Com. v. Scott, M. ( 2017 )

J-S50023-17
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
MARIE BURNSIDE SCOTT
Appellant No. 2246 EDA 2016
Appeal from the PCRA Order June 13, 2016
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0411022-1973
BEFORE: PANELLA, J., MOULTON, J., and RANSOM, J.
MEMORANDUM BY MOULTON, J.: FILED DECEMBER 20, 2017
Marie Burnside Scott appeals from the June 13, 2016 order entered in
the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas dismissing as untimely her
petitions filed under the Post Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”), 42 Pa.C.S. §§
9541-46. We affirm.
The PCRA court set forth the following procedural history:
On May 16, 1974, following a jury trial before the
Honorable Stanley Kubacki, [] Scott . . . was found guilty of
first degree murder[, 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502].[1] On June 27,
1974, [Scott] was sentenced to life imprisonment. [Scott]
appealed, and the Supreme Court affirmed her conviction
on November 14, 1976.2 [Scott] admits in her petition she
filed at least three prior post conviction relief petitions.3 All
were dismissed.
____________________________________________
1The jury also convicted Scott of burglary, 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502, and
conspiracy to commit an unlawful act, 18 Pa.C.S. § 903.
J-S50023-17
2 Commonwealth v. Scott, 365 A.2d 853 (Pa.
1976).
3 [Scott] states she filed post conviction petitions on
January 3, 1977, February 21, 1978, and May 27,
1981. PCRA Petition, 3/18/16 at p.5. A review of the
record verified that [Scott] had at least one prior post
conviction proceeding. In 1988, [Scott] filed a
petition for collateral relief, the petition was
dismissed, and the dismissal affirmed by the Superior
Court on May 24, 1988. Commonwealth v. Scott,
545 A.2d 399 (Pa.Super. 1988) (table).
Opinion, 12/8/16, at 1 (“1925(a) Op.”).
On August 23, 2013, Scott filed a PCRA petition. On June 15, 2015 and
June 23, 2015, Scott filed petitions for writ of habeas corpus. On March 18,
2016, Scott filed a supplemental PCRA petition. On April 26, 2016, the PCRA
Court issued notice of its intent to dismiss the petitions without a hearing
under Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 907. Scott filed a response to
the notice on May 2, 2016 and an additional supplemental petition on May 17,
2016. On June 13, 2016, the PCRA court dismissed the petitions. 2 Scott filed
a timely notice of appeal.
Scott raises 12 issues on appeal, making claims of trial counsel
ineffectiveness, imposition of an illegal sentence, and trial court error.
Our standard of review from the denial of a PCRA petition “is limited to
examining whether the PCRA court’s determination is supported by the
evidence of record and whether it is free of legal error.” Commonwealth v.
____________________________________________
The June 13, 2016 order stated that the “petitions filed on August 23,
2
2013 by [Scott] are dismissed as untimely.” Order, 6/12/16 (emphasis
deleted). It appears the PCRA court treated all subsequent petitions as
supplements to the petition filed on August 23, 2013.
-2-
J-S50023-17
Ousley, 21 A.3d 1238, 1242 (Pa.Super. 2011).
The PCRA court concluded that: (1) Scott’s August 2013 PCRA petition
was untimely and she failed to invoke any time-bar exception; (2) Scott’s
March and May 2016 PCRA petitions were untimely and, because Scott was
19 years old at the time of the murder, she was unable to satisfy the new-
constitutional-right time-bar exception based on Miller v. Alabama, 567 U.S.
460 (2012), and Montgomery v. Louisiana, 136 S. Ct. 718 (2016); and (3)
Scott’s petitions for habeas corpus should be treated as PCRA petitions
because the claims are cognizable under the PCRA, the petitions were untimely
under the PCRA, and Scott failed to plead and prove a time-bar exception.
1925(a) Op. at 2-6. After reviewing the record, the parties’ briefs, and the
relevant law, we affirm on the basis of the well-reasoned opinion of the
Honorable Leon W. Tucker, which we adopt and incorporate herein.
Order affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 12/20/2017
-3-
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Circulated 12/15/2017 09:41 AM
COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF PHILADLEPHIA COUNTY
FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA
CRIMINAL TRIAL DIVISION DEC -8 2016
CP-51-CR-0411022-1973 Comm. v. Scott, Marie
Memorandum Opinion
COMMONWEALTH OF
I I II Ill
PENNSYLVANIA
II 1111111111111111
7874166451
v.
CP-51-CR-0411022-1973
MARIE BURNSIDE SCOTT
2246 EDA 2016
OPINION
LEON W. TUCKER, J.
This appeal comes before the Superior Court following the dismissal of a Post Conviction
Relief Act ("PCRA")1 petition filed on August 8, 2013. On June 13, 2016, the PCRA court
dismissed this petition for the reasons set forth below.
I. PROCEDURAL HISTORY
On May 16, 1974, following a jury trial before the Honorable Stanley Kubacki, Marie
Scott (hereinafter referred to as "Petitioner") was found guilty of first degree murder. On June 27,
1974, Petitioner was sentenced to life imprisonment. Petitioner appealed, and the Supreme Court
affirmed her conviction on November 14, 1976.2 Petitioner admits in her petition she filed at least
three prior post conviction relief petitions. 3 All were dismissed.
On August 8, 2013, Petitioner filed the instant petition. Petitioner then filed two writs of
1 42 Pa. Cons. Stat.§§ 9541-9546.
2
Commonwealth v. Scott, 365 A.2d 853 (Pa. 1976).
3 Petitioner states she filed post conviction petitions on January 3, 1977, February 21, 1978, and
May 27, 1981. PCRA Petition, 3/ 18/16 at p. 5. A review of the record verified that Petitioner had
at least one prior post conviction proceeding. In 1988, Petitioner filed a petition for collateral
relief, the petition was dismissed, and the dismissal affirmed by the Superior Court on May 24,
1988. Commonwealth v. Scott, 545 A.2d 399 (Pa. Sup. 1988) (table).
1
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habeas corpus on June 15, 2015, and July 23, 2015. Petitioner additionally filed a supplemental
petition for PCRA relief on March 18, 2016. In accordance with Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal
Procedure 907, Petitioner was served notice of the PCRA court's intention to dismiss her petition
on April 26, 2016. Petitioner filed a response to the court's notice on May 2, 2016 and May 17,
2016. The PCRA court dismissed her petitions on June 13, 2016.4 Petitioner timely filed a notice
of appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court on July 11, 2016.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Petitioner's current PCRA petition was manifestly untimely.
Petitioner's PCRA petition challenging the constitutionality of her sentence was facially
untimely. As a prefatory matter, the timeliness of a PCRA petition is a jurisdictional requisite.
Commonwealth v. Robinson, 12 A.3d 477 (Pa. Super. 2011). A PCRA petition, including a second
or subsequent petition, shall be filed within one year of the date the underlying judgment becomes
final. 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 9545(b)(l). A judgment is deemed final "at the conclusion of direct
review, including discretionary review in the Supreme Court of the United States and the Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania, or at the expiration of time for seeking the review." Id. § 9545(b)(3).
Petitioner's judgment of sentence became final for PCRA purposes on or about February
14, 1977, ninety days after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court affirmed her judgment of sentence
and the time period for filing a petition for writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court
expired. See id.; See U.S.Sup.Ct.R. 22 (effective July 1, 1970, until amended June 30, 1980, at
U.S.Sup.Ct.R. 20; allowing 90 days to file petition for writ of certiorari). Petitioner's pro se
petition, filed on August 8, 2013, wastherefore untimely by approximately thirty-six years. See 42
4As the trial judge is no longer sitting, the Honorable Leon W. Tucker issued the order and opinion
in this matter in his capacity as Supervising Judge of the Criminal Section of the Court of Common
Pleas of Philadelphia- Trial Division as of March 7, 2016.
2
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Pa. Cons. Stat. § 9545(b)(1 ).
B. Petitioner was ineligible for the limited timeliness exceptions under 42 Pa. Cons.
Stat.§ 9545 (b)(l).
The three statutory exceptions to the timeliness provisions in the PCRA allow for very
limited circumstances under which the late filing of a petition will be excused. Id. To invoke an
exception, a petition must allege and the petitioner must prove:
(i) the failure to raise the claim previously was the result of interference by government
officials with the presentation of the claim in violation of the Constitution or laws of this
Commonwealth or the Constitution or laws of the United States;
(ii) the facts upon which the claim is predicated were unknown to the petitioner and could
not have been ascertained by the exercise of due diligence; or
(iii) the right asserted is a constitutional right that was recognized by the Supreme Court of
the United States or the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania after the time period provided in
this section and has been held by that court to apply retroactively.
Id. § 9545(b)(1 )(i)-(iii).
In her August 2013 petition, Petitioner generally stated that she was entitled to collateral
relief due to her trial counsel's ineffectiveness and other various trial errors. However, Petitioner
completely repudiated any attempt to invoke any exception to her untimeliness, and therefore, this
court was without jurisdiction to address her untimely petition. 5
In her March 2016 and May 2016 petitions, Petitioner attempted to invoke the "newly-
recognized right" exception6 by raising the constitutional right announced in the United States
5
The PCRA's time limit is mandatory and jurisdictional. Commonwealth v. Beasley, 741 A.2d
1258 (Pa. 1999). A court does not have jurisdiction to consider the merits of a petition if it is
untimely filed and the petitioner does not prove one of the three exceptions to the time limits of
the PCRA. Gamboa-Taylor, 753 A.2d at 785. It is well settled that allegations of ineffective
assistance of counsel alone will not overcome the timeliness requirements. Commonwealth v.
Edmiston, 65 A.3d 339 (Pa. 2013). Moreover, the responsibility to plead and prove a claim under
the PCRA by a preponderance of the evidence lies solely with the petitioner. 42 Pa. Cons. Stat.§
9543(a).
6 Subsection
(iii) of Section 9545[(b)(l)] has two requirements. First, it provides that the right
3
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·
Supreme Court's decision in Montgomery v. Louisiana, 136 S. Ct. 718 (2016). In Montgomery,
the Court held retroactive its prior holding in Miller v. Alabama, 132 S. Ct. 2455 (2012). The
Miller Court held that mandatory life sentences without the possibility of parole for juvenile
offenders convicted of murder violates the 8th Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual
punishment. Miller, 132 S. Ct. at 2460. However, the Court was explicit that its holding in Miller
applies only to offenders under the age of eighteen at the time of their offense. Id ("We therefore
hold that mandatory life without parole for those under the age of 18 at the time of their crimes
violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on 'cruel and unusual punishments."'). Here,
Petitioner fully conceded that she was 19 years old at the time of the murder. PCRA Petition,
5/2/16, at 1. Because Petitioner was not a juvenile at the time of her offense, she failed to
successfully invoke this exception.
C. The claims alleged in Petitioner's habeas corpus petitions are cognizable under the
PCRA and upon review, are untimely without exception.
Petitioner's filings styled "Petition for Habeas Corpus" raised claims that fell within the
ambit of the PCRA7 because they were potentially remediable under it. As iterated by the Superior
Court,
asserted is a constitutional right that was recognized by the Supreme Court of the United States or
[the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania] after the time provided in this section. Second, it provides
that the right "has been held" by "that court" to apply retroactively ... These words mean that the
action has already occurred, i.e., "that court" has already held the new constitutional right to be
retroactive to cases on collateral review. By employing the past tense in writing this provision,
the legislature clearly intended that the right was already recognized at the time the petition was·
filed. Commonwealth v. Copenhefer, 94 l A.2d 646, 649-50 (Pa. 2007) (quoting Commonwealth
v. Abdul-Salaam, 812 A.2d 497, 501 (Pa. 2002)).
7 The PCRA
provides for an action by which persons convicted of crimes they did not commit and
persons serving illegal sentences may obtain collateral relief. "The action established in this
subchapter shall be the sole means of obtaining collateral relief and encompasses all other common
law and statutory remedies for the same purpose that exist when this subchapter takes effect,
including habeas corpus and coram nobis." 42 Pa. Cons. Stat.§ 9542.
4
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It is well-settled that the PCRA is intended to be the sole means of achieving post-
conviction relief. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9542; Commonwealth v. Haun, 32 A.3d 697 (Pa. 2011).
Unless the PCRA could not provide for a potential remedy, the PCRA statute subsumes
the writ of habeas corpus. Fahy, supra at 223-224; Commonwealth v. Chester, 733 A.2d
1242 (Pa. 1999). Issues that are cognizable under the PCRA must be raised in a timely
PCRA petition and cannot be raised in a habeas corpus petition. See Commonwealth v.
Peterkin, 722 A.2d 638 (Pa. 1998); see also Commonwealth v. Deaner, 779 A.2d 578 (Pa.
Super. 2001) (a collateral petition that raises an issue that the PCRA statute could remedy
is to be considered a PCRA petition). Phrased differently, a defendant cannot escape the
PCRA time-bar by titling [her] petition or motion as a writ of habeas corpus.
Commonwealth v. Taylor, 65 A.3d 462, 465-66 (Pa. Super. 2013).
In her habeas corpus petitions filed June 15, 2015 and July 23, 2015, Petitioner's argued
that she was serving an illegal sentence because statutes that were not yet adopted into law at the
time of her crime were applied against her, in violation of the presumption against retroactive
effect under 1 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 1926. More specifically, Petitioner argued when the Crimes Code
supplanted the Penal Code on December 6, 1972, the statutes under which she was charged,
convicted and sentenced! were not in effect. In essence, her claims implicated the legality of her
sentence and therefore was cognizable under the PCRA. 42 Pa. Cons. Stat§ 9543(a)(2)(vii) (illegal
sentencing claims are cognizable under the PCRA). Thus, this court was constrained to review
these claims pursuant to the PCRA's dictates. However, Petitioner did not even attempt to invoke
one of the timeliness exceptions; instead, she merely lingered upon the purported illegality of her
conviction and sentence. The PCRA court therefore lacked jurisdiction to address Petitioner's
substantive claims.
In her habeas corpus petition, filed July 23, 2015, Petitioner claimed she was entitled to
relief because the jury failed to unanimously record a suggested penalty on the penalty slip after
finding her guilty of first degree murder. This claim also fell within the purview of the PCRA
8
18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §903; 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. §2502; 18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3502; 18 Pa. Cons. Stat.
§ 3701; and 18 Pa. Cons. Stat.§ 6106.
5
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framework because the PCRA provides relief for alleged trial court errors. See Commonwealth v.
Peterkin, 722 A.2d 638, 640 (1998). Consequently, her petition was subject to the timeliness
provision of the PCRA. Again, Petitioner failed to satisfy her burden of establishing an exception
to the PCRA's statutory time-bar.
III. CONCLUSION
Once more, this court has evaluated Petitioner's untimely filing, and determined the claims
contained therein to be untimely without exception. For the foregoing reasons, this court's
dismissal of Petitioner's PCRA petition and subsequently filed petitions should be affirmed.
LEON W. TUCKER, J./ gl
6