Com. v. Taulton, G.

J-A07033-15 NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA Appellee v. GLENN TAULTON Appellant No. 1211 WDA 2014 Appeal from the Order June 24, 2014 In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Criminal Division at No(s): CP-02-CR-0006238-2009 BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., LAZARUS, J., and MUNDY, J. MEMORANDUM BY MUNDY, J.: FILED MARCH 6, 2015 Appellant, Glenn Taulton, appeals from the June 24, 2014 order, denying his “Petition Seeking Enforcement of Plea Agreement.” After careful review, we affirm. Briefly, on January 4, 2010, Appellant pled guilty to one count each of indecent assault and endangering the welfare of a child (EWOC)1 and was sentenced to two years’ probation, plus a ten-year sex offender registration term that same day. On December 20, 2012, Pennsylvania’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) went into effect, retroactively requiring lifetime registration. Appellant filed a “Petition Seeking Enforcement of Plea Agreement” on December 18, 2013, along with a ____________________________________________ 1 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 3126(a)(7) and 4304(a), respectively. J-A07033-15 supplemental petition on June 19, 2014. On June 24, 2014, the trial court entered an order denying the petitions. On July 21, 2014, Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal.2 Appellant raises two arguments on appeal. First, he argues that he is entitled to the benefit of his plea bargain, i.e., the original ten-year registration term pursuant to this Court’s decision in Commonwealth v. Hainesworth, 82 A.3d 444 (Pa. Super. 2013) (en banc), appeal denied, 95 A.3d 276 (Pa. 2014). Appellant’s Brief at 25. Second, Appellant avers the retroactive application of SORNA violates the Ex Post Facto Clauses of the Federal and Pennsylvania Constitutions. Id. at 26. Turning to Appellant’s first issue, assuming arguendo that Appellant would be entitled to relief under Hainesworth, Appellant acknowledges that he has since violated the terms of his probation. Id. at 17. This Court recently held that when this occurs, the defendant has breached the plea agreement and therefore Hainesworth does not apply. Commonwealth v. Partee, 86 A.3d 245, 250 (Pa. Super. 2014), appeal denied, 97 A.3d 744 (Pa. 2014). This Court also recently held the retroactive application of ____________________________________________ 2 Appellant and the trial court have complied with Pennsylvania Rule of Appellate Procedure 1925. -2- J-A07033-15 SORNA does not violate the Ex Post Facto Clauses.3 Commonwealth v. Perez, 97 A.3d 747, 760 (Pa. Super. 2014). Appellant acknowledges both Partee and Perez, but also argues they were wrongly decided. Appellant’s Brief at 18, 29-30. It is axiomatic that a three-judge panel is bound by previous panel opinions unless overruled by this Court sitting en banc, our Supreme Court, or the United States Supreme Court. Commonwealth v. Pepe, 897 A.2d 463, 465 (Pa. Super. 2006) (citation omitted), cert. denied, Pepe v. Pennsylvania, 566 U.S. 881 (2008). As a result, Appellant is not entitled to relief. Based on the foregoing, we conclude both of Appellant’s issues are devoid of merit. Accordingly, the trial court’s June 24, 2014 order is affirmed. Order affirmed. Judgment Entered. Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq. Prothonotary Date: 3/6/2015 ____________________________________________ 3 As in Perez, Appellant does not argue that the Pennsylvania Constitution provides greater protection than the Federal Constitution. See generally Commonwealth v. Edmunds, 586 A.2d 887, 895 (Pa. 1991). -3-