Com. v. Hanna, T. , 124 A.3d 757 ( 2015 )

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2015 PA Super 211COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
TRAVIS ALAN HANNA
Appellant No. 3130 EDA 2014
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence October 22, 2014
In the Court of Common Pleas of Montgomery County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-46-CR-0003267-2014
BEFORE: PANELLA, J., MUNDY, J., and JENKINS, J.
OPINION BY JENKINS, J.: FILED OCTOBER 02, 2015
Appellant Travis Alan Hanna appeals from the judgment of sentence
entered in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas following his
open guilty plea to dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, corruption of
minors, and theft by unlawful taking.1 We affirm.
On March 24, 2013, in Limerick Township, Pennsylvania, Appellant
stole a handgun from an unlocked car. N.T., 8/1/14, at 7. At least one
juvenile accompanied Appellant at the time of the theft. Id. at 8. After
learning that the gun belonged to a member of law enforcement, Appellant
sold the firearm to Austin Lee Turner, who Appellant knew by the name of
“Lova”. Id. at 7-8.
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1
18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5111(a)(1), 6301(a)(1)(i), and 3921(a), respectively.
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On August 1, 2014, Appellant pled guilty to the aforementioned
crimes.2 On October 22, 2014, the trial court sentenced Appellant to
eighteen (18) months to seven (7) years of incarceration for theft and an
identical, concurrent sentence for dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court also sentenced Appellant to five (5) years of probation for
corruption of minors, to commence at sentencing. The court found Appellant
was not eligible for the recidivism risk reduction incentive program
(“RRRI”).3
On October 23, 2014, Appellant filed a timely post-sentence motion,
which the trial court denied on October 31, 2014. On November 7, 2014,
Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal. On November 10, 2014, the trial
court ordered Appellant to file a concise statement of errors complained of
on appeal pursuant to Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b), and he timely complied on
November 26, 2014.
Appellant raises the following issue for our review:
[WHETHER] THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING
APPELLANT INELIGIBLE FOR [RRRI] BECAUSE THE CRIME
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2
The court nolle prossed the remaining charges of theft from a motor
vehicle, conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen
property, loitering and prowling at nighttime, sale of firearms, firearms not
to be carried without a license, and additional charges of corruption of
minors.
3
RRRI is a sentencing program that allows qualified, non-violent offenders
to become eligible for parole before they have completed their sentence of
incarceration if they complete requisite classes and tasks.
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HE WAS CONVICTED OF [INVOLVED] THE THEFT OF A
GUN[?]
Appellant’s Brief at 9.
Appellant argues that his felony was not an offense “involving a deadly
weapon” under 61 Pa.C.S. § 4503, and the Commonwealth did not establish
the firearm he stole was a deadly weapon. He suggests the handgun was
not a deadly weapon because he did not use it to facilitate the crime and had
no intention of using it for its inherent purpose. Further, he claims that he
does not have a history of violent behavior, and that the offense of theft by
unlawful taking does not support a finding of ineligibility in the RRRI statute.
Appellant concludes the trial court erred in refusing to find him eligible for
RRRI. We disagree.
Primarily, we note that “[i]t is legal error to fail to impose a RRRI
minimum on an eligible offender.” Commonwealth v. Tobin, 89 A.3d 663,
670 (Pa.Super.2014). A challenge to a court’s failure to impose an RRRI
sentence implicates the legality of the sentence. Id. 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.”
Commonwealth v. Gerald, 47 A.3d 858, 859 (Pa.Super.2012), appeal
denied, 55 A.3d 522 (Pa.2012) (quoting Commonwealth v. Arroyo, 991
A.2d 951, 955 (Pa.Super.2010)).
When interpreting a statute:
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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. §
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. § 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,” while any words or
phrases that have acquired a “peculiar and appropriate
meaning” must be construed according to that meaning. 1
Pa.C.S. [§] 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. § 1921(c). Moreover, while statutes
generally should be construed liberally, penal statutes are
always to be construed strictly, 1 Pa.C.S. § 1928(b)(1),
and any ambiguity in a penal statute should be interpreted
in favor of the defendant.
Commonwealth v. Wilson, 111 A.3d 747, 751 (Pa.Super.2015),
reargument denied, Apr. 17, 2015 (quoting Commonwealth v. Shiffler,
879 A.2d 185, 189–190 (Pa.2005)).
61 Pa.C.S. § 4503 defines an “eligible offender” for RRRI purposes as
follows:
“Eligible offender.” A defendant or inmate convicted of a
criminal offense who will be committed to the custody of
the department and who meets all of the following
eligibility requirements:
(1) Does not demonstrate a history of present or past
violent behavior.
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(2) Has not been subject to a sentence the calculation
of which includes an enhancement for the use of a
deadly weapon as defined under law or the sentencing
guidelines promulgated by the Pennsylvania
Commission on Sentencing or the attorney for the
Commonwealth has not demonstrated that the
defendant has been found guilty of or was convicted of
an offense involving a deadly weapon or offense
under 18 Pa.C.S. Ch. 61 (relating to firearms and other
dangerous articles) or the equivalent offense under the
laws of the United States or one of its territories or
possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation.
(3) Has not been found guilty of or previously convicted
of or adjudicated delinquent for or an attempt or
conspiracy to commit a personal injury crime as defined
under section 103 of the act of November 24, 1998 (P.
L. 882, No. 111), known as the Crime Victims Act,
except for an offense under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701 (relating
to simple assault) when the offense is a misdemeanor
of the third degree, or an equivalent offense under the
laws of the United States or one of its territories or
possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation.
(4) Has not been found guilty or previously convicted or
adjudicated delinquent for violating any of the following
provisions or an equivalent offense under the laws of
the United States or one of its territories or
possessions, another state, the District of Columbia, the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a foreign nation:
18 Pa.C.S. § 4302(a) (relating to incest).
18 Pa.C.S. § 5901 (relating to open lewdness).
18 Pa.C.S. Ch. 76 Subch. C (relating to Internet child
pornography).
Received a criminal sentence pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S.
§ 9712.1 (relating to sentences for certain drug
offenses committed with firearms).
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Any offense for which registration is required under
42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97 Subch. H (relating to registration
of sexual offenders).
* * *
(6) Has not been found guilty or previously convicted of
violating section 13(a)(14), (30) or (37) of the act of
April 14, 1972 (P.L. 233, No. 64), known as The
Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act,
where the sentence was imposed pursuant to 18
Pa.C.S. § 7508(a)(1)(iii), (2)(iii), (3)(iii), (4)(iii), (7)(iii)
or (8)(iii) (relating to drug trafficking sentencing and
penalties).
61 Pa.C.S. § 4503 (emphasis added).
The trial court found Appellant RRRI-ineligible because he was
convicted of an offense “involving a deadly weapon” under Section 4503(2).
N.T., 10/22/14, at 10 (“There’s no doubt that a state trooper’s service
revolver, pistol is a deadly weapon. And he’s convicted of stealing it. So
he’s not RRRI-eligible.”). This decision was correct under the plain meaning
of the statute, which excludes offenders from RRRI who are “convicted of an
offense involving a deadly weapon.” 61 Pa.C.S. § 4503(2). Notably, this
provision does not say that a defendant must use the deadly weapon in any
way; it requires only that the offense “involve” a deadly weapon. Appellant’s
crimes clearly did.
Appellant suggests we view the gun as we would view any item that
Appellant may have stolen and resold, because he did not use the gun as
one would use a deadly weapon. Appellant directs our attention to
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Commonwealth v. Buterbaugh, 91 A.3d 1247 (Pa.Super.2014) (en banc),
appeal denied, 104 A.3d 1 (Pa.2014), wherein this Court found an
automobile to be a deadly weapon for purposes of the deadly weapon
enhancement of the sentencing guidelines. Specifically, he quotes, “the
character of the vehicle changed to a deadly weapon the instant Appellant
backed his vehicle out of the bar’s parking lot, accelerated forward at its
maximum rate of acceleration, and struck the victim with sufficient force to
cause death. [Id. at 1269]”. Appellant’s Brief at 13. Appellant correctly
notes that Buterbaugh stands for the proposition that an object that is
normally not a deadly weapon can be considered as such depending on the
circumstances. Unfortunately for Appellant, the contrapositive –- that a
deadly weapon not used as such can lose its identity as a deadly weapon --
is not true. In Buterbaugh, this Court conducted the analysis to find the
automobile was a deadly weapon because “an automobile is clearly not a
firearm, nor is it one of the dangerous weapons defined in 18 Pa[.C.S]. §
913.” Id. at 1268.
The fact remains that a pistol is a deadly weapon that Appellant could
have intentionally or accidentally, used to injure or kill another person, as
could Turner, the person that purchased the weapon from Appellant.
Appellant could not have caused such grievous harm with stolen, but non-
deadly items, such as bicycles or candy bars.
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Thus, we agree with the trial court that Appellant’s issue merits no
relief.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 10/2/2015
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