Appellant ineligible under the “history of past
violent behavior” clause?
(Appellant’s Brief, at 3) (underlining omitted).
In his sole issue on appeal, Appellant challenges the legality of the trial
court’s determination that he is not an RRRI eligible offender. (See id. at 6-
13). Specifically, he argues that his prior conviction for abuse of a corpse is
not included in the RRRI statute as a crime that would preclude a defendant
from being RRRI eligible, nor is it included in other Pennsylvania statutes
that concern crimes of violence. (See id.) (citing 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9714(g)
(Sentencing Code definition of crime of violence for recidivist offenders); 61
Pa.C.S.A. § 3903 (eligibility for inmate motivational boot camp program); 18
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3
Commonwealth v. Grazier, 713 A.2d 81 (Pa. 1998).
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Pa.C.S.A. § 6105(b)-(c) (offenses precluding offenders from possession or
use of firearms)). Therefore, he argues that his conviction for abuse of a
corpse does not create a history of past violent behavior rendering him
ineligible for RRRI sentencing.4 (See id. at 6). Upon review of the record,
we agree.
[W]e note that [i]t is legal error to fail to impose a RRRI
minimum on an eligible offender. A challenge to a court’s failure
to impose an RRRI sentence implicates the legality of the
sentence. In this context, Appellant challenges the court’s
interpretation of a statute.
[B]ecause statutory interpretation implicates a question of
law, our scope of review is plenary and our standard of review is
de novo.
When interpreting a statute:
Our task is guided by the sound and settled
principles set forth in the Statutory Construction Act,
including the primary maxim that the object of statutory
construction is to ascertain and effectuate legislative
intent. 1 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 1921(a). In pursuing that end, we
are mindful that “[w]hen the words of a statute are clear
and free from all ambiguity, the letter of it is not to be
disregarded under the pretext of pursuing its spirit.” 1
Pa.C.S.[A.] § 1921(b). Indeed, “[a]s a general rule, the
best indication of legislative intent is the plain language of
a statute.” In reading the plain language, “[w]ords and
phrases shall be construed according to rules of grammar
and according to their common and approved usage,”
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4
Although in his brief Appellant argues that his single prior conviction does
not constitute a history of past or present violent behavior, because
Appellant failed to include this issue in his statement of questions presented,
it is waived. (See Appellant’s Brief, at 13); Pa.R.A.P. 2116(a) (“No question
will be considered unless it is stated in the statement of questions involved
or is fairly suggested thereby.”).
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while any words or phrases that have acquired a “peculiar
and appropriate meaning” must be construed according to
that meaning. 1 Pa.C.S.[A.] [§] 1903(a). However, when
interpreting non-explicit statutory text, legislative intent
may be gleaned from a variety of factors, including, inter
alia: the occasion and necessity for the statute; the
mischief to be remedied; the object to be attained; the
consequences of a particular interpretation; and the
contemporaneous legislative history. 1 Pa.C.S.[A.] §
1921(c). Moreover, while statutes generally should be
construed liberally, penal statutes are always to be
construed strictly, 1 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 1928(b)(1), and any
ambiguity in a penal statute should be interpreted in favor
of the defendant.
Commonwealth v. Hanna, 124 A.3d 757, 759-60 (Pa. Super. 2015) (case
citations and some quotation marks omitted).
The RRRI program was established to “ensure[] appropriate
punishment for persons who commit crimes, encourage[] inmate
participation in evidence-based programs that reduce the risks of future
crime and ensure[] the openness and accountability of the criminal justice
process while ensuring fairness to crime victims.” 61 Pa.C.S.A. § 4502. The
RRRI Act “provides (1) that a sentencing court must designate a sentence as
an RRRI sentence whenever the defendant is eligible for that designation,
and (2) that a defendant is eligible for that designation if he has not been
previously convicted of certain enumerated offenses and ‘[d]oes not
demonstrate a history of present or past violent behavior.’ 61 Pa.C.S.[A.] §
4503 (defining “Eligible offender”).” Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 10 A.3d
1260, 1262 (Pa. Super. 2010), appeal denied, 21 A.3d 1190 (Pa. 2011)
(footnotes omitted). Although the RRRI Act includes multiple exclusions in
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its definition of an eligible offender, the “history of present or past violent
behavior” is the only exclusion relevant here. 61 Pa.C.S.A. § 4503(1).
The question of whether a past conviction of abuse of a corpse
constitutes a history of present or past violent behavior for the purpose of
RRRI eligibility is an issue of first impression. However, our interpretation is
guided by this Court’s decision in Gonzalez, supra and our Supreme Court’s
decision in Commonwealth v. Chester, 101 A.3d 56 (Pa. 2014), both of
which considered whether an offense constituted evidence of past violent
behavior rendering an offender ineligible for an RRRI sentence.
In Gonzalez, this Court considered whether the appellant’s prior
conviction for second-degree burglary constituted evidence of past violent
behavior. Gonzalez, supra at 1262. The Gonzalez Court concluded that
based on the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, second-degree burglary, by
definition, “does not involve the risk of violence or injury to another person.”
Id. The court also considered that second-degree burglary was not included
as a crime of violence in the Sentencing Code, see 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9714(g);
did not render an offender ineligible for motivational boot camp, see 61
Pa.C.S.A. § 3903; and was not included in the Pennsylvania Crime Victims
Act as a personal injury crime, see 18 P.S. § 11.103. See Gonzalez, supra
at 1262-63. The Court reasoned that the RRRI Act constituted a remedial
act, and therefore concluded that, given the consistent legislative
distinctions made by the General Assembly, appellant’s prior conviction
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should not have been construed as an indication of past violent behavior to
disqualify him from an RRRI sentence. See id. at 1263.
In Chester, our Supreme Court similarly considered whether a prior
conviction for a crime not specifically enumerated in the RRRI eligible
offender definition, first-degree burglary, was sufficient to form a history of
violent behavior. See Chester, supra at 432. The Supreme Court
reasoned that “it is well established within our case law that [b]urglary is a
crime of violence as a matter of law, signifying that first-degree burglary
necessarily constitutes violent behavior in all contexts including under
Section 4503(1).” Id. at 443 (internal quotation marks and citation
omitted). The court also considered this Court’s reasoning in Gonzalez,
supra, and concluded that
the case is even stronger for specifically construing the
commission of the crime of first-degree burglary as violent
behavior under Section 4503(1), given that, unlike second-
degree burglary, first-degree burglary is listed as a crime of
violence under the recidivist minimum sentencing provision in 42
Pa.C.S.A. § 9714(g), and the crime specifically renders an
offender ineligible for motivational boot camp pursuant to 61
Pa.C.S.A. § 3903.
Chester, supra at 444. Therefore, the court concluded that a prior
conviction of first-degree burglary was sufficient to render an offender
ineligible for RRRI eligibility. See id. at 445.
Here, Appellant has a previous conviction of violating 18 Pa.C.S.A. §
5510, which states: “Except as authorized by law, a person who treats a
corpse in a way that he knows would outrage ordinary family sensibilities
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commits a misdemeanor of the second degree.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5510. Thus,
under the plain language of the statute, abuse of a corpse does not involve
the risk of violence to another person; it is an offense against ordinary
family sensibilities. See id. Furthermore, similar to Gonzalez, supra,
abuse of a corpse is not included in the definition of a crime of violence in
the Sentencing Code, see 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9714(g); does not render an
offender ineligible for inmate motivational boot camp, see 61 Pa.C.S.A. §
3903; and is not included as a personal injury crime under the Pennsylvania
Crime Victim’s Act, see 18 P.S. § 11.103. See Gonzalez, supra at 1262-
63. Additionally, as Appellant notes, his prior conviction for abuse of a
corpse does not preclude him from possession or use of a firearm pursuant
to 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6105. (See Appellant’s Brief, at 10-12).
Thus, we are constrained to conclude that the trial court erred in
finding that Appellant’s prior conviction for abuse of a corpse constituted a
history of past violent behavior rendering him ineligible for an RRRI
sentence. See 61 Pa.C.S.A. 4503(1); Chester, supra at 442-44;
Gonzalez, supra at 1263. Accordingly, we vacate the judgment of
sentence, and remand this case to the trial court for re-sentencing.
Judgment of sentence vacated, case remanded, jurisdiction
relinquished.
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 7/11/2016
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