Com. v. Saunders, G. ( 2017 )

J-S88022-16
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
GREGORY R. SAUNDERS :
:
Appellant : No. 3743 EDA 2015
Appeal from the PCRA Order November 24, 2015
In the Court of Common Pleas of Delaware County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-23-CR-0003314-2003
BEFORE: OLSON, J., RANSOM, J., and STRASSBURGER, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY RANSOM, J.: FILED JANUARY 31, 2017
Appellant, Gregory R. Saunders, appeals from the order entered
November 24, 2015, denying as untimely his third 1 petition filed under the
Post-Conviction Relief Act, 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546. We affirm.
Following a jury trial, Appellant was convicted of criminal conspiracy,
burglary, robbery, and firearms not to be carried without a license. 2 In
November 2004, Appellant was sentenced to an aggregate term of
incarceration of nineteen to thirty-eight years. In December 2004, Appellant
filed a direct appeal. This Court affirmed the judgment of sentence.
Commonwealth v. Saunders, 959 A.2d 468 (Pa. Super. 2008)
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1
Both the Appellant and the PCRA court erroneously refer to the underlying
petition as Appellant’s second PCRA petition.
2
18 Pa.C.S. §§ 903(a)(1), 3502(a), 3701(a)(2), 6106(a)(1), respectively.
*
Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
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(unpublished memorandum). Appellant did not file a petition for allowance
of appeal with the Pennsylvania Supreme court.
In December 2007, Appellant filed a petition for collateral relief, which
was denied as premature. Appellant did not file an appeal. In September
2008, Appellant filed his first PCRA petition, which was dismissed by this
Court for failure to file a brief. Appellant’s second PCRA petition was filed in
May 2012, which was denied as untimely; this Court affirmed.
Commonwealth v. Saunders, 60 A.3d 162 (Pa. Super. 2013), appeal
denied, 72 A.3d 603 (Pa. 2013), cert. denied, 134 S. Ct. 944 (Jan. 13,
2014).
In December 2014, Appellant pro se filed the instant petition for
collateral relief. The PCRA court appointed counsel; however, following a
Grazier3 hearing Appellant was permitted to proceed pro se. In November
2015, the PCRA court dismissed Appellant’s petition, and he timely appealed.
Appellant raises the following issues:
1. Did the PCRA court err in failing to review Appellant’s federal
actual innocence/miscarriage of justice claim?
2. Did the PCRA court err in failing to review Appellant’s illegal
sentence claim, as, an illegal sentence cannot be waived?
Appellant’s Brief at 7.
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3
Commonwealth v. Grazier, 713 A.2d 81 (1998).
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The PCRA court dismissed Appellant’s petition without a hearing, and it
appears from the record that proper Pa.R.Crim.P. 907 notice was not sent.
There is no absolute right to an evidentiary hearing. See Commonwealth
v. Springer, 961 A.2d 1262, 1264 (Pa. Super. 2008). On appeal, we
examine the issues raised in light of the record “to determine whether the
PCRA court erred in concluding that there were no genuine issues of material
fact and denying relief without an evidentiary hearing.” Id. at 1264.
Appellant does not challenge the lack of notice. Furthermore, “our Supreme
Court has held that where the PCRA petition is untimely, the failure to
provide such notice is not reversible error.” Commonwealth v. Davis, 916
A.2d 1206, 1208 (Pa. Super. 2007) (citing Commonwealth v. Pursell, 749
A.2d 911, 917 n. 7 (2000)). Accordingly, Appellant is due no relief on this
ground.
The standard of review regarding an order denying a petition under
the PCRA is whether the determination of the PCRA court is supported by the
evidence of record and is free of legal error. Commonwealth v. Ragan,
923 A.2d 1169, 1170 (Pa. 2007). We afford the court’s factual findings
deference unless there is no support for them in the certified record.
Commonwealth v. Brown, 48 A.3d 1275, 1277 (Pa. Super. 2012) (citing
Commonwealth v. Anderson, 995 A.2d 1184, 1189 (Pa. Super. 2010)).
Before considering Appellant’s claims, we address the timeliness of his
petition, as it implicates our jurisdiction and may not be altered or
disregarded in order to address the merits of his claim. Commonwealth v.
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Bennett, 930 A.2d 1264, 1267 (Pa. 2007). Under the PCRA, all petitions
seeking collateral relief must be filed within one year of the date the
judgment of sentence becomes final. Id. There are three statutory
exceptions:
(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 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.
42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b)(1)(i)-(iii). Additionally, any petition attempting to
invoke one of these exceptions “shall be filed within 60 days of the date the
claim could have been presented.” 42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b)(2).
Appellant’s petition is untimely.4 Thus, Appellant was required to
plead and prove an exception to the PCRA timeliness requirements.
Appellant does not dispute that his petition is untimely; rather, Appellant
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4
Appellant’s petition is patently untimely. Appellant’s judgment of sentence
became final on July 20, 2008; thirty days after this Court affirmed the
judgment of sentence. See § 9545(b)(3) (a judgment of sentence becomes
final at the conclusion of direct review or the expiration of the time for
seeking review). Appellant’s current petition, filed December 10, 2014, is
approximately six years late.
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acknowledges that he must avail himself of one of the exceptions set forth in
section 9545(b)(1)(i)-(iii) in order for this Court to have jurisdiction to reach
the merits of his claims. Bennett, 930 A.2d at 1267 (stating PCRA time
limitations implicate our jurisdiction and may not be altered or disregarded
to address the merits of the petition).
In his PCRA petition Appellant asserts that his petition meets the after-
discovered facts exception found at 42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b)(1)(ii). To establish
this exception, a petitioner must prove that the facts supporting his claim
were (1) unknown to him and (2) could not have been ascertained
previously by the exercise of due diligence. Bennett, 930 A.2d at 1270-72.
Due diligence requires that the petitioner make reasonable steps to protect
his own interest. Commonwealth v. Carr, 768 A.2d 1164, 1168 (Pa.
Super. 2001).
Appellant asserts that his co-defendants would now testify that
Appellant was not involved in the crime. Appellant provides no explanation
as to why the testimony could not have been ascertained previously, in a
timely matter. Furthermore, Appellant does not attach any documentation
or evidence to substantiate this claim as required by Pa.R.Crim.P.
902(a)(12)(b). Thus, Appellant’s assertion does not satisfy the after-
discovered facts exception.
Appellant next challenges the legality of his sentence. Although illegal
sentencing issues cannot be waived, they still must be presented in a timely
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PCRA petition. Commonwealth v. Fahy, 737 A.2d 214 (Pa. 1999)
(“Although legality of sentence is always subject to review within the PCRA,
claims must still first satisfy the PCRA’s time limits or one of the exceptions
thereto.”).
Accordingly, the PCRA court lacked jurisdiction to entertain Appellant’s
claim and did not err in dismissing Appellant’s petition as untimely.
Order affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 1/31/2017
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