Com. v. Werner, G. ( 2023 )

J-S18003-23
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
: PENNSYLVANIA
:
v. :
:
:
GLEN WERNER :
:
Appellant : No. 2680 EDA 2022
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence Entered October 14, 2022
In the Court of Common Pleas of Carbon County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-13-MD-0000407-2021
BEFORE: PANELLA, P.J., DUBOW, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*
MEMORANDUM BY PANELLA, P.J.: FILED AUGUST 29, 2023
Glen Werner appeals the judgment of sentence entered by the Carbon
County Court of Common Pleas on October 14, 2022. Werner claims the trial
court erred in finding the probation office timely filed the Petition to Revoke
Probation after he had already served over 180 days of the six-month
sentence. We find Werner’s claim without merit and hereby affirm.
For purposes of this appeal, the facts are not contested. On October 22,
2021, the trial court entered a three-year protection from abuse order against
Werner which prohibited him from contacting a woman who claimed he was
harassing her. See Order of Court, 12/10/2021, pg. 1. A month later, Werner
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* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
J-S18003-23
was charged with violating the PFA order by continuing to harass, threaten,
and track the woman.
On December 10, 2021, the trial court found Werner guilty of indirect
criminal contempt and sentenced him to serve six months’ probation. See Id.
On June 9, 2022, the Probation Office filed a Petition to Revoke Defendant’s
Probation alleging Werner had failed to obtain the mental health evaluation as
required by the probation order. See Petition for Revocation of Parole,
06/09/2022, pg 1. On June 14, 2022, the petition was amended to include
other probation violations including contacting the woman protected by the
PFA order. See Order of Court, 06/14/2022, at 1. On October 14, 2022,
Werner was found guilty of violating probation and sentenced to serve three
to six months’ incarceration. See Order of Court, 10/14/2022, at 1.
On appeal, Werner argues the motion to revoke probation was untimely
because it was filed after he had already served over 180 days of his six-
month probation sentence.1 Generally, a petition to revoke a defendant’s
probation or parole must be filed before the defendant has completed his
sentence. See Commonwealth v. Smith, 860 A.2d 142, 145 (Pa. Super.
2004).
In his brief, Werner argues “the proper calculation to ascertain whether
or not the Defendant had actually finished serving such sentence is the
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1 Werner abandoned any other claim raised in his concise statement pursuant
to Pa.R.A.P. 1925 by not pursuing it in his appellate brief.
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counting of the number of days from imposition of sentence to when
revocation of probation was sought.” Appellant’s Brief, 03/24/2023, pg. 12-
11. He further claims, “a sub-question exists as to what is actually meant by
the word ‘day’.” Id. at 11.
While Werner’s statement of the proper calculation is correct, it does not
lead to the conclusion he desires. Properly re-stated, Werner’s claim boils
down to his belief that using the word “month” is equivalent to saying “30
days.” We disagree.
Werner’s claim asks us to interpret the trial courts judgment of
sentence. This claim raises a question of law, therefore we review the trial
court’s decision de novo. See Commonwealth v. Borrin, 80 A.3d 1219, 1225
(Pa. 2013).
The parties and the trial court cite to various maxims of statutory
construction; however, we conclude this issue is best expressed in simpler
terms. What matters in interpreting a court order, such as a judgment of
sentence, is the intent of the court as expressed in the language of the order.
See Commonwealth v. Kremer, 206 A.3d 543, 548 (Pa. Super. 2019)
(recognizing a presumption that the written sentencing order represents what
the sentencing judge intended). To that end, when a court order utilizes the
word “month” instead of “day” or “year,” it intends to use calendar months as
the measuring unit. And the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has explained the
meaning of a calendar month:
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A calendar month is not one of any given number of days
throughout the entire year, but varies in length according to the
Gregorian calendar. A calendar month beginning in February,
except in a leap year, is of 28 days duration; one beginning in
April, June, September, or November is of 30 days, and one
beginning in either of the other seven months, of 31 days.
In re Gregg's Est., 62 A. 856 (Pa. 1906).
Accordingly, the court did not sentence Werner to 180 days of probation.
Rather, the court sentenced Werner to six calendar months of probation. Six
calendar months from December 10, 2021, was June 10, 2022. To convert
that sentence into days requires reference to the calendar months involved.2
The probation department’s petition to revoke, filed on June 9, 2022,
was therefore timely. Werner’s claim that his sentence had already ended is
incorrect. We therefore affirm the judgment of sentence.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 8/29/2023
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2 Here, the court imposed sentence on December 10, 2021. Six months from
that date would be June 10, 2022. To determine the number of days in the
sentence would require summing up the following amounts: 21 days
remaining in December, 31 days in January, 28 days in February, 31 days in
March, 30 days in April, 31 days in May, and 10 days in June, for a total of
182 days.
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