Opinion

Com. v. Ivy, G.

Court
Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Filed
Jan 31, 2018
Status
Unpublished
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 4.2%

“The statutory joinder requirement [is] inapplicable where, as here, the offense first prosecuted was a summary one.”

How later courts described this case

  • “The statutory joinder requirement [is] inapplicable where, as here, the offense first prosecuted was a summary one.”

Written by the judges who cited it.

The opinion

J-S78033-17

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION – SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

: PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee :

:

v. :

:

GLAVIN JUSTAN IVY, :

:

Appellant : No. 852 WDA 2017

Appeal from the Order May 9, 2017

in the Court of Common Pleas of Mercer County,

Criminal Division, at No(s): CP-43-CR-0001513-2016

BEFORE: OLSON, DUBOW, and STRASSBURGER,* JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY STRASSBURGER, J.: FILED JANUARY 31, 2018

Glavin Justan Ivy (Appellant) appeals from the May 9, 2017 order

which denied his motion to dismiss based upon double jeopardy and/or

compulsory joinder. Upon review, we affirm.

On May 9, 2014, Appellant was charged by the Hermitage Police

Department at CP-43-CR-0000825-2014 (Case 825) with stalking and

harassment, related to an incident involving Appellant’s ex-girlfriend, C.D.1

Trial Court Opinion, 5/9/2017, at 1. Specifically, the affidavit of probable

cause alleged that Appellant had called C.D’s place of employment

approximately 50 times. Id.

1

The Commonwealth later withdrew the stalking charge.

*Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.

J-S78033-17

That same day, the Southwest Mercer County Regional Police

Department charged Appellant at CP-43-CR-0000855-2014 (Case 855) with

two counts of simple assault and one count of terroristic threats. Id. at 2.

These charges stemmed from incidents involving Appellant and C.D. from

March to May of 2014. Id.

On October 14, 2014, Appellant appeared for a pre-trial conference.

That day, Appellant entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of summary

harassment at Case 825. Id. at 3. After conducting and accepting

Appellant’s colloquy, Appellant was sentenced to 45 to 90 days’

incarceration, plus costs and fines. N.T., 10/14/2014, at 12.

Simultaneously, the trial court, upon the Commonwealth’s motion, nol

prossed the charges at Case 855. Id. Pertinent to this appeal, at the guilty

plea and sentencing, the following exchange between the Commonwealth,

defense counsel, Appellant, and the court occurred on the record:

Defense Counsel: [Appellant]. He will plead to summary

harassment at [Case 825]. The Commonwealth will be

recommending time served. He’s already done more than 90

days, summary harassment, so plea and sentence.

The Trial Court: At [Case 855]?

Defense Counsel: That’s the nol-pros one.

The Trial Court: Is that your understanding, [Commonwealth]?

The Commonwealth: Yes, Your Honor.

***

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The Trial Court: AND NOW, this 14th day of October 2014,

[Appellant] having appeared before th[e trial court] with his

counsel, and have voluntarily, knowingly, and intelligently

entered a plea of guilty to the offense of harassment, under 18

Pa.C.S. § 2709(a)(3), a summary offense, said plea is accepted.

There are no other plea bargains in this case.

***

The Trial Court: Do you have any questions?

Appellant: The other case is settled, [Case 855]?

Defense Counsel: Yes, it’s nol-prossed.

The Trial Court: Well, no I haven’t even nol-prossed it. The

matter, at [Case 855], upon motion of the Commonwealth, this

case is hereby nol-prossed. By the [c]ourt. Line for signature.

Now it’s nol-prossed.

N.T., 10/14/2014 at 7, 11-12.

Subsequent to Appellant’s guilty plea and sentencing, on November 4,

2016, the Commonwealth filed a 49 count information at CP-43-CR-

0001513-2016 (Case 1513) based upon a criminal complaint filed by the

Mercer County Detective Unit. Trial Court Opinion, 5/9/2017, at 9. The

information alleged Appellant perpetrated various crimes against C.D.,

including rape, aggravated assault, indecent assault, and kidnapping, which

“occurred at various times between March 9, 2014 and May 9, 2014.” Id. at

9-10.

On December 5, 2016, Appellant filed an omnibus pre-trial motion for

relief, requesting, inter alia, that the charges filed at Case 1513 be

dismissed with prejudice on double jeopardy and compulsory joinder

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grounds. Defendant’s Omnibus Pre-Trial Motion for Relief, 12/5/2016, at 7.

Specifically, Appellant argued that the charges at Case 855 were nol prossed

“with prejudice as a material term for the consummation of a guilty plea

bargain [with Case 825] for which the Commonwealth received a tangible

benefit and consideration and therefore constitutes a final judgment of

[c]ourt[,]” and thus jeopardy attaches. Id. Furthermore, according to

Appellant, the rule of compulsory joinder applies because the charges at

Case 1513 are “for the same offense as those finally determined and

adjudicated by final judgment court” at Cases 825 and 855. Id. at 8.

Following a hearing on the record, the trial court issued an order

denying Appellant’s motion. This appeal followed.2 On appeal, Appellant

challenges the trial court’s denial of his motion. Appellant’s Brief at 5.

Before addressing the merits of the issue raised by Appellant, we must

first determine if we have jurisdiction over this appeal. “Jurisdictional

questions are non-waivable and not only may be raised by [this Court] sua

sponte … but must be.” Commonwealth v. Boerner, 422 A.2d 583, 588

(Pa. Super. 1980) (citations omitted).

This Court has previously interpreted Pa.R.C.P. 587(B), which governs

double jeopardy motions, and the implications it has on our jurisdiction.

To establish whether a motion to dismiss on double jeopardy

grounds qualifies as a collateral order, trial courts must now,

2

Both Appellant and the trial court complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.

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inter alia, satisfy Rule 587(B)(3), (4), (5), and (6). Subsection

(B)(3) requires the trial court, following a hearing, to enter on

the record a statement of findings of fact and conclusions of law

and its disposition of the double jeopardy motion. Subsection

(B)(4) requires the trial court to render a specific finding on

frivolousness in the event the court denies the double jeopardy

motion. Subsection (B)(5) requires the trial court, if it finds

frivolous the double jeopardy motion, to inform on the record a

defendant of his or her right to petition for review under

Pa.R.A.P. 1573 within 30 days of the order denying the motion.

Subsection (B)(6) requires the court to advise a defendant of his

immediate right to a collateral appeal if the court does not find

the double jeopardy motion to be frivolous.

Commonwealth v. Taylor, 120 A.3d 1017, 1022–23 (Pa. Super. 2015)

(footnotes omitted).

The record reveals the following: (1) Appellant’s motion specified the

basis and reasons to support his claim that the Commonwealth should be

barred from prosecuting the charges at Case 1513 on double jeopardy

grounds; (2) a hearing on Appellant’s motion was conducted by the trial

court on the record; (3) following the hearing, the court made a specific

finding that the motion was not frivolous; and (4) within the trial court’s

subsequent order denying Appellant’s motion, the court reiterated its finding

that the motion was not frivolous and advised Appellant that the order

denying the motion was immediately appealable as a collateral order. Based

upon the foregoing, we conclude the trial court has satisfied the mandates

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necessary to implicate our jurisdiction, and therefore, we find this case is

ripe for our review.3

We consider the merits of Appellant’s first claim mindful of the

following. “An appeal grounded in double jeopardy raises a question of

constitutional law. This [C]ourt’s scope of review in making a determination

on a question of law is, as always, plenary. As with all questions of law, the

appellate standard of review is de novo….” Commonwealth v. Vargas, 947

A.2d 777, 780 (Pa. Super. 2008) (citations and quotations omitted).

The Double Jeopardy Clause of the Fifth Amendment to the

United States Constitution protects an individual against

successive punishments and successive prosecutions for the

same criminal offense. [A]t the heart of double jeopardy

jurisprudence is the requirement that an individual demonstrate

… he … has been subjected to the risk of a trial on the merits. In

Pennsylvania, jeopardy does not attach and the constitutional

prohibition against double jeopardy has no application until a

defendant stands before a tribunal where guilt or innocence will

be determined.

Id. at 780-81 (citations and quotations omitted).

A nolle prosequi is a voluntary withdrawal by a prosecuting

attorney of proceedings on a particular criminal bill or

information, which at anytime in the future can be lifted upon

appropriate motion in order to permit a revival of the original

criminal bill or information. Since a nolle prosequi acts neither

as an acquittal nor a conviction, double jeopardy does not attach

to the original criminal bill or information.

3 “A [m]otion to [d]ismiss on the basis of the compulsory joinder rule of [18

Pa.C.S] § 110 embodies the same constitutional protections underlying the

double jeopardy clause justifying interlocutory appeal of such claims.”

Commonwealth v. Anthony, 717 A.2d 1015, 1017 (Pa. 1998).

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In order for [an] appellant’s position [that the

Commonwealth is barred from reinstituting charges that were

previously nol prossed] to have merit, [the] appellant must

prove that there was an actual representation by the

Commonwealth or that there was a representation made by the

Commonwealth which led [the] appellant to reasonably believe

that his guilty plea agreement included an agreement by the

Commonwealth to nol pros the charges in the first complaint as

a condition of the guilty plea.

Commonwealth v. Ahearn, 670 A.2d 133, 135–36 (Pa. 1996) (citations

omitted).

In its opinion authored in support of its decision to deny Appellant’s

motion, the trial court aptly summarized the positions of both parties as well

as the court’s ultimate findings and conclusions.

The defense argues that for purposes of the double

jeopardy clauses of the federal and state constitutions and the

compulsory joinder statute found at 18 Pa.C.S.[] §110(1)(ii)

jeopardy attaches when a defendant enters a guilty plea to a

criminal offense which is accepted by the court of record and

then sentenced by that court. [Appellant] further argues that

the [trial c]ourt’s acceptance on October 14, 2014 of a plea of

guilty to a criminal offense at [Case 825] and the concurrent nol

pros of the charges at [Case 855] by the same court in the same

judicial proceeding on the same date “provides that jeopardy

also attached to the criminal offenses charged at [Case 855].”

Defense argues that it is “clear and unequivocal” that the

court accepted the dismissal of the charges at [Case 855]

because of the court’s acceptance of the guilty plea at [Case

825] and that the Commonwealth “clearly” conditioned the

dismissal of the charges at [Case 855] upon [Appellant] first

entering a guilty plea to the offense at [Case 825].

The defense argument continues that the defense,

Commonwealth, and [the trial c]ourt all concurred that

prosecutions at both [Case 855] and at [Case 825] were to be

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“fully, finally, completely, and absolutely terminated and closed.”

[Appellant] was to be discharged on both prosecutions with

jeopardy attaching at both terms and numbers.

The defense argues further that the criminal charges at

[Case 855] of simple assault and terroristic threats consisted of

a course of conduct and a criminal episode alleged to have

occurred [at Case 1513] against the victim C.D. and the charges

were based on [C.D.’s] handwritten, voluntary statement made

by C.D. to Southwest Mercer County Regional Police Department

on May 9, 2014, detailing the physical violence, threats, and

forcible confinement committed against her by the defendant.

Thus, [Appellant’s] argument asserts, that pursuant to 18

Pa.C.S.[] §110(1)(ii)[,] a subsequent prosecution for any offense

based on the same course of conduct or arising from the same

criminal episode as a prior prosecution are also barred even if

the subsequent prosecution is for different crimes if those

different crimes in the subsequent prosecution were known to

the appropriate prosecute[ing] officer at the time when jeopardy

attached.

The defense argument continues that any of the crimes

relating to the physical assaults, threats, and forcible

confinement of [C.D] arise from the same criminal episode that

led to the simple assault and terroristic threat charges at [Case

855] and, therefore, jeopardy attached to all of the non-sexual

offenses. With regard to the sexual offenses, the defense argues

that because the police and the district attorney’s office knew

that C.D. claimed that [Appellant] had physically assaulted her,

threatened her, and forcibly confined her that they should have

been alerted that an unlawful sexual assault was present and

because the authorities should have known of the sexual

offenses or that the sexual offenses were “knowable,”

prosecution on the sexual charges is barred as well.

The Commonwealth’s position is that none of the charges

[is] barred. The Commonwealth argues that the nol pros of the

charges at [Case 855] was not part of a quid pro quo for the

plea at [Case 825], to summary harassment.

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The Commonwealth also argues that a nol pros is not a

final judgement as argued by the defense in that charges that

are nol prossed are neither an acquittal nor a conviction and,

therefore, jeopardy does not attach and the nol pros can be

lifted. The Commonwealth argues alternatively that the sex

offenses were not known to the Commonwealth and, therefore,

are not subject to double jeopardy or compulsory joinder

dismissal.

***

The [trial c]ourt has thoroughly reviewed the record. It is

clear to the [trial c]ourt that both [Appellant] and the

Commonwealth wanted to resolve both cases on October 14,

2014 when the parties appeared before Judge Wallace at the

criminal pre-trial conference and, in fact, did so resolve them.

This does not mean, however, that the cases were part of one

plea bargain nor that the nol pros at [Case 855] was an

inducement for the plea at [Case 825]. It is also clear that there

was no written plea agreement nor was there ever a motion to

consolidate the two cases.

The plea colloquy conducted by Judge Wallace does not

indicate that the cases were packaged together or co-dependent.

The colloquy supports the Commonwealth’s contention that there

were two separate matters. After defense counsel informed the

[trial c]ourt of the proposed plea to the summary harassment at

[Case 825] the [c]ourt asked about the case at [Case 855].

Defense counsel does not inform the [c]ourt that the nol pros at

[Case 855] is part of the deal at [Case 825]. Defense counsel

simply informs the [c]ourt that the charges at [Case 855] are to

be nol prossed. After a brief colloquy[,] the [trial c]ourt accepted

the plea to summary harassment and stated[:] “There are no

other plea bargains in this case.” The [trial c]ourt then

sentenced [Appellant] on the summary harassment offense and

noted that [Appellant] had served his maximum sentence and

was therefore released. Thereafter, [Appellant] himself asked if

[Case 855] was settled. In response, the [c]ourt entered the

order nol prossing the charges at [Case 855] and again there is

no mention that the nol pros was part of the plea deal at 825

Criminal 2014.

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***

Here, although two cases were resolved the same day at

the same time by the same [c]ourt there is no clear indication

that they were part of the same plea agreement. The assistant

district attorney has denied they were part of the same

agreement and testified he considered them as two cases and

that in [Case 855], which was nol prossed, the witness was

reluctant to testify whereas to the charge at [Case 825] the

Commonwealth had a witness other than the victim. The [c]ourt

finds the assistant district attorney[’s] testimony to be credible.

There was no written plea agreement nor any specific mention in

the colloquy of the necessary quid pro quo between the cases.

The [c]ourt notes that there was a quid pro quo in that the

harassment charge at [Case 825] was a misdemeanor of the

third degree but was reduced to a summary violation. Most

telling, after accepting the plea at [Case 825], the trial court

clearly stated that there were no other plea bargains in that

case.

Th[e trial c]ourt has faced the situation many times where

the parties have reached an agreement in two separate cases

that are not codependent or part of the same plea agreement

and the [c]ourt enters separate orders at both terms and

numbers. On the other hand, this [c]ourt has also been faced

with the situation many times where the Commonwealth and the

defendant have reached a plea agreement on more than one

case where they are part of the plea agreement and the [c]ourt

clearly notes that in the plea order. Relying on Judge Wallace’s

clear statement of no other plea bargains at [Case 825], th[e

trial court] concludes there was no plea agreement at [Case

825] which included the charges at [Case 855]. This was a

situation where two separate cases were disposed of separately

albeit at the same time.

Trial Court Opinion, 5/9/2017, at 12-20.

On appeal, Appellant summarized his argument as follows.

[A]ppellant’s constitutional right against double jeopardy

and compulsory joinder was violated when the [C]ommonwealth

reinstated the charges at [Case 855] because [Case 855] was

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part of the same plea agreement as [Case 825]. Both cases

were dealt with at the same time and place. [Case 855] was nol

prossed only after [Appellant] entered a plea at [Case 825].

Thus, the nol pros of [Case 855] was part of the plea agreement

between the [C]ommonwealth and the defense.

Since [Case 855] was part of the plea, the charges in the

current case should be dismissed for violating [Appellant’s]

constitutional right against double jeopardy and compulsory

joinder. The current charges occur in the same time period

against the same victim as the charges at [Case 855]. This is the

same criminal episode happening in the identical time period.

Appellant’s Brief at 7. As evidence of interrelation between Case 825 and

Case 855, Appellant cites the trial court’s “finding that defense counsel was

sincere in his belief that the agreement was for both cases to be resolved.”

Id. at 9. Appellant contends the court’s finding of sincerity, along with the

fact that “both cases were [dealt] with at the same time and same place[,]”

and that Case 855 “was nol prossed only after [Appellant] entered a plea” at

Case 825 supports his argument that the Commonwealth is barred from

prosecuting Case 1513. Id. at 13.

In determining Appellant was not entitled to relief, the trial court cited

Ahearn, in support of its decision. Id. at 19. We agree with the trial court

that “[t]he present case is very similar to [Ahearn].” Id. In fact, upon

review, we find Ahearn materially indistinguishable.

In Ahearn, the Commonwealth filed and the trial court granted the

Commonwealth’s motion to nol pros charges against Ahearn because “the

Commonwealth’s case against [Ahearn as to this first complaint] lack[ed]

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evidence sufficient to sustain the Commonwealth’s burden of proof.” 670

A.2d at 134 (internal quotation marks omitted). That same day, Ahearn

“appeared before the same trial court to enter a guilty plea to the loitering

and prowling at nighttime charges set forth in the second complaint.” Id.

After Ahearn’s plea and sentencing, “the Commonwealth reinstated the

charges in the first complaint that it had earlier decided to nol pros.” Id.

Based upon the foregoing, Ahearn “filed a motion to dismiss the reinstated

charges alleging that they should be dismissed because his guilty plea to the

charges in the second complaint included an agreement that the

Commonwealth would nol pros the charges in the first complaint.” Id.

A hearing was held on Ahearn’s motion, wherein the

only evidence [Ahearn] presented at this hearing to support his

claim that the plea agreement was intended to cover the charges

raised in the first complaint was this exchange during the plea

colloquy:

Mr. Fink ([Ahearn’s] counsel): Your Honor, there

was a collateral charge, and I don’t know whether

it's appropriate to encumber the record, there was

an understanding which was a corollary to this plea

as it relates to the charge filed at No. ---

The Court: Is that related to the case we nolle

prossed this morning?

Ms. Fletcher (assistant district attorney): Yes, we

did file requesting that No. 27 of 1991 be nolle

prossed.

Mr. Fink: That’s the case. Thank you your Honor.

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The Court: That has been done.

The trial court, however, found that neither the motion to

nol pros the first complaint, the written guilty plea agreement

itself, nor the [oral] plea colloquy contained any representation

that the plea agreement to the charges raised in the second

complaint was done because of the alleged arrangement with the

Commonwealth that the charges in the first complaint would be

nolle prossed. Thus, the trial court denied [Ahearn’s] motion to

dismiss.

Id. at 134–35 (footnote omitted). Thereafter, the charges were reinstated

and following a jury trial, Ahearn was found guilty and was sentenced

accordingly. Id. at 135. Ahearn appealed to this Court, arguing that the

Commonwealth should have been barred from prosecuting the formerly nol

prossed charges. Id. This Court “denied [Ahearn’s] appeal finding that

there was nothing in the record to support [Ahearn’s] claim that the plea

agreement encompassed any agreement by the Commonwealth to nol pros

the charges in the first complaint.” Id.

Our Supreme Court granted allocatur and upon review, affirmed this

Court’s holding that Ahearn was not entitled to relief. In concluding as such,

our Supreme Court noted that the record

fail[ed] to provide the needed evidence. The Commonwealth’s

motion to nol pros the charges included in the first complaint

explicitly stated that the Commonwealth was undertaking this

action because it had insufficient evidence at that time to sustain

its burden of proof. Nowhere in the motion or on record does it

state that the nol pros was being sought in conjunction with a

plea agreement to the other charges. Also, per the trial court,

the written plea agreement which [Ahearn] admitted to reading,

signing and understanding, failed to state that the nol pros of

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the charges in the first complaint was in any manner an

inducement or part or condition of the plea agreement.

Similarly, the guilty plea colloquy fails to establish an

interrelationship between the two cases. [Ahearn] points to the

above described [oral] plea colloquy where a vague reference

was made by [Ahearn’s] defense counsel to a “collateral charge”

and to an “understanding which was a corollary to this plea” to

establish the interrelationship to these two cases. Under such a

slender thread does [Ahearn] hang his hope of acquittal on these

charges. However, at the hearing on [Ahearn’s] motion to

dismiss the reinstated charges relating to the first complaint, the

Potter County assistant district attorney involved in both the

guilty plea agreement and the nol pros motion vehemently

denied that there was any type of “package plan” in order to

induce [Ahearn] to plead guilty to the charges contained in the

second complaint. The assistant district attorney also stated that

she consistently rejected any overtures made by [Ahearn] to

persuade the Commonwealth to agree to such a deal. The trial

court found this uncontroverted testimony to be credible and we

will not disturb that finding. See Commonwealth v. Jackson,

[485 A.2d 1102 (Pa. 1984)] (a determination of the credibility of

witnesses is within the sole province of the trier of fact). Thus,

[Ahearn] fails to carry his burden to establish how he could have

reasonably understood the existence of an interrelationship

between the guilty plea agreement and the entry of the nolle

prosequi.

Ahearn, 670 A.2d at 136.

As in Ahearn, the trial court in this case credited the testimony of the

Commonwealth that the charges in Case 855 were nol prossed because the

only witness, C.D., was reluctant to testify. N.T., 3/8/2017, at 57.

Furthermore, the court found there was: (1) no written plea agreement; (2)

no mention during the colloquy of the nol prossed charges being connected

to the guilty plea; and (3) a specific mention by the plea court that there

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were no other plea bargains in the case. Trial Court Opinion, 5/9/2017, at

19-20.

On appeal, Appellant does not point to any evidence that there was an

“actual representation by the Commonwealth or that there was

representation made by the Commonwealth” which led Appellant reasonably

to believe the nol prossed charges were related to his guilty plea. Instead,

Appellant attempts to rebut the trial court’s findings based upon the fact

that: (1) Case 855 and Case 825 were dealt with at the same time and place

(as opposed to Ahearn where the guilty plea took place later in the day

after the charges in the first case were nol prossed); (2) the charges were

nol prossed only after Appellant pled guilty at Case 825; (3) the trial court

found defense counsel was “sincere” in his beliefs that the cases were

related; and (4) at the guilty plea, in response to Appellant asking if Case

855 was “settled,” counsel, on the record, stated “yes, it’s nol prossed.”

Appellant’s Brief at 7; N.T., 3/8/2017, at 36-37. See also N.T., 5/24/2016

at 12.

Upon review of the record, we find the foregoing does not sustain

Appellant’s burden of proof. Likewise, we conclude the trial court’s

reasoning for denying Appellant’s motion is supported by the record and in

line with our case law cited supra. Thus, we agree with the trial court that

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double jeopardy does not attach to the previously nol prossed charges in

Case 855.

Lastly, to the extent Appellant argued and properly preserved his

compulsory joinder issue within his brief to this Court, we address this claim

mindful of the following. “Generally speaking, the compulsory joinder

statute sets forth the requirements for when a current prosecution is

precluded due to a former prosecution for a different offense.”

Commonwealth v. Fithian, 961 A.2d 66, 68 (Pa. 2008).

The purpose behind Section 110 is two-fold. First, it

protects a defendant from the governmental harassment of

being subjected to successive trials for offenses stemming from

the same criminal episode. Secondly, the rule assures finality

without unduly burdening the judicial process by repetitious

litigation.

Commonwealth v. Gimbara, 835 A.2d 371, 373 (Pa. Super. 2003)

(quotations and some citations omitted).

Regarding Case 825, as correctly recognized by the trial court, “the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has [] stated unequivocally that the

compulsory joinder requirement of 18 Pa.C.S.[] § 110 is inapplicable where,

as here, the offense first prosecuted was a summary one.”

Commonwealth v. Barber, 940 A.2d 369, 379 (Pa. Super. 2007) (internal

quotations omitted). See also Commonwealth v. Caufman, 662 A.2d

1050, 1051 (Pa. 1995) (“The statutory joinder requirement [is] inapplicable

where, as here, the offense first prosecuted was a summary one.”).

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Furthermore, in light of our conclusion that Appellant failed to sustain

his burden in proving that the charges in Case 855 were nol prossed in

exchange for his guilty plea in Case 825, Appellant’s compulsory joinder

argument as to Case 855 likewise fails. Because Case 855 did not result in

an acquittal or a conviction, the Commonwealth is neither barred from

reinstating the charges nor is it precluded from adding additional charges.

Order affirmed.4

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 1/31/2018

4

We are cognizant that both the trial court and Commonwealth address

several ancillary issues that were raised at the hearing on Appellant’s motion

to dismiss. However, on appeal, Appellant’s sole contention is that Case

1513 “should be dismissed for [violating Appellant’s] constitutional right

against double jeopardy and [his statutory right of] compulsory joinder.”

Appellant’s Brief at 13.

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This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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