Com. v. Baldwin, T. ( 2018 )


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  • J-S68024-17
    NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION – SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
    COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA :                 IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
    :                       PENNSYLVANIA
    :
    v.                  :
    :
    THOMAS MARTIN BALDWIN        :
    :
    Appellant      :                No. 1975 MDA 2016
    Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence July 19, 2016
    In the Court of Common Pleas of Cumberland County Criminal Division at
    No(s): CP-21-CR-0000752-2015
    BEFORE: LAZARUS, DUBOW and STRASSBURGER,* JJ.
    DISSENTING MEMORANDUM BY STRASSBURGER, J.: FILED MARCH 01, 2018
    I respectfully dissent.   The record clearly shows that the trial court
    granted newly appointed counsel’s request for an extension to file a post-
    sentence motion following receipt of the requested trial transcripts. Order of
    Court, 7/21/2016 (“Defense counsel shall have 30 days from the date of
    receipt of the transcript within which to file any post-sentence motions.”). The
    trial court had jurisdiction to grant that request as it was granted via an order
    filed two days after Appellant was sentenced.        See Commonwealth v.
    Moore, 
    978 A.2d 988
    , 991 (Pa. Super. 2009) (holding that trial court had
    authority to grant July 31, 2008 motion for extension of time to file post-
    sentence motion following Moore’s judgment of sentence on July 23, 2008,
    and that “the trial court erred when it averred that it lacked jurisdiction to
    permit [Moore] to file his post-sentence motion nunc pro tunc.”).
    *Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
    J-S68024-17
    The Majority’s analysis elevates form over substance. Although I agree
    with the Majority that the trial court did not use the magic words “nunc pro
    tunc” in that July 21, 2016 order, I find that nonetheless the trial court did
    expressly grant Appellant the right to file a post-sentence motion nunc pro
    tunc. See Commonwealth v. Batty, 
    169 A.3d 70
    , 72 n.4 (Pa. Super. 2017)
    (holding that trial court properly permitted Batty to file a post-sentence
    motion nunc pro tunc where “[o]n November 1, [] counsel filed on behalf of
    [Batty] a motion to permit counsel to file a post-sentence motion nunc pro
    tunc due to counsel’s recent appointment, and on November 3, [] the lower
    court granted the petition, expressly giving [Batty] until November 23, [] to
    file his post-sentence motion.”). Moreover, when ordering the post-sentence
    motion hearing, the trial court here referred to the motion as a “nunc pro tunc
    motion.” Order of Court, 9/26/2016.
    The Majority attempts to alter the plain meaning of the July 21, 2016
    order with a statement from the post-sentence motion hearing that the trial
    court implicitly granted, at the time of sentencing, an extension of 30 days
    from the date of sentencing to file a post-sentence motion.          Majority’s
    Memorandum at 2-3 (quoting N.T. 11/22/2016, at 2-12).            However, this
    statement contradicts the explicit language of the July 21, 2016 order,
    wherein the trial court granted counsel’s request to file a post-sentence motion
    within “30 days from the date of receipt of the transcript[.]” Order of
    Court, 7/21/2016 (emphasis added).
    -2-
    J-S68024-17
    Based on the foregoing, I find that the trial court granted Appellant’s
    request to file a post-sentence motion nunc pro tunc, Appellant complied with
    that order in filing his post-sentence motion,1 and his appeal from the denial
    of that motion is timely. Accordingly, I would not quash.
    Judgment Entered.
    Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
    Prothonotary
    Date: 3/1/18
    1 It is unclear when counsel received the requested transcript. However, even
    if counsel received it on July 21, 2016, the date that counsel was appointed
    to represent Appellant, the post-sentence motion filed on August 19, 2016
    was filed within 30 days from that date.
    -3-
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 1975 MDA 2016

Filed Date: 3/1/2018

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 3/1/2018