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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
ISMAEL SAMUEL TORRES,
Appellant No. 15 MDA 2015
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence July 2, 2014
in the Court of Common Pleas of Lebanon County
Criminal Division at No.: CP-38-CR-0001257-2013
BEFORE: SHOGAN, J., JENKINS, J., and PLATT, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY PLATT, J.: FILED NOVEMBER 05, 2015
Appellant, Ismael Samuel Torres, appeals from the judgment of
sentence imposed pursuant to his jury conviction of one count each of
fleeing or attempting to elude police officer and false reports to law
enforcement authorities; three counts of recklessly endangering another
person;1 and related summary offenses.
We take the following facts from our independent review of the record
and the trial court’s November 13, 2014 opinion. On September 30, 2013,
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*
Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
1
75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3733; and 18 Pa.C.S.A. §§ 4906 and 2705, respectively.
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the Commonwealth filed an amended information2 against Appellant
charging him with the above crimes. The amended information alleged that,
on August 6, 2013, Appellant was the driver in a high speed chase that
endangered five individuals, and lasted an extended period of time on
Interstate 78, and other locations, in Lebanon County.
Appellant’s one-day jury trial occurred on June 4, 2014, and he
exercised his right not to testify on his own behalf. The Commonwealth
presented the testimony of Trooper Matthew Hartung, vehicle occupant
X.C.,3 and three road workers. Trooper Hartung testified that, when he
pulled out from the median area of Interstate 78 on the date of the incident,
he observed Appellant’s van abruptly cut across the highway from the left
lane, and enter the exit ramp for Route 22. (See N.T. Trial, 6/04/14, at 32).
In an effort to catch up with the van, the trooper entered Route 22, and
continued to increase his speed to between eighty-five and ninety miles-per-
hour (mph) until he spotted the vehicle in front of him. (See id. at 33).
The trooper turned on his lights and siren, which also activated the mobile
video recorder (MVR) of his vehicle. (See id. at 33, 39).
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2
The original information, filed on September 27, 2013, contained an
incorrect date for the crime. (See Information, 9/27/13, at 1). The
amended information only changed this date. (See Amended Information,
9/30/13, at 1).
3
X.C. was sixteen on the date of the incident, and was the passenger of the
van Appellant was driving. (See N.T. Trial, infra at 24-25).
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As the trooper followed, the van increased its speed, reaching 100
mph in an active construction zone on Route 22. (See id. at 36). Road
crew members Edward Curnaw, Christopher Nolan, and Daniel Orwig,
testified that, during the pursuit, the van traveled inside the closed lane in
which they were working. (See id. at 11, 17, 22). They testified about the
van travelling approximately ninety mph when hitting, and then dragging, an
orange cone. (Id. at 12-14, 18, 22). Trooper Hartung stated that, once
exiting the closed lane, the van cut off other vehicles, passed them on the
berm of the road, and briefly traveled into the oncoming lane of traffic.
(See id. at 36-37). Several miles later, the van took a sharp turn off Route
22 onto Fort Indiantown Gap Road. (See id. at 37). Although the road is
meant to be travelled at a low rate of speed, Appellant continued to drive
between sixty-five and seventy mph and ignore stop signs. (See id. at 37-
38).
The pursuit ended when the van was unable to make a turn at the
intersection of Route 443 and Route 72. (See id. at 38-39). The van left
the road and went into an embankment, where it flew, on its side, into a
tree. (See id. at 39). When emergency vehicles arrived, troopers on the
scene broke the van’s rear window to allow its two occupants, Appellant and
X.C., to walk out. (See id. at 47). At the time, Trooper Hartung noted that
Appellant had injuries consistent with a seatbelt being worn left to right, i.e.,
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on the driver’s side of the vehicle. (See id.). X.C. had no visible injuries
consistent with wearing a seatbelt. (See id. at 48).
X.C. testified that he did not have a driver’s license, or know how to
drive. (See id. at 26). He stated that Appellant drove on the day in
question. (See id. at 24). X.C. was asleep, without a seatbelt, in the rear
aisle of the van, when a banging noise woke him. (See id. at 26). He sat
up and realized Appellant was hitting cones in a construction zone. (See
id.). The Commonwealth produced several exhibits, including the MVR
recording (exhibit 1), a still photograph produced from the MVR recording
(exhibit 2), and photographs taken immediately after the pursuit of
Appellant wearing a white shirt (exhibit 3) and of X.C. in a light brown one
(exhibit 4).
Early in the deliberation process, the jury members indicated that they
could not reach a unanimous verdict. (See id. at 84). The court provided
them with a supplemental instruction that, if they thought there was any
possibility that they might come to an agreement if given the opportunity,
then they should attempt to reach a verdict. (See id. at 84-87). Appellant
did not object to the court’s charge. (See id. at 87). The jury convicted
Appellant of the aforementioned charges and the court found him guilty of
related summary offenses. On July 2, 2014, the court imposed an
aggregate sentence of not less than five nor more than fifteen years’
incarceration. On November 13, 2014, the court denied Appellant’s post-
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sentence motions. Appellant timely appealed on December 15, 2015.4 The
court did not order Appellant to file a Rule 1925(b) statement; nor did it file
a Rule 1925(a) opinion. See Pa.R.A.P. 1925.
Appellant raises five questions for our review:
I. Did the Commonwealth fail to prove beyond a reasonable
doubt that the Appellant was the driver of the car on August 6,
2013?
II. Did the jury placed [sic] too great a weight on the
testimony presented by X.C. that Appellant was the driver of the
car?
III. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt err in allowing the Commonwealth to
admit into evidence, over [d]efense [c]ounsel’s objection, a still
photograph taken from the [t]rooper’s [MVR] that showed the
fleeing car driving passed [sic] the [t]rooper’s vehicle because
the photograph was not disclosed until the morning of trial?
IV. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt commit a manifest abuse of
discretion when instructing the [j]ury concerning the
consequences if the [j]ury failed to return a unanimous verdict?
V. Did the [s]entencing [c]ourt committed [sic] a manifest
abuse of discretion by running all of the counts upon which
Appellant was convicted consecutively, and by running the
sentence consecutive to his parole violation[?]
(Appellant’s Brief, at 4).
In his first issue, Appellant maintains that “[t]he Commonwealth failed
to present sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that [he]
was the driver of the van.” (Id. at 10; see id. at 11). We disagree.
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4
The thirty-day deadline fell on a Saturday. See 1 Pa.C.S.A. § 1908.
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Our standard of review of sufficiency of the evidence challenges is
well-settled:
The standard we apply in reviewing the sufficiency of the
evidence is whether viewing all the evidence admitted at trial in
the light most favorable to the verdict winner, there is sufficient
evidence to enable the fact-finder to find every element of the
crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In applying [the above] test,
we may not weigh the evidence and substitute our judgment for
the fact-finder. In addition, we note that the facts and
circumstances established by the Commonwealth need not
preclude every possibility of innocence. Any doubts regarding a
defendant’s guilt may be resolved by the fact-finder unless the
evidence is so weak and inconclusive that as a matter of law no
probability of fact may be drawn from the combined
circumstances. The Commonwealth may sustain its burden of
proving every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt
by means of wholly circumstantial evidence. Moreover, in
applying the above test, the entire record must be evaluated and
all evidence actually received must be considered. Finally, the
[finder] of fact while passing upon the credibility of witnesses
and the weight of the evidence produced, is free to believe all,
part or none of the evidence.
Commonwealth v. Harden, 103 A.3d 107, 111 (Pa. Super. 2014) (citation
omitted).
Here, van passenger X.C. testified that Appellant was the driver of the
vehicle during the incident in question. (See N.T. Trial, at 24). Appellant
had chest and shoulder injuries consistent with those caused by wearing a
driver’s side seatbelt. (See id. at 47). X.C. had no such injuries, which
comported with his statement that he had not been wearing a seatbelt
because he had been sleeping in the back of the van. (See id. at 26, 48).
Finally, Appellant was driving with a suspended license, providing him with
motive to flee from the police. (See id. at 49). Based on the foregoing, we
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conclude that the trial court properly found that the evidence was sufficient
to establish that Appellant was the driver of the vehicle. See Harden,
supra at 111.5 Appellant’s first issue lacks merit.
In his second issue, Appellant maintains that the trial court erred in
denying his motion for a new trial where “the jury placed too great a weight
on the testimony of X.C. that [he] was the driver of the vehicle.”
(Appellant’s Brief, at 12). Appellant’s claim does not merit relief.
Our standard of review of a challenge to the weight of the evidence is
distinct from that applied by the trial court:
A motion for a new trial alleging that the verdict was
against the weight of the evidence is addressed to the discretion
of the trial court. An appellate court, therefore, reviews the
exercise of discretion, not the underlying question whether the
verdict is against the weight of the evidence. The factfinder is
free to believe all, part, or none of the evidence and to
determine the credibility of the witnesses. The trial court will
award a new trial only when the jury’s verdict is so contrary to
the evidence as to shock one’s sense of justice. In determining
whether this standard has been met, appellate review is limited
to whether the trial judge’s discretion was properly exercised,
and relief will only be granted where the facts and inferences of
record disclose a palpable abuse of discretion. Thus, the trial
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5
Moreover, Appellant’s argument that the jury should not have believed X.C.
because he had a motive to lie goes to credibility and the weight to be
afforded his testimony, not the evidence’s sufficiency. See Commonwealth
v. Gaskins, 692 A.2d 224, 227 (Pa. Super. 1997) (observing, “credibility
determinations are made by the fact finder and that challenges thereto go to
the weight, and not the sufficiency, of the evidence.”). Also, his claim that
the evidence was insufficient because his injuries could have been caused by
wearing a driver’s side seatbelt in the backseat likewise lacks merit because
“circumstances established by the Commonwealth need not preclude every
possibility of innocence.” Harden, supra at 111 (citation omitted).
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court’s denial of a motion for a new trial based on a weight of
the evidence claim is the least assailable of its rulings.
Commonwealth v. Weathers, 95 A.3d 908, 910 (Pa. Super. 2014), appeal
denied, 106 A.3d 726 (Pa. 2015) (citation omitted).
We have already found that the evidence, which contrary to
Appellant’s assertion consisted of more than X.C.’s statement, (see
Appellant’s Brief, at 12), was sufficient to support the jury’s conclusion that
Appellant was the driver of the van. We reiterate that the jury was “free to
believe all, part, or none of the evidence and to determine the credibility of
the witnesses.” Id. (citation omitted); see also Harden, supra at 111.
Further, “we may not weigh the evidence and substitute our judgment for
the fact-finder.” Harden, supra at 111 (citation omitted). Therefore, we
conclude that the trial court properly exercised its discretion when it denied
Appellant’s motion for a new trial on the basis of his weight of the evidence
claim. See Weathers, supra at 910. Appellant’s second claim does not
merit relief.
In his third claim, Appellant argues that the trial court abused its
discretion in denying his motion for a new trial where “[it] erred in allowing
the Commonwealth to admit into evidence Exhibit #2, a still photograph
from the Trooper’s [MVR] . . . because the photograph was not disclosed to
the Appellant until the morning of trial[,]” in violation of Pennsylvania Rule
of Criminal Procedure 573. (Appellant’s Brief, at 13). Appellant’s claim does
not merit relief.
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Our standard of review of this issue is well-settled:
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. In
determining whether evidence should be admitted,
the trial court must weigh the relevant and probative
value of the evidence against the prejudicial impact
of the evidence. Evidence is relevant if it logically
tends to establish a material fact in the case or tends
to support a reasonable inference regarding a
material fact. Although a court may find that
evidence is relevant, the court may nevertheless
conclude that such evidence is inadmissible on
account of its prejudicial impact.
An abuse of discretion is not merely an error of judgment,
but is rather the overriding or misapplication of the law, or the
exercise of judgment that is manifestly unreasonable, or the
result of bias, prejudice, ill-will or partiality, as shown by the
evidence of record. An abuse of discretion may result where the
trial court improperly weighed the probative value of evidence
admitted against its potential for prejudicing the defendant.
Commonwealth v. Antidormi, 84 A.3d 736, 749-50 (Pa. Super. 2014),
appeal denied, 95 A.3d 275 (Pa. 2014) (citations and quotation marks
omitted).
Further, Rule 573 mandates that the Commonwealth disclose any
material evidence in its possession at the defendant’s request. See
Pa.R.Crim.P. 573(B). The Rule provides that the Commonwealth is under a
continuing duty to “promptly notify the opposing party or the court” if “prior
to or during trial, [it] discovers additional evidence or material previously
requested or ordered to be disclosed by it, which is subject to discovery or
inspection under this rule[.]” Pa.R.Crim.P. 573(D).
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If a discovery violation occurs, the court may grant a trial
continuance or prohibit the introduction of the evidence or may
enter any order it deems just under the circumstances.
Pa.R.Crim.P. 573(E)[]. The trial court has broad discretion in
choosing the appropriate remedy for a discovery violation. Our
scope of review is whether the court abused its discretion in not
excluding evidence pursuant to Rule 573(E). A defendant
seeking relief from a discovery violation must
demonstrate prejudice. A violation of discovery does not
automatically entitle appellant to a new trial. Rather, an
appellant must demonstrate how a more timely disclosure would
have affected his trial strategy or how he was otherwise
prejudiced by the alleged late disclosure.
Commonwealth v. Causey, 833 A.2d 165, 171 (Pa. Super. 2003), appeal
denied, 848 A.2d 927 (Pa. 2004) (case citations and quotation marks
omitted) (emphasis added); see also Commonwealth v. Counterman,
719 A.2d 284, 298 (Pa. 1998), cert. denied, 528 U.S. 836 (1999) (observing
trial court properly denied motion for new trial where late disclosure did not
prejudice appellant’s ability to present defense); Commonwealth v.
Chambers, 599 A.2d 630, 638 (Pa. 1991), cert. denied, 505 U.S. 1238
(1992) (concluding trial court did not err in denying motion for mistrial for
untimely disclosure where appellant could not demonstrate prejudice).
Here, the record reveals that Appellant objected to the admission of
the photograph prior to the start of trial. (See N.T. Trial, at 5-6). Although
defense counsel initially indicated that the photograph did not “necessarily
hurt” his case, he ultimately indicated that Appellant would be prejudiced by
the evidence’s admission because it would allow the Commonwealth to argue
that someone wearing a white shirt drove the subject vehicle. (See id. at
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5). However, Appellant did not request a continuance to prepare a different
trial strategy in light of this fact. (See id. at 5-8).
During trial, the entire exchange about the photograph that occurred
between the assistant district attorney and X.C. was the following:
Q I’m going to show you a photograph that’s been marked as
Exhibit Number 2. Is that the van you were driving in?
A Yes.
(N.T. Trial, at 24).
The assistant district attorney also asked Trooper Hartung about the
photograph:
Q . . . We’ll get through some photographs with you. I want
to start with Exhibit Number 2, I’m going to show you that
photograph. It’s fair to say that would be a photograph of the
vehicle taken from the video that the jury just had an
opportunity to view, am I correct?
A Correct.
Q That was at the location on I-78 when you were sitting
perpendicular to the traffic, correct?
A Correct.
Q Now, looking at the photograph, it’s fair to say that you
can’t necessarily see an individual in the vehicle but you can at
least see what they were wearing?
A Yeah.
[Appellant’s counsel] I’m going to object, Your Honor. The
jury can look at the photograph and make whatever
determinations they want to make. I don’t know how it’s
relevant to what the officer thinks he may see in the photograph.
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[Assistant District Attorney] That was my only question. I
wasn’t going to go any further than that but that’s fine.
(Id. at 40-41).
In Appellant’s brief, his one paragraph argument fails to explain how
these brief references to the subject photograph affected his trial strategy or
how he was otherwise prejudiced by the late disclosure. (See Appellant’s
Brief, at 14). He merely generally states that he was prejudiced because
“the late disclosure resulted in unfair surprise to [him], and allowed the
Commonwealth to present additional evidence that [he] was driving the van
. . . .” (Id.). Absent from his argument is actual proof of how this affected
his defense. (See id. at 13-14).
Therefore, because Appellant has utterly failed to establish that he was
prejudiced by the Commonwealth’s late disclosure of the photograph, we
conclude that the trial court properly denied his motion for a mistrial. 6 See
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6
Based on our disposition, we do not reach the issue of whether the trial
court properly found that the Commonwealth had a duty to disclose the
photograph under Rule 573 in the first place. (See Trial Ct. Op., at 13).
However, we must note that the Commonwealth provided Appellant with a
copy of the video taken from Trooper Hartung’s MVR months before trial. As
observed by the Commonwealth:
[Appellant] had plenty of time to obtain still images from the
video . . . . Creating a screen shot of the driver’s shirt for
purposes of an exhibit and to create a record is not
inappropriate. In fact had the Commonwealth desired it simply
could have hit stop on the video in order for the jury to see the
exact same image. . . .
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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Causey, supra at 171; see also Counterman, supra at 298; Chambers,
supra at 638. Appellant’s third issue lacks merit.
In his fourth claim, Appellant alleges that the trial court should have
granted his motion for a new trial where it gave an erroneous jury
instruction that referred to “the financial costs and other consequences if [it]
did not reach a unanimous verdict.” (Appellant’s Brief, at 14). This issue is
waived.
Early in the deliberative process, the jury foreperson notified the trial
court that the jury could not reach a verdict. (See N.T. Trial, at 84). In
response, the court instructed them about the importance of the jury’s role,
and urged them to continue trying to reach a decision. (See id. at 84-87).
At the conclusion of this supplemental charge, although the court expressly
gave counsel the opportunity to comment, Appellant’s counsel chose not to
object. (See id. at 87). Therefore, this issue is waived. See
Commonwealth v. Houck, 102 A.3d 443, 451 (Pa. Super. 2014) (“[T]he
_______________________
(Footnote Continued)
(Commonwealth’s Brief, at 14). We agree with the Commonwealth’s
observation. The photograph was not “additional evidence” for purposes of
Rule 573, but merely was a piece of evidence extracted from a larger
exhibit.
Additionally, based on the record before us, it is difficult to see how
this photograph was material to the Commonwealth’s case, thus triggering
its obligation under Rule 573. See Pa.R.Crim.P. 573(B). However, the trial
court’s finding on Rule 573 does not alter our disposition because we
conclude that it properly found that Appellant was not entitled to a new trial
where he failed to prove prejudice.
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failure to make a timely and specific objection before the trial court at the
appropriate stage of the proceedings will result in waiver of the issue.”)
(citations omitted).
Additionally, we observe that Appellant’s three-sentence argument on
this issue does not comport with our appellate rules. (See Appellant’s Brief,
at 14-15); see also Pa.R.A.P. 2119(a), (b). It contains one citation to
support Appellant’s general statement that an erroneous jury instruction
“may provide the basis of a new trial[] if it is shown that the instruction was
fundamentally in error and that it may have been responsible for the
verdict.” (Appellant’s Brief, at 14). However, the argument contains no
pertinent citation or discussion in support of his claim that the trial court’s
supplemental instruction to the jury “improperly implied that the jury had to
reach a unanimous verdict.” (Id. at 14-15); see also Pa.R.A.P. 2119(a),
(b). Therefore, this issue is waived on this basis as well. See Pa.R.A.P.
2101; Commonwealth v. Genovese, 675 A.2d 331, 334 (Pa. Super. 1996)
(waiving issue and declining review where appellant failed to adequately
develop argument).7
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7
We also observe that a review of the trial court’s instruction to the
deadlocked jury reveals no abuse of the court’s sound discretion. (See N.T.
Trial, at 84-87); see also Commonwealth v. Marion, 981 A.2d 230, 235
(Pa. Super. 2009), appeal denied, 990 A.2d 729 (Pa. 2010); Pa.R.Crim.P.
647(C) (“After the jury has retired to consider its verdict, additional or
correctional instructions may be given by the trial judge in the presence of
all parties[.]”).
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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In his final issue, Appellant argues that “the [s]entencing [c]ourt’s
decision to run all of the counts consecutively, and its decision to run this
sentence consecutive to his state parole violation[,] was a manifest abuse of
discretion contrary to the fundamental norms underlying the sentencing
process.” (Appellant’s Brief, at 9). This issue is waived.
The fundamental tool for appellate review is the official
record of the events that occurred in the trial court. To ensure
that an appellate court has the necessary records, the
Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure provide for the
transmission of a certified record from the trial court to the
appellate court. The law of Pennsylvania is well settled that
matters which are not of record cannot be considered on appeal.
. . . [U]nder the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure, any
document which is not part of the officially certified record is
deemed non-existent[.] . . . Simply put, if a document is not in
the certified record, the Superior Court may not consider it.
This Court cannot meaningfully review claims raised on
appeal unless we are provided with a full and complete certified
record. This requirement is not a mere “technicality” nor is this
a question of whether we are empowered to complain sua sponte
of lacunae in the record. In the absence of an adequate certified
record, there is no support for an appellant’s arguments and,
thus, there is no basis on which relief could be granted.
Commonwealth v. Preston, 904 A.2d 1, 6-7 (Pa. Super. 2006), appeal
denied, 916 A.2d 632 (Pa. 2007) (citations omitted).
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(Footnote Continued)
Importantly, the instruction comports with the minimum standards set
forth by the American Bar Association and Pennsylvania Standard Criminal
Jury Instructions. See ABA Standards, Trial By Jury, § 5.4; Pa. S.Crim.J.I.
2.09.
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Here, the certified record does not contain the notes of testimony from
the July 2, 2014 sentencing hearing. In fact, Appellant did not request that
they be transcribed at the time he filed his notice of appeal, in violation of
Pennsylvania Rule of Appellate Procedure 1911(a).8 See Pa.R.A.P. 1911(a);
see also Preston, supra at 6-7. Accordingly, because we are unable to
conduct meaningful appellate review of Appellant’s sentencing claim, we
deem it waived. See Houck, supra at 457 (noting that “[i]f the defendant
is appealing the denial of a suppression motion and fails to have the
suppression hearing transcript made part of the appellate record, we can
take such action as we deem appropriate, including dismissal of the issue.”)
(citation omitted); Commonwealth v. Gillen, 798 A.2d 225, 229 (Pa.
Super. 2002) (finding issues waived where appellant failed to provide
necessary hearing transcript).
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
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8
On July 14, 2014, the trial court directed the court reporter to transcribe
the notes of testimony from sentencing and trial (no openings or closings)
because they were necessary for deciding Appellant’s post-trial motion.
(See Post-Sentence Scheduling Order, 7/18/14, at 1). The record does not
reflect that a sentencing transcript was prepared. However, we remind
Appellant’s counsel that “it was not the responsibility of the [t]rial [c]ourt to
order the transcription of the [sentencing hearing,]” and that “Pa.R.A.P.
1911 makes it abundantly plain that it is the responsibility of the Appellant
to order all transcripts necessary to the disposition of his appeal.”
Commonwealth v. Steward, 775 A.2d 819, 833 (Pa. Super. 2001)
(citation omitted).
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 11/5/2015
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