Commonwealth v. Bonner , 2016 Pa. Super. 48 ( 2016 )

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2016 Pa. Super. 48
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
DANTE ALAN BONNER,
Appellant No. 176 WDA 2015
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence of September 4, 2014
In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-02-CR-0008568-2013; CP-02-CR-0008642-
2013 AND CP-02-CR-0012173-2012.
BEFORE: BOWES, OLSON AND STRASSBURGER,* JJ.
OPINION BY OLSON, J.: FILED FEBRUARY 23, 2016
Appellant, Dante Alan Bonner, appeals from the judgment of sentence
entered on September 4, 2014, as made final by the denial of his post-
sentence motion on December 12, 2014. In this appeal, we consider
whether the Pennsylvania Sentencing Guidelines’ inclusion of certain juvenile
adjudications in calculating a defendant’s prior record score violates the
proportionality principles of the Eighth Amendment. We hold that it is
constitutionally permissible to consider juvenile adjudications when
calculating a prior record score. As we also find Appellant’s discretionary
aspects of sentencing claim without merit, we affirm.
The factual background of case CP-02-CR-0012173-2012 (“case
12173”) is as follows. On October 5, 2012, Allegheny County Housing
*Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
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Authority Police noticed a vehicle driving in reverse while failing to stop at a
stop sign. Police observed Appellant, the front passenger in the vehicle,
reach under his seat. A search of the vehicle found heroin, a firearm, and
marijuana located under Appellant’s seat.
The factual background of case CP-02-CR-0008568-2013 (“case
8568”) is as follows. In the early morning hours of April 17, 2013, Pittsburgh
Police conducted a traffic stop of a blue Dodge Avenger. Before the officers
could exit their vehicle, Appellant, who was located in the rear seat of the
Avenger, fled the vehicle. Officer Christopher Kertis pursued Appellant and,
during that pursuit, Appellant fired three shots at Officer Kertis. At least one
of those shots hit Officer Kertis. Officer Kertis received treatment at the
hospital, but still suffers symptoms as a result of the shooting.
The factual background of case CP-02-CR-0008642-2013 (“case
8642”) is as follows. On February 15, 2013, Sergeant Cristyn Zett was
driving her personal vehicle when Appellant backed his vehicle into Sergeant
Zett. She exited her vehicle and identified herself as a law enforcement
officer. A struggle between Sergeant Zett and Appellant ensued and
Appellant fled the scene. Appellant was later located and Sergeant Zett
identified him as the individual who backed into her vehicle.
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The procedural history of this case is as follows. On June 10, 2014,
Appellant pled guilty to two counts of carrying a firearm without a license,1
two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person,2 possession of
a small amount of marijuana,3 possession of a controlled substance,4
possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance,5 evidence
tampering,6 attempted homicide,7 assault of a law enforcement officer,8
recklessly endangering another person,9 receiving stolen property,10
aggravated assault,11 resisting arrest,12 fleeing the scene of an accident,13
and four summary offenses. In exchange for his guilty pleas, the
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1
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6106(a)(1).
2
18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 6105(a)(1), 6105(c)(8).
3
35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(31).
4
35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(16).
5
35 P.S. § 780-113(a)(30).
6
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 4910(1).
7
18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 901(a), 2501.
8
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2702.1(a).
9
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2705.
10
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 3925(a).
11
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2702(a)(3).
12
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5104.
13
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3743(a).
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Commonwealth requested that the sentences at cases 12173 and 8642 run
concurrently with the sentence at case 8568. After the completion of a pre-
sentence investigation report (“PSI”), on September 4, 2014, Appellant was
sentenced to an aggregate term of 39 to 78 years’ imprisonment.14 When
calculating the sentencing guidelines range for Appellant, the trial court used
prior juvenile adjudications to arrive at a prior record score of five.
Specifically, Appellant received a four-point enhancement of his prior record
score for a juvenile aggravated assault adjudication together with a one-
point enhancement for a juvenile adjudication involving the carrying of a
firearm without a license.
On September 15, 2014, Appellant filed a post-sentence motion.15 On
December 12, 2014, the trial court denied Appellant’s post-sentence motion.
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14
The aggregate sentence included 10 to 20 years for attempted homicide,
20 to 40 years for assault of a law enforcement officer, 1 to 2 years for
recklessly endangering another person, 3½ to 7 years for carrying a firearm
without a license, 2½ to 5 years for receiving stolen property, and 2 to 4
years for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. In accordance with
Appellant’s plea agreement, these sentences were imposed at case 8568,
while punishments for the offenses charged at cases 12179 and 8642 were
ordered to run concurrently to case 8568.
15
The motion was timely as September 14, 2014 fell on a Sunday. See
Pa.R.Crim.P. 203(A).
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On January 14, 2015, the trial court reinstated Appellant’s direct appeal
rights nunc pro tunc. This appeal followed.16
Appellant presents two issues for our review:
1. Whether the application of juvenile offenses for the purpose[] of
calculating a defendant’s prior record score is unconstitutional
because it violates the proportionality principles of the Eighth
Amendment[?]
2. Whether the trial court abused its discretion by imposing a
manifestly excessive sentence when it sentenced the Appellant
to an aggregate period of incarceration of not less than 39 and
not more than 78 years where his entire prior criminal history
was composed [] of juvenile offenses?
Appellant’s Brief at 4.17
Appellant argues that the use of juvenile adjudications when
calculating prior record scores violates the Eighth Amendment to the United
States Constitution as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment.18 We
note that
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16
On January 28, 2015, the trial court ordered Appellant to file a concise
statement of errors complained of on appeal (“concise statement”). See
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). On February 3, 2015, Appellant filed his concise
statement. On April 23, 2015, the trial court issued its Rule 1925(a)
opinion. Both issues raised on appeal were included in Appellant’s concise
statement.
17
We have re-numbered the issues for ease of disposition.
18
Appellant also argues that such use violates Article 1, § 13 of
Pennsylvania’s Constitution. “The Pennsylvania prohibition against cruel and
unusual punishment is coextensive with the Eighth and Fourteenth
Amendment of the United States Constitution.” Commonwealth v.
Yasipour, 957 A.2d 734, 743 (Pa. Super. 2008), appeal denied, 980 A.2d
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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[a]lthough the [Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing], rather
than the General Assembly itself, directly adopts the
[s]entencing [g]uidelines [] and thus they are not statutes per
se, the [g]uidelines nevertheless retain a legislative character, as
the General Assembly may reject them in their entirety prior to
their taking effect, subject, of course, to gubernatorial review.
Commonwealth. v. Hackenberger, 836 A.2d 2, 4 n.9 (Pa. 2003)
(citations omitted). Thus, we review the constitutionality of a sentencing
guideline in the same manner that we review the constitutionality of a
statute.
As the review of the constitutionality of a sentencing guideline raises a
pure question of law, our standard of review is de novo and our scope of
review is plenary. See Commonwealth v. Hopkins, 117 A.3d 247, 255
(Pa. 2015) (citation omitted). We presume that, in promulgating the
sentencing guidelines, the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and the
General Assembly did not intend to violate the Constitution. See 1 Pa.C.S.A.
§ 1922(3). A sentencing guideline will not be declared unconstitutional
“unless it clearly, palpably and plainly violates the Constitution[.]”
Commonwealth v. Hitcho, 123 A.3d 731, 756-757 (Pa. 2015) (citation
omitted).
The Eighth Amendment provides that, “Excessive bail shall not be
required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments
_______________________
(Footnote Continued)
111 (Pa. 2009) (citation omitted). Therefore, we do not conduct a separate
analysis of Appellant’s state constitutional claim.
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inflicted.” U.S. Const. Amend. VIII. “The concept of proportionality is
central to the Eighth Amendment. Embodied in the Constitution’s ban on
cruel and unusual punishments is the precept of justice that punishment for
crime should be graduated and proportioned to the offense.” Graham v.
Florida, 560 U.S. 48, 59 (2010) (internal quotation marks, alteration, and
citation omitted). Nonetheless, “[t]he Eighth Amendment does not require
strict proportionality between crime and sentence. Rather, it forbids only
extreme sentences that are grossly disproportionate to the crime.”
Harmelin v. Michigan, 501 U.S. 957, 1001 (1991) (internal quotation
marks and citation omitted).
The Supreme Court of the United States developed a strand of
precedent which “has adopted categorical bans on sentencing practices
based on mismatches between the culpability of a class of offenders and the
severity of a penalty.” Miller v. Alabama, 132 S. Ct. 2455, 2463 (2012).
Based upon Appellant’s brief, it is clear that he is seeking to invoke this line
of precedent. He argues there should be a categorical rule against using
prior juvenile adjudications when calculating a defendant’s prior record
score. See Appellant’s Brief at 29. Appellant cites several factors in arguing
against the use of juvenile adjudications in the calculation of prior record
scores: (1) the failure of the sentencing guidelines to account for a youthful
defendant’s diminished culpability; (2) the failure of the sentencing
guidelines to consider philosophical differences between the juvenile justice
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system and the criminal justice system; and (3) the absence of trial by jury
in the juvenile justice system.
When evaluating such a challenge we must first consider “objective
indicia of society’s standards, as expressed in pertinent legislative
enactments and state practice[.]” Roper v. Simmons, 543 U.S. 551, 563
(2005). “Next, guided by the standards elaborated by controlling precedents
and by [our] own understanding and interpretation of the Eighth
Amendment’s text, history, meaning, and purpose, [we] must determine in
the exercise of [our] own independent judgment whether the punishment in
question violates the Constitution.” Graham, 560 U.S. at 61 (internal
quotation marks and citations omitted).
The sentencing guideline challenged by Appellant provides as follows:
(a) Juvenile adjudication criteria. Prior juvenile adjudications are
counted in the [p]rior [r]ecord [s]core when the following criteria
are met:
(1) The juvenile offense occurred on or after the offender’s 14th
birthday, and
(2) There was an express finding by the juvenile court that the
adjudication was for a felony or one of the [first-degree
m]isdemeanor [] offenses listed in § 303.7(a)(4).
(b) Only the most serious juvenile adjudication of each prior
disposition is counted in the [p]rior [r]ecord [s]core. No other
prior juvenile adjudication shall be counted in the [p]rior
[r]ecord [s]core.
(c) Lapsing of juvenile adjudications. Prior juvenile
adjudications for four point offenses listed in § 303.7(a)(1) shall
always be included in the [p]rior [r]ecord [s]core, provided the
criteria in subsection (a) above are met:
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(1) All other juvenile adjudications not identified above in
subsection (a) lapse and shall not be counted in the [p]rior
[r]ecord [s]core if:
(i) The offender was 28 years of age or older at the time the
current offense was committed; and
(ii) The offender remained crime-free during the ten-year
period immediately preceding the offender’s 28th birthday.
(iii) Crime-free. Included in the definition of crime-free is any
summary offense and/or one misdemeanor offense with a
statutory maximum of one year or less.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent the court from
considering lapsed prior adjudications at the time of sentencing.
204 Pa.Code § 303.6. As noted above, pursuant to this section, Appellant
had a prior record score of five – all resulting from juvenile adjudications.
Appellant relies on Roper, Graham, and Miller19 to argue that juvenile
adjudications must be treated differently than adult convictions when
calculating a prior record score. Neither this Court nor our Supreme Court
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19
After this case was submitted, the Supreme Court of the United States
decided Montgomery v. Louisiana, 2016 WL 280758 (U.S. Jan. 25, 2016),
which held that Miller announced a new substantive constitutional rule. Id.
at *11-16. Although Montgomery arguably expands Miller, see id. at *24
(Scalia, J. dissenting), such expansion is not relevant to the disposition of
the case sub judice as Montgomery, like Miller, addressed the situation
where a defendant was sentenced to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole for a crime committed while he was a juvenile.
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has considered whether section 303.6 violates the proportionality principles
of the Eighth Amendment.20
As noted above, when considering Appellant’s proportionality challenge
we must first consider “objective indicia of society’s standards, as expressed
in pertinent legislative enactments and state practice[.]” Roper, 543 U.S. at
563. We agree with the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
that “states have not reached a meaningful consensus regarding the manner
in which juvenile adjudications may be considered in adult sentencing
proceedings.” United States v. Orona, 724 F.3d 1297, 1301-1302 (10th
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20
We note that our Supreme Court recently decided Commonwealth v.
Hale, 2015 WL 9284110 (Pa. Dec. 21, 2015) in which it considered whether
a juvenile delinquency adjudication qualifies as a “conviction” for purposes of
grading within a particularized sentencing regime. Specifically, our Supreme
Court considered whether Hale could be sentenced under 18 Pa.C.S.A.
§ 6501(a.1)(1) which elevates the sentence for a defendant convicted of
persons not to possess a firearm from a misdemeanor to a felony if the
defendant were previously “convicted” of certain crimes. Our Supreme
Court held that a juvenile adjudication for conduct amounting to an
aggravated assault was not a “conviction” which would elevate Hale’s
persons not to possess a firearm conviction to a felony under section
6501(a.1)(1). In its opinion, our Supreme Court concluded that section
6501 expressly distinguishes between convictions and juvenile adjudications
in determining the grading of the offense; hence, “[s]ection 6015 presents a
context in which the legislative admonition that an adjudication ‘is not a
conviction’ should be respected.” Hale, 2015 WL 9284110 at *3. Although
its focus was not on section 303.6 of the sentencing guidelines, the Hale
Court noted “juvenile adjudications retain their relevance to discretionary
sentencing determinations precisely because their consideration is expressly
provided for in the Sentencing Guidelines.” Id., citing 204 Pa.Code
§ 303.6(a).
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Cir. 2013).21 “Two states treat juvenile adjudications as convictions for
purposes of broadly applicable habitual offender statutes.” Id. at 1302
(citations omitted). In addition to Pennsylvania, at least 16 “other[ states]
allow prior juvenile adjudications to enhance a sentence in at least some
circumstances.” Id. (citations omitted). “At least [23] additional states
permit the sentencing court to consider prior juvenile adjudications in
selecting a sentence within a statutory range.” Id. at 1304 (citations
omitted).22 Combined, at least 42 states permit the use of juvenile
adjudications during adult sentencing proceedings. Thus, the objective
indicia of society’s standards indicate that section 303.6’s use of prior
juvenile adjudications when calculating a defendant’s prior record score
constitutes neither cruel nor unusual punishment.
Next, we turn to our own independent review of the Eighth
Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment so as to
determine in the exercise of our independent judgment whether the
sentencing guideline in question violates the Constitution.
Without triggering Eighth Amendment or due process concerns, federal
courts of appeals have held that a prior juvenile adjudication can be used to
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21
We reviewed the Tenth Circuit’s citations and find that, but for one citation
change, that court’s opinion continues to reflect accurately the state of the
law today.
22
We note that many of these jurisdictions have adopted variations of
section 33(b) of the Uniform Juvenile Court Act of 1968.
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raise a mandatory minimum and/or maximum sentence. See United
States v. Hunter, 735 F.3d 172, 176 (4th Cir. 2013); Orona, 724 F.3d at
1309-1310; United States v. Hoffman, 710 F.3d 1228, 1233 (11th Cir.
2013) (per curiam); United States v. Banks, 679 F.3d 505, 507-508 (6th
Cir. 2012); United States v. Scott, 610 F.3d 1009, 1018 (8th Cir. 2010);
United States v. Salahuddin, 509 F.3d 858, 863–864 (7th Cir. 2007);
United States v. Mays, 466 F.3d 335, 339–340 (5th Cir. 2006). Sister
state courts have reached the same conclusion. See Vickers v. Delaware,
117 A.3d 516, 519-520 (Del. 2015); South Carolina v. Smith, 2015 WL
691506, *1 (S.C. Ct. App. Feb. 18, 2015) (per curiam); Counts v.
Wyoming, 338 P.3d 902, 905-906 (Wyo. 2014).
These ten cases all dealt with the use of a prior conviction to increase
a mandatory minimum and/or maximum penalty. Although this is different
from questioning the constitutionality of a sentencing guidelines range
applicable to a criminal defendant, we find the analogy helpful in our present
inquiry. It is difficult to see how the use of a juvenile adjudication to raise
the mandatory minimum and/or maximum penalty passes constitutional
muster while enhancement of advisory sentencing guidelines violates the
Eighth Amendment. Cf. Peugh v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2072, 2087-
2088 (2013) (constitutional protections for raising mandatory minimum
and/or maximum penalty are greater than the constitutional protections for
raising an advisory sentencing guidelines range).
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Appellant has not cited, and we are unaware of, any cases in which a
court has held that using juvenile adjudications when calculating an advisory
sentencing guidelines range violates the Eighth Amendment. In addition to
Pennsylvania’s sentencing guidelines, the United States’ sentencing
guidelines and Maryland’s sentencing guidelines use juvenile adjudications
when calculating a defendant’s prior record score.23 U.S.S.G. § 4A1.2(d);
Md. Code Regs. § 14.22.01.10(B)(2). We find persuasive the reasoning of
the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in United States v.
Edwards, 734 F.3d 850 (9th Cir. 2013), when dealing with an issue almost
identical to the one we confront today.
In that case, the defendant challenged United States Sentencing
Guideline § 4A1.2(d), which provides for inclusion of certain juvenile
adjudications when calculating a defendant’s criminal history score. The
Ninth Circuit “reject[ed] Edwards[’] contention and [held] that [Roper,
Graham, and Miller] do not prevent [a] court from assigning criminal
history points for juvenile [adjudications].” Edwards, 734 F.3d at 852. In
so holding, the Ninth Circuit relied on the line of cases cited above which
permits use of juvenile adjudications to raise the mandatory minimum
and/or maximum penalty. See id.
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23
Also, as noted above, at least three dozen other states use juvenile
adjudications in some manner when pronouncing sentence in adult criminal
proceedings.
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Roper, Graham, and Miller all addressed the constitutionality of
sentencing a defendant for offenses committed as a juvenile.24 In this case,
Appellant was an adult when he committed the instant offenses. Thus,
Roper, Graham, and Miller are inapposite. See Commonwealth v.
Lawson, 90 A.3d 1, 6-8 (Pa. Super. 2014); Commonwealth v. Cintora,
69 A.3d 759, 764 (Pa. Super. 2013), appeal denied, 81 A.3d 75 (Pa. 2013).
Here, Appellant is being held to account for conduct and choices he made as
an adult with full knowledge of the nature and scope of his own criminal
past, including juvenile adjudications. Thus, Appellant’s contention that the
sentencing guidelines fail to recognize the lack of maturity of a youthful
offender holds little sway in the instant circumstances. Moreover, the
sentencing guidelines attempt to ensure that a defendant knows the prior
juvenile adjudications that will be used during subsequent adult sentencing
proceedings by limiting such use to those committed after he turned 14 and
that (typically) occurred within the past 14 years. 204 Pa.Code §§
303.6(a)(1), 303.6(c). They also include only the most serious adjudication
of each disposition, effectively giving the defendant a volume discount for
criminal conduct committed as a juvenile. 204 Pa.Code § 303.6(b).
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24
Furthermore, Roper, Graham, Miller, all dealt with the death penalty or
life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. In this case, the death
penalty and life imprisonment without the possibility of parole were not
options for the trial court. Thus, those cases are also distinguishable on that
ground.
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Appellant also argues that using prior juvenile adjudications during
criminal justice proceedings fails to account for the difference between the
juvenile justice system and the criminal justice system. As Appellant notes,
the purposes behind the two systems are different. The juvenile justice
system focuses on principles of balanced and restorative justice; i.e., equal
concern for the public interest and the rehabilitation of the juvenile. In the
Interest of J.B., 909 A.2d 393, 402-403 (Pa. Super. 2006). On the other
hand, the criminal justice system has a wider range of objectives. Appellant
committed the instant offenses while an adult. Thus, the criminal justice
system’s purposes control. Among the purposes of the criminal justice
system is to reduce the risk of recidivism by imposing harsher punishments
upon those who have previously committed crimes, either as juveniles or
adults, and failed to conform their conduct appropriately. That purpose is
satisfied by including certain juvenile adjudications in the calculation of a
defendant’s prior record score. Thus, the Pennsylvania Commission on
Sentencing has carefully considered juveniles’ reduced culpability in
promulgating section 303.6. In so doing, it determined that an adult should
remember serious juvenile adjudications from the past 14 years and adjust
his conduct accordingly. We fail to see how such a regulatory scheme runs
afoul of Eighth Amendment concerns or principles of due process.
Appellant also argues that use of prior juvenile adjudications violates
the Eighth Amendment because such use violates his right to a trial by jury
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and due process. He contends that the right to a jury trial, as interpreted
by Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000) and its progeny,
prohibits using prior juvenile adjudications, which do not incorporate the
right to a jury trial, when calculating a prior record score. This argument
fails for two reasons.
Appellant concedes that the Supreme Court of the United States held
that trial by jury is not required in juvenile proceedings. McKeiver v.
Pennsylvania, 403 U.S. 528, 541-551 (1971) (Blackmun, J. opinion
announcing the judgment of the court);25 see Commonwealth v. Hooks,
921 A.2d 1199, 1207 (Pa. Super. 2007), appeal denied, 934 A.2d 1276 (Pa.
2007) (citation omitted) (“[D]ue process for a child in a juvenile delinquency
proceeding does not require a jury trial, which would in fact delay justice in
the juvenile proceeding and diminish the need to have it separate from the
adult criminal system.”). The Supreme Court of the United States has never
held that lack of a jury trial in juvenile proceedings violates Apprendi when
that adjudication is later used in adult criminal proceedings.
Appellant relies on United States v. Tighe, 266 F.3d 1187 (9th Cir.
2001), to support his argument that Apprendi forbids the use of prior
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25
Appellant argues that McKeiver is not controlling because Justice
Blackmun’s opinion did not garner a majority of the justices. The holding in
McKeiver, however, that jury trials are not required in juvenile proceedings,
did garner a majority of justices. Although the rationales offered by
members of the Court differed, we focus on the holding and not the rationale
behind that holding.
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juvenile adjudications in calculating his prior record score. Appellant’s
reliance on Tighe, however, is misplaced. In Tighe, the defendant was
convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Typically, this
carries with it a maximum penalty of 10 years. See 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(2).
However, if a defendant is convicted of possession of a firearm by a
convicted felon after previously being convicted of three violent felonies
and/or serious drug offenses, the conviction carries with it a mandatory
minimum of 15 years. See 18 U.S.C. § 922(e)(1). In Tighe, one of the
three predicate offenses used to raise the mandatory minimum and
maximum penalty was a prior juvenile adjudication “for reckless
endangerment, robbery[,] and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.” Tighe,
266 F.3d at 1191. In the case sub judice, Appellant’s prior juvenile
adjudications did not raise his mandatory minimum and/or maximum
penalty. Therefore, the use of his prior juvenile adjudications does not raise
an issue under Apprendi or Alleyne v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2151
(2013). As noted above, the Ninth Circuit has held that a trial court may,
consistent with the Constitution, use prior juvenile adjudications to raise a
criminal history score. Edwards, 734 F.3d at 852. Thus, under the Ninth
Circuit’s own precedent, Appellant would not be entitled to relief pursuant to
Tighe.
Secondly, in relying upon the Supreme Court of the United States’
recitation of due process rights afforded to adults, the Ninth Circuit in Tighe
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ignored the difference in due process due to juveniles and adults. As noted
above, the Supreme Court of the United States held that juries are not
necessary in juvenile adjudication hearings while juries are necessary in
criminal trials. As the Sixth Circuit stated, Appellant “received all process
that was due when convicted—for adults that includes the right to a jury
trial; for juveniles, it does not.” Crowell, 493 F.3d at 750 (citation
omitted).
Moreover, as the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
stated, “the question of whether juvenile adjudications should be exempt
from Apprendi’s general rule should turn on an examination of whether
juvenile adjudications, like adult convictions, are so reliable that due process
of law is not offended by such an exemption.” United States v. Matthews,
498 F.3d 25, 35 (1st Cir. 2007) (internal alterations and citation omitted).
As juveniles have a right to due process of law, see J.D.B. v. North
Carolina, 131 S. Ct. 2394, 2408 (2011), and the Supreme Court of the
United States has held that such due process does not require a jury trial, it
naturally follows that non-jury juvenile adjudications are sufficiently reliable
to comport with the requirements of due process.
Finally, Tighe represents the minority view of courts that have
considered the issue. We agree with the majority view, espoused by the
United States Courts of Appeals for the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Eighth, and
Eleventh Circuits, along with the Supreme Courts of Kansas, Indiana, and
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Washington, that a prior juvenile adjudication, even when the juvenile did
not have the right to a jury trial, falls within the prior conviction exception of
Almendarez–Torres v. United States, 523 U.S. 224 (1998)(prior
conviction of a felony is merely a sentencing enhancement and not an
element of the crime of illegal reentry into United States). United States v.
Wright, 594 F.3d 259, 264-265 (4th Cir. 2010); United States v. Crowell,
493 F.3d 744, 750 (6th Cir. 2007); United States v. Burge, 407 F.3d
1183, 1190 (11th Cir. 2005); United States v. Jones, 332 F.3d 688, 696
(3d Cir. 2003); United States v. Smalley, 294 F.3d 1030, 1033 (8th Cir.
2002); Washington v. Weber, 149 P.3d 646, 652-653 (Wash. 2006); Ryle
v. Indiana, 842 N.E.2d 320 (Ind. 2005); Kansas v. Hitt, 42 P.3d 732
(Kan. 2002).
For all of these reasons, our own independent evaluation indicates that
use of a juvenile adjudication in calculating an adult defendant’s prior record
score does not violate the proportionality principles of the Eighth
Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, § 13 of the
Pennsylvania Constitution. Instead, we hold that section 303.6 of the
Pennsylvania Sentencing Guidelines fully complies with the Eighth
Amendment as interpreted by Roper, Graham, and Miller. Accordingly,
Appellant’s first issue on appeal is without merit.
In his second issue, Appellant argues that his sentence is excessive.
This issue challenges the discretionary aspects of Appellant’s sentence. See
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Commonwealth v. Haynes, 125 A.3d 800, 806 (Pa. Super. 2015).
Pursuant to statute, Appellant does not have an automatic right to appeal
the discretionary aspects of his sentence. See 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9781(b).
Instead, Appellant must petition this Court for permission to appeal the
discretionary aspects of his sentence. Id.
As this Court has explained, in order to reach the merits of a
discretionary aspects claim,
[w]e conduct a four-part analysis to determine: (1) whether
[the] appellant has filed a timely notice of appeal, see Pa.R.A.P.
902 and 903; (2) whether the issue was properly preserved at
sentencing or in a motion to reconsider and modify sentence,
see Pa.R.Crim.P. 720; (3) whether [the] appellant’s brief has a
fatal defect, Pa.R.A.P. 2119(f); and (4) whether there is a
substantial question that the sentence appealed from is not
appropriate under the Sentencing Code, 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9781(b).
Commonwealth v. Leatherby, 116 A.3d 73, 83 (Pa. Super. 2015) (citation
omitted). Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal, preserved the issue in his
post-sentence motion, and included a Rule 2119(f) statement in his
appellate brief. Thus, we turn to whether Appellant has raised a substantial
question.
“In order to establish a substantial question, the appellant must show
actions by the trial court inconsistent with the Sentencing Code or contrary
to the fundamental norms underlying the sentencing process.”
Commonwealth v. Treadway, 104 A.3d 597, 599 (Pa. Super. 2014)
(citation omitted). “The determination of whether a particular case raises a
substantial question is to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”
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Commonwealth v. Seagraves, 103 A.3d 839, 841 (Pa. Super. 2014),
appeal denied, 116 A.3d 604 (Pa. 2015) (citation omitted).
In his Rule 2119(f) statement, Appellant argues that this appeal
presents a substantial question for two reasons. First, he argues that the
sentence was excessive because the trial court failed to consider his
rehabilitative needs. Second, he argues that the sentence is excessive
because of the consecutive nature of the sentences given in case 8568. This
Court has recently held that a “challenge to the imposition of [] consecutive
sentences as unduly excessive, together with [a] claim that the [trial] court
failed to consider [the defendant’s] rehabilitative needs upon fashioning its
sentence, presents a substantial question.” Commonwealth v. Caldwell,
117 A.3d 763, 770 (Pa. Super. 2015) (en banc), appeal denied, 2015 WL
7288526 (Pa. Nov. 16, 2015). As Appellant raises such a claim, we conclude
that he has raised a substantial question and proceed to consider the merits
of Appellant’s discretionary aspects claim.
Pursuant to statute,
the sentence imposed should call for confinement that is
consistent with the protection of the public, the gravity of the
offense as it relates to the impact on the life of the victim and on
the community, and the rehabilitative needs of the defendant.
42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9721(b). Furthermore, when sentencing a defendant, the
trial court is required to consider the sentencing guidelines. See
Commonwealth v. Tobin, 89 A.3d 663, 669 n.4 (Pa. Super. 2014) (citation
omitted). In this case, Appellant was sentenced within the sentencing
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guidelines. Accordingly, we may only vacate his sentence if this “case
involves circumstances where the application of the guidelines would be
clearly unreasonable[.]” 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9781(c)(2).
Appellant contends that the trial court failed to consider his
rehabilitative needs. In support of this argument, he relies on
Commonwealth v. Simpson, 510 A.2d 760 (Pa. Super. 1986), appeal
denied, 522 A.2d 49 & 522 A.2d 1105 (Pa. 1987). Simpson, however, is
easily distinguishable from the case at bar. In Simpson, the defendant had
no prior record and had served honorably in the armed forces. Id. at 762.
Contrast that with the case at bar, where Appellant began his string of
criminal behavior at the age of 12. From then until the time he was arrested
for the instant offenses, Appellant was routinely involved in the juvenile
justice system. He continually violated the terms of his probation and other
sentences. In short, Appellant rejected his chance at rehabilitation in the
juvenile justice system. In his brief, Appellant quotes our holding in
Simpson that, “As the trial court aptly pointed out, [it] is unable to predict
the future, therefore, to the extent that we must make a judgment as to
future behavior, we cannot ignore and must be guided by the past.”
Appellant’s Brief at 19, quoting Simpson, 510 A.2d at 764.26 In Simpson,
____________________________________________
26
This language from Simpson echoes the eloquent quote of George
Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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that past indicated that the defendant was amenable to rehabilitation. On
the other hand, Appellant’s past demonstrates that he is not amenable to
rehabilitation.
A close examination of the sentencing transcript reveals that the trial
court discussed Appellant’s rehabilitative needs at sentencing. Although the
trial court did not use the phrase “rehabilitative needs,” the trial court
discussed the fact that Appellant’s conduct in June 2014 indicated that he
was not amenable to rehabilitation.27 See N.T., 9/4/14, at 30-31. The trial
court found that if Appellant were truly remorseful, and thus amenable to
rehabilitation, he would not have made the comments he did in June. See
id. The trial court went on to find that Appellant was not amenable to
mental health treatment that may assist him. Id. at 33. Furthermore, the
trial court expressly indicated that it had considered the PSI. Id. at 8.
“Where [a PSI] exist[s], we [] presume that the [trial court] was aware of
relevant information regarding the defendant’s character and weighed those
considerations along with mitigating statutory factors. A [PSI] constitutes
the record and speaks for itself.” Commonwealth v. Antidormi, 84 A.3d
736, 761 (Pa. Super. 2014), appeal denied, 95 A.3d 275 (Pa. 2014).
_______________________
(Footnote Continued)
it.” George Santayana, Reason in Common Sense, in THE LIFE OF REASON, p.
284 (1905).
27
In June, at his guilty plea hearing, Appellant told Officer Kertis “f[---] you,
I should have f[---]ing killed you.” N.T., 9/4/14, at 23-24.
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Appellant cites to the injuries he suffered as a result of this incident,
his mental illness, and his upbringing as reasons why he is amenable to
rehabilitation. The trial court discussed all of these factors at sentencing. It
noted that Appellant’s injuries were his own fault as he was the one that
opened fire on police. See N.T., 9/4/14, at 34. The trial court’s review of
the record indicated that Appellant was not interested in treatment for his
mental illness.28 Id. at 32-33. The trial court stated that many defendants
with tough upbringings do not resort to the type of criminal behavior in
which Appellant was involved. Id. at 33. Thus, contrary to Appellant’s
argument, the trial court carefully considered Appellant’s rehabilitative needs
when fashioning an appropriate sentence. It determined that Appellant had
little chance of rehabilitation and, when weighed against the other statutory
factors, a lengthy prison sentence within the guidelines range was
appropriate.
Appellant also argues that the consecutive nature of his sentences
makes his sentence excessive. He argues that the mandatory minimum
sentence of 20 to 40 years’ imprisonment would be sufficient to protect the
public. The trial court determined, however, that Appellant should not
receive a volume discount for his crimes. See id. at 31. This is consistent
with the prior decisions of this Court. Commonwealth v. Swope, 123 A.3d
____________________________________________
28
The trial court also serves as the mental health court for the Allegheny
County Court of Common Pleas.
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333, 341 (Pa. Super. 2015) (citation omitted) (“Appellant is not entitled to a
volume discount for his crimes.”); Commonwealth v. Zirkle, 107 A.3d
127, 134 (Pa. Super. 2014), appeal denied, 117 A.3d 297 (Pa. 2015).
This is not a case, like Commonwealth v. Dodge, 77 A.3d 1263 (Pa.
Super. 2013), appeal denied, 91 A.3d 161 (Pa. 2014), or Simpson, in which
Appellant was sentenced to an excessively long prison term for relatively
minor crimes. Instead, in this case Appellant received an aggregate
sentence of 39 to 78 years for serious offenses, including attempted murder
of a police officer and recklessly endangering the life of a second police
officer. It was a mere fortuity that multiple fatalities did not occur, resulting
in homicide charges. The mere fact that the crimes arose out of the same
incident does not mean that Appellant is entitled to receive concurrent
sentences. Commonwealth v. Ly, 599 A.2d 613, 623 (Pa. 1991) (citations
omitted).
The trial court carefully considered the section 9721(b) factors when
sentencing Appellant, including his rehabilitative needs. The trial court
reviewed the PSI and other information at its disposal when determining that
a lengthy prison sentence was necessary considering the gravity of the
offenses, the impact on the victims, and the need to protect the public in the
future. It therefore sentenced Appellant to consecutive terms of
imprisonment which resulted in an aggregate term of 39 to 78 years’
imprisonment. This application of the guidelines was not “clearly
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unreasonable.” 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9781(c)(2). Accordingly, we conclude that
the trial court did not abuse its discretion in sentencing Appellant to 39 to 78
years’ imprisonment.
In sum, we hold that section 303.6 of the Pennsylvania Sentencing
Guidelines, which includes certain juvenile adjudications in the calculation of
a defendant’s prior record score, does not violate the proportionality
principles of the Eighth Amendment. Although we reach the merits of
Appellant’s discretionary aspects claim, we ultimately conclude that his
discretionary aspects challenge is without merit. Accordingly, we affirm.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 2/23/2016
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