Com. v. Colon, P. ( 2020 )

J-S66021-19
2020 Pa. Super. 43
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
PEDRO COLON :
:
Appellant : No. 1006 EDA 2019
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered March 21, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at
No(s): CP-51-CR-0010694-2009
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
PEDRO COLON :
:
Appellant : No. 1007 EDA 2019
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered March 21, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at
No(s): CP-51-CR-0010695-2009
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
PEDRO COLON :
:
Appellant : No. 1008 EDA 2019
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered March 21, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at
No(s): CP-51-CR-0010697-2009
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
J-S66021-19
:
:
PEDRO COLON :
:
Appellant : No. 1009 EDA 2019
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered March 21, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at
No(s): CP-51-CR-0010698-2009
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
PEDRO COLON :
:
Appellant : No. 1010 EDA 2019
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered March 21, 2019
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County Criminal Division at
No(s): CP-51-CR-0010700-2009
BEFORE: STABILE, J., NICHOLS, J., and FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E.
OPINION BY NICHOLS, J.: FILED FEBRUARY 21, 2020
Appellant Pedro Colon appeals from the orders dismissing his first Post
Conviction Relief Act1 (PCRA) petition filed at each of the above-captioned
docket numbers.2 Appellant raises several claims of trial counsel’s
ineffectiveness. We affirm.
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1 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 9541-9546.
2Because Appellant filed an identical petition at each of the above-captioned
docket numbers, we refer to the petition in the singular.
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We state the facts and procedural history as set forth by a prior decision
of this Court:
On June 21, 2009, at approximately 1:00 am[], Appellant was at
the La Quinta Restaurant and Bar on the corner of North 5th Street
and Courtland Street when he got into a physical altercation with
Christian Aguilar, who was at the bar with his family. After
Appellant punched Christian Aguilar, two of Christian Aguilar’s
aunts, Jacqueline Santiago and Jacqueline Quintas, got involved
in the fight and began to punch Appellant. One of the bar’s
bouncers intervened in the fight and escorted Appellant from the
bar. After the fight broke up and Appellant was ejected from the
bar, Appellant told a blonde woman standing nearby to “clear the
area,” and that he “was coming back.”
Approximately 10 to 20 minutes later, a car pulled up in front of
the bar and Appellant got out of the passenger seat. Appellant
then pulled out a black handgun, and opened fire into the bar.
After shooting at least 15 rounds, Appellant walked away from the
bar and got back into the car, which pulled away. Police arrived
on the scene, where they found Damien Aguilar, Christian
Aguilar’s uncle, unresponsive on the floor of the bar. Damien
Aguilar was taken to Albert Einstein Hospital, where he was
pronounced dead from a single gunshot wound to the abdomen.
Several other patrons of the bar were shot and were transported
to the hospital, including Luis Corcino, Richard Soto, Lizandra
Perocier, Carmelo Fernandez, and Naiomi Ruiz.
Juan Aguilar, who knew Appellant from the neighborhood and was
Damien Aguilar’s nephew, was standing in front of the bar when
the shooting took place and identified Appellant to police from a
photo array. Ms. Santiago and Ms. Collado each identified
Appellant from a photo array as the man who had fought with their
nephew and as the man who had returned to the bar and opened
fire. Mr. Corcino also identified Appellant from a photo array as
the man in the fight and as the shooter.
Police went to Appellant’s residence, but he was not at home.
Later that day, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Philadelphia Police
Officer Timothy Stephan and Officer Ruben Santiago were
patrolling the area of 6th Street and Clearfield Street when they
saw a vehicle, which was being operated by . . . Appellant, fail to
use a turn signal. Officer Stephan attempted to pull over the car,
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but Appellant slowed the car to a stop and stuck his head out of
the window, then continued to drive the car at a high rate of
speed. One block away, he was struck by another vehicle after
running a stop sign. He then got out of the car and ran from the
police. Officer Stephan began pursuing Appellant on foot. As
Appellant ran, he passed two men sitting in front of a car-detailing
store. As he passed the men, he yelled something in Spanish,
pulled a heavy-looking object from the front of his body that was
wrapped in a t-shirt, and threw it at the two men. Officer Stephan
continued to chase Appellant, eventually catching up to him and
subduing him with a taser. Appellant was arrested. The object
that he discarded during the police chase was never recovered.
Commonwealth v. Colon, 2014 WL 10965819, *1 (Pa. Super. filed Mar. 28,
2014) (unpublished mem.) (some formatting altered). “Appellant’s first jury
trial on these charges commenced on July 14, 2011[,] and resulted in a hung
jury as to all charges on July 26, 2011.” Id. at *2 n.2.
At Appellant’s second trial in September 2012, a jury convicted
Appellant of first-degree murder, criminal conspiracy, attempted murder,
aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of an
instrument of crime. The trial court sentenced Appellant to life imprisonment.
Appellant filed post-sentence motions, which were denied. Appellant
appealed, this Court affirmed, and our Supreme Court denied Appellant’s
petition for allowance of appeal on September 18, 2014. Commonwealth v.
Colon, 99 A.3d 923 (Pa. 2014).
On February 4, 2015, the PCRA court docketed Appellant’s pro se PCRA
petition at each of the above-captioned docket numbers. The PCRA court
appointed PCRA counsel, who filed an amended PCRA petition at each docket
number. The counseled amended PCRA petition claimed that Appellant’s trial
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and direct appeal counsel were ineffective “because counsel failed to call an
expert witness at trial or request a remand while on appeal, to testify to
scientific studies pertaining to the fallibility of human memory and recall
relating to the reliability of eyewitness testimony.” Am. PCRA Pet., 3/10/16,
at ¶ 4a. On August 9, 2017, PCRA counsel filed a supplemental amended
PCRA petition raising a claim that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to
request a Kloiber3 charge.
On December 13, 2017, PCRA counsel filed another supplemental
amended PCRA petition asserting that trial counsel was ineffective for not
objecting to the testimony of Officer Ruben Santiago. Am. PCRA Pet.,
12/13/17, at ¶ 4a. Specifically, Officer Santiago “testified at trial that he
overheard a woman describing the details of . . . the alibi testimony to Jose
Benesario and heard Benesario ask should I say that in court and then
Benesario went into the courtroom.” Id. PCRA counsel argued as follows:
This testimony should not have been admitted because Jose
Ben[e]sario testified as an alibi witness at the first trial and his
testimony was the same as the second trial and his alleged
conversation with the woman was not relevant to Benesario’s
credibility as an alibi witness and should have not been admitted.
Id.
On January 31, 2019, the PCRA court issued a Pa.R.Crim.P. 907 notice,
which stated that Appellant’s issues lacked merit. PCRA counsel filed a
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3 Commonwealth v. Kloiber, 106 A.2d 820 (Pa. 1954).
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response on February 12, 2019, asserting that the law had changed since
Appellant’s trial to permit expert witness testimony regarding the reliability of
eyewitness testimony.4 Appellant’s Rule 907 Resp., 2/12/19, at 1. The PCRA
court dismissed Appellant’s petition on March 21, 2019.
PCRA counsel filed a timely notice of appeal at each docket number.5
Appellant timely filed a court-ordered Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement reiterating
all of the issues raised in his PCRA petition.
Appellant raises the following issues:
1. Did the [PCRA] court err in denying an evidentiary hearing to
[A]ppellant when [A]ppellant raised a material issue of fact that
trial defense counsel was ineffective in not requesting a Kloiber
charge to the jury?
2. Did the [PCRA] court err in denying an evidentiary hearing to
[A]ppellant when [A]ppellant raised a material issue of fact as to
trial and appellate defense counsel’s ineffectiveness, who were the
same attorney, in not securing a forensic psychologist w[h]o could
have testified to the unreliability of the Commonwealth
eyewitnesses at trial?
3. Did the [PCRA] court err in denying an evidentiary hearing to
the [A]ppellant when [A]ppellant raised a material issue of fact
that [A]ppellant is entitled to a new trial because of evidence that
was unavailable at the time of trial is now available?
____________________________________________
4 PCRA counsel’s Rule 907 response did not address the other issues raised in
the PCRA petition.
5We note that Appellant’s appeal complies with Commonwealth v. Walker,
185 A.3d 969 (Pa. 2018), in which the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
announced a prospective rule that “the proper practice under [Pa.R.A.P.]
341(a) is to file separate appeals from an order that resolves issues arising on
more than one docket.” Walker, 185 A.3d at 977.
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4. Did the [PCRA] court err in denying appellant funds for expert
witness, a forensic psychologist, who could have testified to the
unreliability of Commonwealth eyewitnesses in the case, when the
[A]ppellant was indigent?
5. Did the [PCRA] court err in denying [A]ppellant an evidentiary
hearing when [A]ppellant raised a material issue of fact that trial
defense counsel was ineffective in failing to object to improper
Commonwealth rebuttal evidence?
Appellant’s Brief at 2.
We begin by stating the standard of review.
This Court’s 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. The PCRA court’s findings will not be disturbed unless there
is no support for the findings in the certified record.
Commonwealth v. Grayson, 212 A.3d 1047, 1051 (Pa. Super. 2019)
(citation omitted). We have stated that
to establish a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel, a
defendant must show, by a preponderance of the evidence,
ineffective assistance of counsel which, in the circumstances of
the particular case, so undermined the truth-determining process
that no reliable adjudication of guilt or innocence could have taken
place. The burden is on the defendant to prove all three of the
following prongs: (1) the underlying claim is of arguable merit;
(2) that counsel had no reasonable strategic basis for his or her
action or inaction; and (3) but for the errors and omissions of
counsel, there is a reasonable probability that the outcome of the
proceedings would have been different.
We have explained that
a claim has arguable merit where the factual averments, if
accurate, could establish cause for relief. Whether the facts
rise to the level of arguable merit is a legal determination.
The test for deciding whether counsel had a reasonable
basis for his action or inaction is whether no competent
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counsel would have chosen that action or inaction, or, the
alternative, not chosen, offered a significantly greater
potential chance of success. Counsel’s decisions will be
considered reasonable if they effectuated his client’s
interests. We do not employ a hindsight analysis in
comparing trial counsel’s actions with other efforts he may
have taken.
Prejudice is established if there is a reasonable probability
that, but for counsel’s errors, the result of the proceeding
would have been different. A reasonable probability is a
probability sufficient to undermine confidence in the
outcome.
Commonwealth v. Sandusky, 203 A.3d 1033, 1043-44 (Pa. Super. 2019)
(citations omitted and some formatting altered), appeal denied, 216 A.3d
1029 (Pa. 2019). Boilerplate allegations of ineffectiveness do not establish a
defendant’s burden of establishing relief. Commonwealth v. Jones, 811
A.2d 994, 1003 (Pa. 2002).
Furthermore,
A petitioner is not entitled to a PCRA hearing as a matter of right;
the PCRA court can decline to hold a hearing if there is no genuine
issue concerning any material fact and the petitioner is not entitled
to post-conviction collateral relief, and no purpose would be
served by any further proceedings. A reviewing court on appeal
must examine each of the issues raised in the PCRA petition in
light of the record in order to determine whether the PCRA court
erred in concluding that there were no genuine issues of material
fact and in denying relief without an evidentiary hearing.
Commonwealth v. Smith, 121 A.3d 1049, 1052 (Pa. Super. 2015) (citations
omitted and some formatting altered).
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By way of background for Appellant’s first issue challenging the Kloiber
charge, the trial court held a conference to discuss the jury charge. At that
conference, the following exchange occurred:
[Appellant’s Trial Counsel]: I think for the record I better request
the Kloiber charge.
THE COURT: Okay. And I will deny the Kloiber charge for the
reason -- I can’t remember if we were on the record, but under
the Sanders case, [Commonwealth v. Sanders, 42 A.3d 325
(Pa. Super. 2012),] -- was it Sanders? I don’t have it with me.
I believe it’s Commonwealth versus Sanders, the Superior Court
2012 case, if the witness does not give -- does not make an in-
court identification Kloiber is not necessary if you give the
instruction I’m going to give which lays out all of the factors. And
I took careful notes, I did not see any witnesses who made an in-
court identification who made an erroneous identification at either
a photo spread or at a line-up. Everybody who identified in court
was unmistaken at the line-up or the photo array. So for that
reason your request for Kloiber is denied. Now, if I’m factually
incorrect, I’m sure you’ll point that out to me.
[Appellant’s Trial Counsel]: Did Angela Tate identify in court?
[Assistant District Attorney]: No, she did not.
* * *
THE COURT: . . . As for -- you asked about Tate?
[Appellant’s Trial Counsel]: Tate.
THE COURT: Tate, that’s what we were just talking about. . . .
THE COURT: Was there anybody else you asked about? I just don’t
remember, [Appellant’s Trial Counsel].
[Appellant’s Trial Counsel]: Well, Charlene [Collins] was not able
to make an identification and she picked out the wrong person in
the photo array and did not attend a line-up.
THE COURT: Right. And there was no in-court I.D?
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[Assistant District Attorney]: Correct.
THE COURT: Okay. If you find somebody who made an in-court
I.D. who did not make the correct I.D. at the line-up or who picked
the wrong person out at the photo spread -- I guess the only issue
at all would be Angela Tate.
* * *
THE COURT: Angela Tate did not make an in-court identification.
[Assistant District Attorney]: Right. Angela Tate, she also
narrowed it down to two pictures at the photo spread and made a
mis-I.D. at the line-up and I did not elicit an in-court I.D. from
her.
THE COURT: She did not make an in-court I.D.
[Assistant District Attorney]: Right.
N.T. Trial, 9/11/12, at 12-16.
In support of the first issue, Appellant argues that trial counsel was
ineffective for failing to request a Kloiber charge, specifically with respect to
Tate and Collins.6 Appellant’s Brief at 9. He contends that these two
eyewitnesses did not identify him as the assailant prior to trial. Appellant
asserts that trial counsel failed to object when the trial court did not issue a
Kloiber charge notwithstanding counsel’s request for such a charge. Id. He
reasons he is entitled to an evidentiary hearing on the issue.
In Sanders, which the trial court cited above, this Court noted:
____________________________________________
6 Appellant identified the two witnesses at issue in the supplemental PCRA
petition but not in the appellate brief.
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A Kloiber instruction informs the jury that an eyewitness
identification should be viewed with caution when either the
witness did not have an opportunity to view the defendant clearly,
equivocated on the identification of the defendant, or has had
difficulties identifying the defendant on prior occasions.
Sanders, 42 A.3d at 332 (citation and footnote omitted).
However, “[w]here an eyewitness has had protracted and unobstructed
views of the defendant and consistently identified the defendant throughout
the investigation and at trial, there is no need for a Kloiber instruction.”
Commonwealth v. Ali, 10 A.3d 282, 303 (Pa. 2010) (citations omitted and
some formatting altered). Moreover, when a witness does not identify the
defendant in court or declines to identify the defendant in court, a Kloiber
instruction is not required. Sanders, 42 A.3d at 335.
Here, Appellant’s trial counsel actually requested a Kloiber charge. See
N.T. Trial, 9/11/12, at 12-16. Therefore, Appellant is mistaken, and his trial
counsel cannot be found ineffective for not requesting such a charge. See
Appellant’s Brief at 9-10; Sandusky, 203 A.3d at 1043-44.
To the extent Appellant contends trial counsel was ineffective for not
objecting when the trial court refused to give a Kloiber charge for Tate and
Collins, see Appellant’s Brief at 10, neither Tate nor Collins identified Appellant
at trial. See N.T. Trial, 9/11/12, at 12-16. Therefore, the trial court was not
obligated to issue a Kloiber charge for those witnesses. See Sanders, 42
A.3d at 335. Because Appellant failed to establish the underlying claim is of
arguable merit, Appellant cannot establish that trial counsel was ineffective
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for not objecting when the trial court did not issue the requested Kloiber
charge. See Sandusky, 203 A.3d at 1043-44.
We add that several other eyewitnesses identified Appellant as the
shooter. See Colon, 2014 WL 10965819 at *1 (noting that Juan Aguilar,
Jacqueline Santiago, and Collado identified Appellant prior to and at trial).
Therefore, even if the issue had arguable merit, Appellant would not have
been able to establish a reasonable probability that the outcome of the
proceedings would have been different. See Sandusky, 203 A.3d at 1043-
44. Accordingly, Appellant’s first issue fails.
We summarize Appellant’s next three issues together, as they are
interrelated. Appellant argues that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to
call an expert witness “who could have testified to scientific studies pertaining
to the fallibility of human memory and recall relating to the reliability of
eyewitness testimony.” Appellant’s Brief at 14 (citing, inter alia,
Commonwealth v. Walker, 92 A.3d 766, 793 (Pa. 2014), which was filed
on May 28, 2014). Appellant acknowledges that Walker was not in effect at
the time of his trial, but maintains that because Walker was issued while his
direct appeal was pending, his counsel was ineffective for not filing a motion
to remand. Id. at 14-15. Appellant baldly argues that an expert could have
provided exculpatory evidence that was unavailable at his trial. Id. at 18.
Appellant similarly claims that he petitioned the trial and PCRA court for
funds to pay for such an expert. Id. at 22. He claims that the Commonwealth
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had an affirmative obligation to treat indigent defendants identical to
financially well-off defendants and that a financially well-off defendant could
have retained the expert at issue. Id. at 23. Appellant argues that he was
entitled to have funds for such an expert because the Commonwealth’s entire
case was based on eyewitness testimony. Id. at 23-24.7
The principles governing our review are as follows. “[C]ounsel’s
stewardship must be judged under the existing law at the time of trial and
counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to predict future
developments or changes in the law.” Commonwealth v. Todaro, 701 A.2d
1343, 1346 (Pa. Super. 1997) (citation omitted). Prior to May 28, 2014,
expert testimony on eyewitness identification was per se inadmissible. See
generally Commonwealth v. Abdul-Salaam, 678 A.2d 342, 352 (Pa.
1996). On May 28, 2014, our Supreme Court issued Walker, holding “that
the admission of expert testimony regarding eyewitness identification is no
longer per se inadmissible in our Commonwealth.” Walker, 92 A.3d at 793.
It is well-settled in this Commonwealth, however, that “in order for a
new rule of law to apply retroactively to a case pending on direct appeal, the
issue had to be preserved at all stages of adjudication up to and including the
direct appeal.” Jones, 811 A.2d at 1005. In Jones, the defendant argued
____________________________________________
7 The Commonwealth mistakenly asserts that Appellant argued that the
“Walker decision constitutes after-discovered evidence.” Commonwealth’s
Brief at 20. Appellant did not raise such an argument.
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that because a particular case was decided while his direct appeal was
pending, the defendant’s counsel was ineffective “for failing to demand relief
in light of the new . . . decision.” Id. at 1004. Our Supreme Court rejected
the defendant’s argument, reasoning that because counsel failed to preserve
the issue “at trial, counsel could not demand retroactive application of the new
rule upon appeal.” Id. at 1005. The Jones Court reiterated that “[c]ounsel
cannot be held ineffective for failing to predict such a new course in the law.”
Id. (citation omitted).
Finally, we review the PCRA court’s denial of funds for an expert for an
abuse of discretion:
The provision of public funds to hire experts to assist in the
defense against criminal charges is a decision vested in the sound
discretion of the court and a denial thereof will not be reversed
absent an abuse of that discretion. At the trial stage, an accused
is entitled to the assistance of experts necessary to prepare a
defense. This [C]ourt has never decided that such an appointment
is required in a PCRA proceeding. We must review the PCRA
court’s exercise of its discretion in the context of the request, that
an expert’s testimony is necessary to establish his entitlement to
relief under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9543(a)(2)(vi), the provision of the PCRA
which deals with claims of innocence based on after-discovered
evidence.
Commonwealth v. Reid, 99 A.3d 470, 505 (Pa. 2014) (citation omitted and
some formatting altered).
Initially, we view Appellant’s trial counsel’s stewardship under the law
that existed at the time of trial, which was that expert testimony on
eyewitness identification was per se inadmissible. See Abdul-Salaam, 678
A.2d at 352; Todaro, 701 A.2d at 1346. Appellant’s trial counsel cannot be
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held ineffective for failing to predict a change in the law. See Jones, 811
A.2d at 1005. Further, in order for Appellant to have Walker apply
retroactively to his case, Appellant’s trial counsel had to have preserved the
issue at trial. See id. As in Jones, Appellant argued that his “case was not
final until after the Walker case was decided and appellate defense counsel
not only could file a motion to remand but was required to in order to be
effective.” Appellant’s Brief at 15; see Jones, 811 A.2d at 1005. Moreover,
Appellant summarily claimed that such expert testimony on eyewitness
identification was exculpatory without identifying which eyewitnesses
testimony would have been affected.
To the extent Appellant claims the trial court erred by denying him funds
for an expert witness, such a claim is not cognizable under the PCRA. See 42
Pa.C.S. § 9543(a)(2). Additionally, Appellant failed to identify where in the
record Appellant’s trial counsel requested funds.8 In any event, even if the
request was made, such expert testimony was per se inadmissible at trial.
See Abdul-Salaam, 678 A.2d at 352. To the extent Appellant argues the
PCRA court erred by denying him funds for an expert, he failed to establish
the testimony would have achieved a different outcome or a more favorable
verdict at trial. See Reid, 99 A.3d at 505. Rather, Appellant baldly argues
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8 The docket, however, reflects Appellant’s request to the PCRA court for funds
to hire a psychologist.
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that the expert testimony was exculpatory without discussing any of the
witnesses at issue. Based on this record, the PCRA court did not abuse its
discretion in denying Appellant’s request for funds. See id.
For his final issue, Appellant argues that trial counsel was ineffective for
failing to object to Officer Santiago’s rebuttal testimony concerning a
conversation that he overheard outside the courtroom during Appellant’s first
trial. At the second trial, Appellant testified in addition to alibi witnesses
Benesario and Jaira Aponte, Benesario’s wife.9 In relevant part, Benesario
testified that he, his wife, and Appellant were with Appellant on the night of
the shooting. N.T. Trial, 9/11/12, at 200-06. Some of the time was spent at
Penn Treaty Park, eating at a fast food restaurant, answering a phone call,
and smoking marijuana. Id. at 200.
In rebuttal, the Commonwealth presented the testimony of Officer
Santiago, who had testified at Appellant’s first trial. N.T. Trial, 9/12/12, at
67. Officer Santiago testified that at Appellant’s first trial, he was standing
outside the courtroom with the other sequestered witnesses when Aponte
exited the courtroom after testifying. Id. at 68. According to Officer Santiago,
he heard a woman that he did not see, speaking in Spanish to a person later
identified as Benesario about “Penn Treaty Park, eating at a fast food place
____________________________________________
9 Because Aponte was unavailable to testify at Appellant’s second trial, her
testimony from the first trial was read into the record.
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and a phone[]call received,” as well as “using marijuana.” Id. at 68-69, 77.
Officer Santiago testified that Benesario responded to the woman by saying in
Spanish, “Should I say that?” or “Should I say that in court?” Id. at 69, 78.10
At Appellant’s second trial, Appellant’s trial counsel did not object to Officer
Santiago’s rebuttal testimony, but counsel cross-examined Officer Santiago
about what he overheard.
In this appeal, Appellant contends that trial counsel was ineffective for
not objecting to Officer Santiago’s rebuttal testimony that “Benesario was
prompted by the woman as to what to testify to as an alibi witness.”
Appellant’s Brief at 26. Specifically, Appellant argues that “the alleged
prompting occurred so far in the past that it would have had no effect on the
testimony of [Benesario] at the second trial.” Id. at 27.
“The admission of evidence is a matter vested within the sound
discretion of the trial court, and such a decision shall be reversed only upon a
showing that the trial court abused its discretion.” Commonwealth v.
Antidormi, 84 A.3d 736, 749 (Pa. Super. 2014) (citations omitted).
[T]he admission of rebuttal testimony is within the sound
discretion of the trial court, and the appropriate scope of rebuttal
evidence is defined by the evidence that it is intended to rebut.
Where the evidence proposed goes to the impeachment of the
testimony of his opponent’s witnesses, it is admissible as a matter
____________________________________________
10Officer Santiago’s attention was then diverted by another officer informing
him that the trial court was breaking for lunch, at which point he saw the
assistant district attorney and notified him of the conversation he overheard.
N.T. Trial, 9/12/12, at 69-70.
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of right. Rebuttal is proper where facts discrediting the
proponent’s witnesses have been offered.
Commonwealth v. Ballard, 80 A.3d 380, 401-02 (Pa. 2013) (citations
omitted and some formatting altered); see also U.S. v. Arias-Santos, 39
F.3d 1070, 1074 (10th Cir. 1994) (“Questions directed at revealing that the
testimony of a witness was coached are clearly relevant to a jury’s assessment
of the reliability of that witness.” (citation omitted)); U.S. v. Carrillo, 16 F.3d
1046, 1050 (9th Cir. 1994) (“Coaching is a proper subject of impeachment in
cross-examination.” (citation omitted)).
Here, the Commonwealth presented Officer Santiago’s rebuttal to
Benesario’s alibi testimony, which the trial court properly admitted as
impeachment. See Ballard, 80 A.3d at 401-02; see also Arias-Santos, 39
F.3d at 1074. Further, Appellant did not cite any legal authority for the
proposition that Officer Santiago’s rebuttal testimony of what he overheard
during the first trial should be excluded from Appellant’s second trial.
Accordingly, Appellant failed to establish the claim has arguable merit and that
trial counsel was ineffective for not objecting to Officer Santiago’s testimony.
See Sandusky, 203 A.3d at 1043-44. For these reasons, because the PCRA
court did not err by dismissing Appellant’s petition and not ordering an
evidentiary hearing, we affirm the order below. See Grayson, 212 A.3d at
1051; Smith, 121 A.3d at 1052.
Order affirmed.
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 2/21/20
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