Com. v. Mason, W. ( 2015 )

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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37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.
WADE ANTHONY MASON
Appellant No. 1020 EDA 2014
Appeal from the PCRA Order entered March 26, 2014
In the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County
Criminal Division at No: CP-23-CR-0006304-2009
BEFORE: GANTMAN, P.J., FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E., and STABILE, J.
MEMORANDUM BY STABILE, J.: FILED JANUARY 16, 2015
Appellant, Wade Anthony Mason, appeals pro se from the March 26,
2014 order entered in the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County,
denying his petition for collateral relief pursuant to the Post Conviction Relief
Act (PCRA), 42 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 9541-9546. Upon review, we affirm.
After a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of rape, sexual assault and
simple assault.1 Following sentencing and denial of post-sentence motions,
Appellant’s trial counsel filed a timely appeal to this Court. The one issue
presented for this Court’s consideration was whether the trial court erred by
refusing to grant a mistrial based on the prosecutor’s closing argument
remarks that Appellant “stalked the streets of Chester.” Agreeing with the
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1
18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 3121, 3124.1, and 2701, respectively.
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trial court that the prosecutor’s remarks constituted nothing more than
oratorical flair and that any prejudice caused by the comment was
sufficiently mitigated by the trial court’s instructions to the jury, this Court
affirmed the judgment of sentence. Commonwealth v. Mason, 2268 EDA
2011, unpublished memorandum at 7-8 (Pa. Super. filed April 24, 2012),
appeal denied, 53 A.3d 757 (Pa. 2012).
Appellant filed a timely pro se PCRA petition and counsel was
appointed. After reviewing the record and Appellant’s issues, PCRA counsel
filed a Turner/Finley letter2 and a petition to withdraw. The PCRA court
issued a Notice of Intent to Dismiss pursuant to Pa.R.Crim.P. 907. Following
its review of the record and Appellant’s response to the Notice of Intent, the
PCRA court issued its final order on March 26, 2014, dismissing the
Appellant’s PCRA petition and granting counsel’s petition to withdraw.
Appellant filed this timely pro se appeal on April 7, 2014.3
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2
In his eleven-page letter filed pursuant to Commonwealth v. Turner, 544
A.2d 927 (Pa. 1998), and Commonwealth v. Finley, 550 A.2d 213 (Pa.
Super. 1988) (en banc), PCRA counsel thoroughly explored the ten issues
Appellant wished to pursue and explained why each contention lacked merit.
3
On April 10, 2014, Appellant filed an application for appointment of
counsel. On May 16, 2104, this Court denied the request in a per curiam
order citing Commonwealth v. Maple, 559 A.2d 953 (Pa. Super. 1989)
(stating that when post-conviction counsel has been permitted to withdraw,
new counsel shall not be appointed).
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Appellant subsequently filed a brief with this Court that violates
several important aspects of Pa.R.A.P. 2111 governing appellate briefs. His
brief lacks a statement of jurisdiction, the order in question, a statement of
the scope and standard of review, a statement of the questions involved,
and a statement of the case. Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a)(1)-(5).4 Appellant does
provide a Summary of Argument, as required by Pa.R.A.P. 2111(a)(6). His
one-sentence summary—repeated here verbatim—indicates, “Appellant is
demonstating the prosecutor comments were undermined the
fairmindedness and impartiality to the jury[.]” Appellant’s Brief, at iii.
In Commonwealth v. Spuck, 86 A.3d 870 (Pa. Super. 2014), this
Court addressed a pro se litigant’s failure to comply with procedural rules
governing appellate briefs, stating:
Rule 2101 underscores the seriousness with which we take
deviations from our rules of procedure.
Briefs . . . shall conform in all material respects with the
requirements of these rules as nearly as the circumstances
of the particular case will admit, otherwise they may be
suppressed, and, if the defects are in the brief . . . of the
appellant and are substantial, the appeal or other matter
may be quashed or dismissed.
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4
Without explanation, Appellant does includes a “Counter-statement of the
Question Involved,” a “Counter-statement of the Case” and a “Summary of
Argument,” all of which are simply photocopies of those sections of the
Commonwealth’s brief filed on direct appeal. Appellant’s Brief at 1-5. Not
surprisingly, the Commonwealth agrees that the facts included in the
counter-statement of the case are accurate. Commonwealth Brief, at 4.
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Pa.R.A.P. 2101[.] Although Pennsylvania courts endeavor to be
fair to pro se litigants in light of the challenges they face
conforming to practices with which attorneys are far more
familiar, see Means v. Housing Auth. of the City of
Pittsburgh, 747 A.2d 1286, 1289 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2000) (noting
that Commonwealth Court “is generally inclined to construe pro
se filings liberally”), Pennsylvania appellate courts nonetheless
long have recognized that we must demand that pro se litigants
comply substantially with our rules of procedure. See Laird v.
[Ely &]Bernard, 365 Pa. Super. 95, 528 A.2d 1379 (1987). We
also have held time and again that “[t]his Court will not act as
counsel” for an appellant who has not substantially complied
with our rules. Bombar v. W. Am. Ins. Co., 932 A.2d 78, 93
(Pa. Super. 2007).
Id. at 873-74 (citation omitted).
Appellant’s brief includes three sections with the heading “Argument.”
The first is on page iv where Appellant lists various purported “grounds for
seeking post-conviction relief” with case citations. The second section titled
“Argument” spans three and a half pages, beginning on page 6 of the brief,
and is followed by the third section of argument, a single page titled “Last
Argument.” We are unable to discern any legal basis for relief in either of
Appellant’s Argument sections or in his Last Argument. Appellant’s failure to
comply with the appellate rules governing briefs generally, and specifically
his failure to identify the issues he wishes this Court to consider, provides
this Court with justification for dismissing Appellant’s brief. Pa.R.A.P. 2101.
However, Appellant would not be entitled to relief even absent the
deficiencies in his brief.
Our Supreme Court has explained:
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In reviewing the denial of PCRA relief, we examine whether the
PCRA court’s determination “is supported by the record and free
of legal error.” Commonwealth v. Sepulveda, [618 Pa. 262],
55 A.3d 1108 (2012) (citing Commonwealth v. Rainey, 593
Pa. 67, 928 A.2d 215, 223 (2007)); Commonwealth v. Miller,
585 Pa. 144, 888 A.2d 624 (2005). The PCRA provides that to
be entitled to relief, a petitioner must establish, by a
preponderance of the evidence, that his conviction or sentence
resulted from one or more of the enumerated errors in Section
9543(a)(2), and his claims have not been previously litigated or
waived. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9543(a)(2). An issue is previously
litigated if “the highest appellate court in which [the appellant]
could have had review as a matter of right has ruled on the
merits of the issue.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(a)(2).
Commonwealth v. Weiss, 81 A.3d 767, 782 (Pa. 2013) (footnote omitted)
(emphasis added). Although much of Appellant’s brief is unintelligible, it
appears from his Summary of Argument that he is seeking relief based on
the prosecutor’s comments to the jury.5 As noted above, that issue was
decided on direct appeal by this Court, the highest court in which Appellant
could have had review as a matter of right. As such, it has been previously
litigated and Appellant is not entitled to relief. See Commonwealth v.
Paddy, 15 A.3d 431, 450 (Pa. 2011) (issues “were already raised and
rejected on the merits on direct appeal; hence, they have been previously
litigated and are not cognizable under the PCRA”).
Order affirmed.
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5
Supporting the notion that Appellant is challenging the trial court’s denial
of the motion for mistrial is his statement on the page of his brief titled
“Conclusion,” in which Appellant contends “[t]he trial court did commit [sic]
error or abuse its discretion in a way.” Appellant’s Brief at 10.
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 1/16/2015
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