Com. v. Glantz, M.

J-A14022-22
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT
OF PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
MICHAEL W. GLANTZ
Appellant No. 1677 MDA 2021
Appeal from the PCRA Order Entered October 8, 2021
In the Court of Common Pleas of Mifflin County
Criminal Division at No.: CP-44-CR-0000123-2019
BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., STABILE, J., and STEVENS, P.J.E.*
MEMORANDUM BY STABILE, J.: FILED: SEPTEMBER 14, 2022
Appellant Michael W. Glantz appeals from the October 8, 2021 order of
the of the Court of Common Pleas of Mifflin County (“PCRA court”), which
denied his petition under the Post Conviction Relief Act (“PCRA”), 42 Pa.C.S.A.
§§ 9541-46. Upon review, we vacate and remand.
On February 19, 2019, Trooper Kyle Milliron, Pennsylvania State Police,
charged Appellant with driving under the influence (“DUI”) of alcohol, DUI –
highest rate of alcohol, driving on roadways laned for traffic, and careless
driving.1 On January 21, 2020, Appellant pleaded guilty to DUI, highest rate
of alcohol, second offense, and graded as a first-degree misdemeanor. That
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* Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
1 75 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 3802(a)(1), 3802(c), 3309(1) and 3714(a), respectively.
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day, the trial court imposed a sentence of 15 days’ imprisonment followed by
county intermediate punishment of 35½-months. Instead of filing any post-
sentence motions, Appellant timely appealed, challenging as unconstitutional
the requirement that he submit a DNA sample under the amended DNA
Detection of Sexual and Violent Offenders Act, 44 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 2301-2336.
On March 22, 2021, a panel of court quashed the appeal for want of
jurisdiction because the requirement for a DNA sample was not a part of
Appellant’s judgment of sentence. Commonwealth v. Glantz, 251 A.3d
1254 (Pa. Super. filed March 22, 2021) (unpublished memorandum).
On March 31, 2021, Appellant filed the instant PCRA petition, which he
later amended on May 5, 2021. In his amended petition, Appellant argued
only that this plea counsel rendered ineffective assistance by advising him that
he would not be prohibited from lawfully possessing, selling, purchasing or
controlling a firearm if he were to plead guilty to DUI, highest rate (second
offense). Appellant argued that he relied on advice of counsel to plead guilty
to DUI, highest rate, which carried a maximum penalty of up to five years’
imprisonment. Additionally, Appellant argued that at the time he entered into
the guilty plea, 18 U.S.C.A. § 922(g)(1) provided that it shall be unlawful for
any person “who has been convicted in any court of, a crime punishable by
imprisonment for a term exceeding one year” to possess a firearm.2 Appellant
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2 Section 922(g)(1) provides in pertinent part:
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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claimed that, but for plea counsel’s erroneous advice, he would not have
pleaded guilty to his second DUI offense, highest rate, resulting in the
termination of his Second Amendment rights.
On September 30, 2021, the PCRA court conducted a hearing, at which
Appellant presented the testimony of Attorneys Andrew Carson and Amy
Stoak. Attorney Carson testified that a few days prior the pleading guilty,
Appellant inquired whether the then-proposed guilty plea to DUI, second
offense, would affect his rights to carry firearms. N.T., Hearing, 9/30/21, at
18-19. Attorney Carson recalled that he advised Appellant that pleading guilty
would not trigger a lifetime ban on firearms either under state or federal law.
Id. at 19. With respect to his opinion on federal law, Attorney Carson
principally relied on Holloway v. Sessions, 349 F.Supp.3d 451, 463 (M.D.
Pa. 2018), where the district court concluded that a firearms ban under 18
U.S.C.A. § 922(g)(1), as applied to persons convicted of a second DUI offense,
highest rate, was unconstitutional. Further, Attorney Carson recalled that,
then unbeknownst to him, a few days prior to Appellant’s pleading guilty, the
Third Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s decision in
Holloway, concluding that a guilty plea to a second DUI offense, highest rate,
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It shall be unlawful for any person . . . who has been convicted in
any court of, a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term
exceeding one year . . . to ship or transport in interstate or foreign
commerce, or possess in or affecting commerce, any firearm or
ammunition; or to receive any firearm or ammunition which has
been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
18 U.S.C.A. § 922(g)(1).
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would indeed trigger a lifetime ban. See Holloway v. Att’y Gen. United
States, 948 F.3d 164, 177–78 (3d Cir. 2020), cert. denied sub
nom. Holloway v. Garland, 141 S. Ct. 2511, 209 L. Ed. 2d 546 (2021).3
Id. at 19-21.
Next, Attorney Stoak, who represented Appellant at the January 21,
2020 guilty plea and sentencing hearing because of Attorney Carlon’s
unavailability, testified that she too was unaware of the Third Circuit’s decision
that was issued four days prior to the guilty plea hearing. Id. at 43. Attorney
Stoak testified that, relying on the Holloway case and without the benefit of
knowing it had been overturned by the Third Circuit, she advised Appellant
that he would not face a lifetime prohibition on carrying or possessing firearms
by pleading guilty to DUI, highest rate, and second offense. Id. at 44.
Attorney Stoak specially recalled that she advised Appellant to overlook the
language in guilty plea colloquy warning him that he would lose his Second
Amendment rights by pleading guilty. See id. (“I advised [Appellant] that,
even though the guilty plea does say that, this case says the opposite.”).
Attorney Stoak admitted that she failed to review the caselaw on the day of
sentencing to confirm whether the district court’s decision in Holloway still
was good law—and it was not. Id. Attorney Stoak acknowledged that
Appellant signed the written guilty plea colloquy only because she advised him
that he would not relinquish his Second Amendment rights, even though the
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3The Third Circuit issued its decision on January 17, 2020, four days prior to
Appellant’s January 21, 2020 guilty plea.
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colloquy put Appellant on notice regarding the collateral effects of the guilty
plea relating to firearms. Id. at 45 (Appellant “was signing it on the basis that
I told him.”).
On October 7, 2021, the PCRA court denied Appellant relief. On October
14, 2021, Appellant moved for reconsideration, claiming that erroneous and
misleading advice furnished by counsel and relied upon by him when pleading
guilty constituted ineffective assistance. On November 1, 2021, the PCRA
court granted Appellant’s reconsideration motion and scheduled a hearing
thereon. On December 6, 2021, following a hearing, the PCRA court
reaffirmed its denial of Appellant’s PCRA petition. Appellant timely appealed.
The PCRA court directed Appellant to file a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement of
errors complained of on appeal. Appellant complied, asserting ineffectiveness
claims. In response, the PCRA court issued a Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a) statement.
On appeal, Appellant presents three issues for our review.
[I.] Whether the PCRA court erred in finding that prior counsel was
not ineffective.
[II.] Whether the PCRA court erred in denying Appellant’s PCRA
petition.
[III.] Whether the PCRA court erred in finding Appellant’s
sentence should not be vacated due to ineffective assistance of
counsel.
Appellant’s Brief at 8 (unnecessary capitalizations omitted).
“On appeal from the denial of PCRA relief, our standard of review
requires us to determine whether the ruling of the PCRA court is supported by
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the record and free of legal error.” Commonwealth v. Widgins, 29 A.3d
816, 819 (Pa. Super. 2011). As this Court has explained:
We review an order dismissing a petition under the PCRA in the
light most favorable to the prevailing party at the PCRA level. This
review is limited to the findings of the PCRA court and the evidence
of record. We will not disturb a PCRA court’s ruling if it is
supported by evidence of record and is free of legal error. This
Court may affirm a PCRA court’s decision on any grounds if the
record supports it. Further, we grant great deference to the
factual findings of the PCRA court and will not disturb those
findings unless they have no support in the record. However, we
afford no such deference to its legal conclusions. Where the
petitioner raises questions of law, our standard of review is de
novo and our scope of review plenary.
Commonwealth v. Ford, 44 A.3d 1190, 1194 (Pa. Super. 2012) (citations
omitted).
When a petitioner asserts an ineffectiveness claim, he is entitled to relief
if he pleads and proves that prior counsel rendered ineffective assistance of
counsel. 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 9543(a)(2)(ii). “To prevail on an [ineffectiveness]
claim, a PCRA petitioner must plead and prove by a preponderance of the
evidence that (1) the underlying legal claim has arguable merit; (2) counsel
had no reasonable basis for acting or failing to act; and (3) the petitioner
suffered resulting prejudice.” Commonwealth v. Reyes-Rodriguez, 111
A.3d 775, 780 (Pa. Super. 2015) (en banc) (citing Commonwealth v.
Pierce, 527 A.2d 973 (Pa. 1987)).
As to what constitutes “reasonable basis,” “[t]he test for deciding
whether counsel had a reasonable basis for his action or inaction is whether
no competent counsel would have chosen that action or inaction, or, in the
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alternative, not chosen, offered a significantly greater potential chance of
success.” Commonwealth v. Stewart, 84 A.3d 701, 707 (Pa. Super. 2013)
(citation omitted), appeal denied, 93 A.3d 463 (Pa. 2014). As such,
“[c]ounsel’s decisions will be considered reasonable if they effectuated his
client’s interest.” Id. (citation omitted). “Prejudice means that, absent
counsel’s conduct, there is a reasonable probability the outcome of the
proceedings would have been different.” Commonwealth v. Cox, 983 A.2d
666, 678 (Pa. 2009). “A petitioner must prove all three factors of the “Pierce
test,” or the claim fails.” Reyes-Rodriguez, 111 A.3d at 780. Put differently,
“[t]he burden of proving ineffectiveness rests with Appellant.”
Commonwealth v. Chmiel, 889 A.2d 501, 540 (Pa. 2005).
“[A] criminal defendant’s right to effective counsel extends to the plea
process, as well as during trial.” Commonwealth v. Wah, 42 A.3d 335, 338
(Pa. Super. 2012) (citations omitted). Thus, “[i]n the context of a plea, a
claim of ineffectiveness may provide relief only if the alleged ineffectiveness
caused an involuntary or unknowing plea.” Commonwealth v. Orlando, 156
A.3d 1274, 1281 (Pa. Super. 2017) (citations omitted). “Where the defendant
enters his plea on the advice of counsel, the voluntariness of the plea depends
on whether counsel’s advice was within the range of competence demanded
of attorneys in criminal cases.” Wah, 42 A.3d at 338-39 (citations omitted);
see Commonwealth v. Johnson, 875 A.2d 328, 331 (Pa. Super. 2005)
(explaining that when asserting a claim of ineffectiveness of counsel in the
context of a guilty plea, a defendant must show that plea counsel’s
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ineffectiveness induced him to enter the plea), appeal denied, 892 A.2d 822(Pa. 2015). To be valid, a plea must be voluntary, knowing, and intelligent.
Commonwealth v. Persinger, 615 A.2d 1305, 1307 (Pa. 1992). In other
words, “[t]he law does not require that [the defendant] be pleased with the
outcome of his decision to enter a plea of guilty: All that is required is that
[his] decision to plead guilty be knowingly, voluntarily and intelligently made.”
Commonwealth v. Yager, 685 A.2d 1000, 1004 (Pa. Super. 1996) (en banc)
(citations and internal quotation marks omitted). “[T]o establish prejudice,
the defendant must show that there is a reasonable probability that, but for
counsel’s errors, he would not have pleaded guilty and would have insisted on
going to trial.” Commonwealth v. Brandt, 74 A.3d 185, 192 (Pa. Super.
2013) (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). This is not a stringent
requirement. Id. The reasonable probability test refers to “a probability
sufficient to undermine confidence in the outcome.” Id. (citations omitted).
Finally, this Court has held that a defendant “is bound by the statements he
makes in open court while under oath and he may not later . . . contradict the
statements he made[.]” Commonwealth v. Hopkins, 228 A.3d 577, 583
(Pa. Super. 2020).
Here, at the core, Appellant challenges only the validity of his guilty
plea. According to Appellant, his plea was unknowing, involuntary or
unintelligent because of counsels’ ineffectiveness. Specifically, he claims that
his attorneys collectively and individually affirmatively misrepresented the
collateral consequences relating to firearms by repeatedly reassuring him that
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he would not lose his Second Amendment rights as a result of pleading guilty
to a second DUI offense, highest rate, and graded as a first-degree
misdemeanor.
We, time and again, have afforded relief to a PCRA petitioner when
counsel has affirmatively misled his client. See Commonwealth v. Nieves,
746 A.2d 1102, 1104-05 (Pa. 2000) (legal advice that is contrary to applicable
law constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel). In Brandt, a defendant
faced revocation of his parole because he received new charges. Barndt, 74
A.3d at 188. Following negotiations with the Commonwealth, counsel assured
the appellant that he would receive a parole setback of no more than eleven
months. Id. This assurance from counsel induced the appellant’s plea. Id.
Upon revoking the appellant’s parole, however, the Parole Board ordered the
appellant to serve approximately forty-one months in prison. Id. at 189.
Thereafter, the appellant sought collateral relief through the PCRA, asserting
ineffective assistance of plea counsel. Id. at 189-90.
The PCRA court denied relief. Id. at 190-91. It determined that the
appellant knew he faced a parole violation and, further, that his ultimate
setback was outside the control of the sentencing court. Id. at 195.
Therefore, according to the PCRA court, the unanticipated severity of the
Parole Board’s decision provided no grounds for relief. Id.
On appeal, we reversed. In so doing, we observed that the appellant’s
claim “[was] not couched in terms of counsel’s omission. Rather, [the
appellant] argue[d] that plea counsel affirmatively misled [him].” Id. at
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196 (emphasis in original). Under such circumstances, we held that counsel’s
assistance is “constitutionally ineffective when counsel misapprehends the
consequences of a given plea and misleads his client accordingly about those
consequences, without regard to whether the consequences in question are
direct or collateral. Id. (quotation marks omitted). Thus, we reasoned that
counsel bears an obligation to “render only accurate advice to his client about
whatever collateral consequences of a guilty plea he chooses to address.” Id.
at 201 (emphasis in the original); see also, e.g., Commonwealth v.
Rathfon, 899 A.2d 365, 370-71 (Pa. Super. 2006) (affirming the lower court’s
determination that counsel was ineffective where counsel erroneously advised
that defendant’s plea ensured that he would serve sentence in county prison);
Commonwealth v. Hickman, 799 A.2d 136, 141 (Pa. Super. 2002) (holding
counsel ineffective and permitting petitioner to withdraw plea where counsel
erroneously had assured petitioner that he would be eligible for early release
into boot camp).
Here, based upon our review of the record, as detailed earlier, it is clear
that Appellant pleaded and proved all prongs of the Pierce test. His attorneys
conceded at the PCRA hearing that they were aware of Appellant’s desire to
retain his Second Amendment rights. Yet, despite this knowledge, they
admitted that they provided wrong and unqualified legal advice to Appellant
and, on the basis of that erroneous advice, Appellant entered into the guilty
plea. His attorneys further admitted under oath that they failed to confirm
the accuracy of the Holloway decision that was overruled by the Third Circuit
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Court of Appeals a mere four days prior to Appellant’s pleading guilty.
According to Attorney Stoak, had she reviewed the Holloway decision on the
day of the guilty plea, she would have observed that it no longer was good
law and that, as a result, Appellant’s Second Amendment rights would be
extinguished upon his pleading guilty to a second DUI offense, highest rate,
and graded as a first-degree misdemeanor. Moreover, Appellant’s attorneys
admitted that not only did they affirmatively furnish erroneous advice to
Appellant, but that they asked him to disregard any contrary terms in the
guilty plea colloquy. For example, Attorney Stoak testified that she advised
Appellant to overlook language in the guilty plea colloquy warning him that he
would lose his Second Amendment rights. Attorney Stoak’s advice thus was
not simply erroneous, but also in direct conflict with Appellant’s expressed
interest in wanting to retain his Second Amendment rights. It therefore is
beyond cavil that Appellant would not have pleaded guilty had he been advised
accurately of the collateral consequences of the plea, especially those relating
to his Second Amendment rights. Consistent with Brandt, Rathfon, and
Hickman, supra, because Appellant’s attorneys affirmatively misled him by
rendering unqualified and erroneous advice, upon which he relied in pleading
guilty, we cannot conclude that his guilty plea was knowing, voluntary and
intelligent. Accordingly, the PCRA court erred in denying Appellant’s petition.
Order Vacated. Case remanded for further proceedings. Jurisdiction
relinquished.
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 09/14/2022
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