J-S63018-16
NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
SEAN AUSTIN,
Appellant No. 966 EDA 2015
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence November 7, 2014
In the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-51-CR-0009078-2013
BEFORE: FORD ELLIOTT, P.J.E., SHOGAN and FITZGERALD,* JJ.
MEMORANDUM BY SHOGAN, J.: FILED OCTOBER 21, 2016
Appellant, Sean Austin, appeals from the judgment of sentence
entered following his convictions of one count each of second-degree
murder, robbery, burglary, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of
an instrument of crime (“PIC”), and two counts of conspiracy. We affirm.
The trial court summarized the underlying facts of this case as follows:
In the early morning hours of July 12, 2011, after having
developed a criminal plan with Oren Thomas (“Thomas”) also
known as “O” and Basemy Gabriel (“Gabriel”) also known as
“Basir” or “Boz”[], Appellant and Gabriel entered the apartment
of the decedent, Ronald Taylor (“Taylor”), with the intent to steal
money and drugs. Thomas had told Appellant and Gabriel how
to gain access to the apartment and provided information as to
where the drugs would be found once they were inside. The
apartment was located on the second floor of 1830 West
____________________________________________
*
Former Justice specially assigned to the Superior Court.
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Cheltenham Avenue in the City and County of Philadelphia. It
was after midnight when the two (2) men entered the apartment
and Appellant was armed with a revolver. Taylor and his ten
(10) year-old son were asleep on the couch, however the
decedent awoke and confronted Appellant. Appellant shot
decedent two (2) times in the chest with a .32 caliber revolver
prior to fleeing the apartment with Gabriel. The decedent’s son
did not wake up until the next morning, whereupon he
discovered his father dead. The child searched his father’s
pockets looking for a phone to call for help, however found that
the phone was gone.
Thomas waited nearby for Appellant and Gabriel to enter
and rob the decedent. From his vantage point, he could see
Appellant, Gabriel, and Taylor. As he waited, he heard two (2)
gunshots then left the area and went to Appellant’s house.
When Appellant arrived home, he told Thomas that he had to
shoot decedent in the leg and that he had gotten nothing in the
robbery. The next day Appellant and Thomas spoke again and
Appellant admitted shooting decedent and “putting him to
sleep”.
Taylor was pronounced dead at 8:33 A.M. on July 12,
2011. An autopsy was performed by Associate Medical Examiner
Dr. Marlon Osbourne. Decedent had suffered two (2) gunshot
wounds, one (1) to the midline chest and one (1) to the left side
of the chest, which caused extensive internal bleeding. The
cause of death was found to be a gunshot wound to the chest.
The manner of death was found to be homicide. Both pieces of
ballistics evidence from the decedent’s body were consistent with
having been fired from a .32 caliber revolver.
Thomas was later arrested and made a statement to police
after receiving his Miranda1 warnings. Thomas entered a guilty
plea to the Murder, Conspiracy, and Robbery of Taylor prior to
testifying at Appellant’s trial. Thomas was awaiting sentencing
at the time he testified at Appellant’s trial. Gabriel was also
arrested and made a statement to police after receiving his
Miranda2 warnings. Gabriel entered a guilty plea to the Murder
of Taylor prior to testifying at Appellant’s trial.
1
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. [436], at 475-477, 86
S.Ct. 1602, at 1628-1629, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966). A
person must, before any questioning, be warned that
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he has a right to remain silent, that any statement
he does make may be used as evidence against him,
and that he has a right to presence of an attorney,
retained or appointed.
2
Id.
Trial Court Opinion, 9/16/15, at 2-4.
On August 29, 2014, a jury convicted Appellant of the crimes stated
above. On November 7, 2014, the trial court sentenced Appellant to serve a
term of incarceration of life without parole for the second-degree murder
conviction. No further penalty was imposed for the remaining convictions.
Appellant filed timely post-sentence motions, which were denied by
operation of law on March 13, 2015. This timely appeal followed. Both
Appellant and the trial court have complied with Pa.R.A.P. 1925.
Appellant presents the following issues for our review:
I. Whether the adjudication of guilt is against the weight of the
evidence and shocking to one’s sense of justice where there was
no physical or scientific evidence linking the Appellant to
possession of any firearm or to the victim’s apartment, where
the witnesses were corrupt and polluted sources who received
favorable treatment from the Commonwealth in return for their
testimony against the Appellant, where there was no
corroboration and where the Appellant lived openly in the
neighborhood without any indicia of guilt until his arrest.
II. Whether the adjudication of guilt is based upon insufficient
evidence because it was an unreasonable inference in
contradiction to the physical facts and in contravention to human
experience to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the
witnesses were truthful where there was no physical or scientific
evidence linking the Appellant to the possession of a firearm or
to the victim’s apartment and where the only witnesses against
the Appellant were corrupt and polluted sources seeking
favorable treatment from the Commonwealth.
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Appellant’s Brief at 6.
Appellant first argues that the trial court erred in denying his post-
sentence motion challenging the weight of the evidence. Appellant’s Brief at
16-18. Essentially, Appellant contends the verdict reflects that the jury
improperly credited the testimony of his co-conspirators indicating that
Appellant killed Taylor during a burglary of Taylor’s home.
In Commonwealth v. Clay, 64 A.3d 1049 (Pa. 2013), our Supreme
Court set forth the following standards to be employed in addressing
challenges to the weight of the evidence:
A motion for a new trial based on a claim that the verdict
is against the weight of the evidence is addressed to the
discretion of the trial court. Commonwealth v. Widmer, 560
Pa. 308, 319, 744 A.2d 745, 751-[7]52 (2000);
Commonwealth v. Brown, 538 Pa. 410, 435, 648 A.2d 1177,
1189 (1994). A new trial should not be granted because of a
mere conflict in the testimony or because the judge on the same
facts would have arrived at a different conclusion. Widmer, 560
A.2d at 319-20, 744 A.2d at 752. Rather, “the role of the trial
judge is to determine that ‘notwithstanding all the facts, certain
facts are so clearly of greater weight that to ignore them or to
give them equal weight with all the facts is to deny justice.’” Id.
at 320, 744 A.2d at 752 (citation omitted). It has often been
stated that “a new trial should be awarded when the jury’s
verdict is so contrary to the evidence as to shock one’s sense of
justice and the award of a new trial is imperative so that right
may be given another opportunity to prevail.” Brown, 538 Pa.
at 435, 648 A.2d at 1189.
An appellate court’s standard of review when presented
with a weight of the evidence claim is distinct from the standard
of review applied by the trial court:
Appellate review of a weight claim is a review of the
exercise of discretion, not of the underlying question
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of whether the verdict is against the weight of the
evidence. Brown, 648 A.2d at 1189. Because the
trial judge has had the opportunity to hear and see
the evidence presented, an appellate court will give
the gravest consideration to the findings and reasons
advanced by the trial judge when reviewing a trial
court’s determination that the verdict is against the
weight of the evidence. Commonwealth v.
Farquharson, 467 Pa. 50, 354 A.2d 545 (Pa. 1976).
One of the least assailable reasons for granting or
denying a new trial is the lower court’s conviction
that the verdict was or was not against the weight of
the evidence and that a new trial should be granted
in the interest of justice.
Widmer, 560 Pa. at 321-[3]22, 744 A.2d at 753 (emphasis
added).
This does not mean that the exercise of discretion by the
trial court in granting or denying a motion for a new trial based
on a challenge to the weight of the evidence is unfettered. In
describing the limits of a trial court’s discretion, we have
explained:
The term “discretion” imports the exercise of
judgment, wisdom and skill so as to reach a
dispassionate conclusion within the framework of the
law, and is not exercised for the purpose of giving
effect to the will of the judge. Discretion must be
exercised on the foundation of reason, as opposed to
prejudice, personal motivations, caprice or arbitrary
actions. Discretion is abused where the course
pursued represents not merely an error of judgment,
but where the judgment is manifestly unreasonable
or where the law is not applied or where the record
shows that the action is a result of partiality,
prejudice, bias or ill-will.
Widmer, 560 A.2d at 322, 744 A.2d at 753 (quoting Coker v.
S.M. Flickinger Co., 533 Pa. 441, 447, 625 A.2d 1181, 1184-
[11]85 (1993)).
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Clay, 64 A.3d at 1054-1055. “Thus, the trial 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. Diggs, 949 A.2d 873, 879-880 (Pa. 2008).
The jury, sitting as the finder of fact, chose to believe the evidence
presented by the Commonwealth and to disregard the version of events
presented by Appellant, as was its right. The trial court made the following
comprehensive observation regarding the evidence offered by the
Commonwealth:
This issue lacks merit as in the instant case, the jury’s
verdict of guilty does not shock the conscience. At trial, the
Commonwealth presented the testimony of both co-conspirators
and the decedent’s son to establish that Appellant was the
perpetrator of Second Degree Murder. Thomas testified that he
knew Taylor, had been in his apartment before, and believed
that Taylor had approximately $25,000-$35,000 worth of
marijuana in his apartment on the night of July 11, 2011. (N.T.
8/26/14 at 118-119, 144). Thomas told Appellant and Gabriel
about his belief, and enlisted their help to rob Taylor. Id. at 118,
119. Thomas told Appellant and Gabriel how to gain access to
the apartment and provided information as to where the drugs
would be found once they were inside. Id. at 118-119, 121.
The Commonwealth then presented the testimony of
Gabriel who corroborated the testimony of Thomas. Gabriel
testified that the three (3) males planned for Appellant and
Gabriel to enter Taylor’s apartment and rob him. Id. at 174.
The Appellant was known to Gabriel as he lived on Gabriel’s
block. Id. at 173. Gabriel testified that he had entered the
apartment of decedent with Appellant with the intent of robbing
the decedent. Id. at 175. Gabriel saw a revolver in Appellant's
hand as they went up the stairs to the apartment. Id. When
they entered the apartment both decedent and a small boy were
asleep on a couch inside. Id. at 176. As Gabriel and Appellant
searched the apartment, he heard an argument between
Appellant and decedent followed by a gunshot. Id. at 176. As
he was leaving the apartment, Gabriel saw Appellant with a gun
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in his hand, and Taylor on the floor. Id. at 178. Appellant shot
the decedent, causing serious bodily injury that resulted in his
death. In a statement to police, Thomas testified that Appellant
had a .32 caliber revolver on the night of the incident. Id. at
141-142. Both pieces of ballistics evidence from the decedent’s
body were consistent with having been fired from a .32 caliber
revolver. (N.T. 8/27/14 at 29, 30). Taylor’s son testified that
his father’s cell phone was gone. (N.T. 8/26/14 at 77.)
Thomas testified that at the time of the Robbery, he
waited outside of the decedent’s house where he could see
Appellant and Gabriel through the windows in Taylor’s
apartment. Id. at 124. As he was waiting, Thomas heard two
(2) gunshots then he went to Appellant’s house where Appellant
and Gabriel were already located. Id. at 124. Appellant told
Thomas that he had gotten nothing in the robbery, and later
admitted shooting decedent and “putting him to sleep”. Id. at
125, 127. Gabriel testified that subsequent to the robbery
Appellant said he had to “put decedent down”. Id. at 183.
The Commonwealth also provided testimony through
Thomas that he had entered a guilty plea to Murder, Robbery,
and Conspiracy as related to the decedent and was awaiting
sentencing. Id. 108 et. seq., see 117, 142-144. Thomas also
testified that he had a prior conviction for Robbery. Id. Thomas
testified that [he] hoped that he would receive something less
than the maximum of 50 to 100 years that could result from his
plea, by testifying against Appellant. Id. at 153-154. Gabriel
testified that he had also entered a guilty plea to Third Degree
Murder and Conspiracy as related to the decedent but that he
had not been sentenced yet. Id. at 172, 193. Gabriel testified
that he hoped that he would receive something less than the
maximum of 40 to 80 years that could result from his plea, by
testifying against Appellant. Id. at 205-207. The jury was
instructed with the standard instruction on how to treat
accomplice testimony as well as how to treat testimony where
there had been a prior crimin falsi conviction. The jury, as the
fact finder, had the sole discretion of assessing the credibility of
witnesses at trial. The finder of fact is free to believe all, part, or
none of the evidence and to determine the credibility of
witnesses. Here, the jury chose to believe Appellant’s co-
conspirators in tandem with the ballistics evidence and came to
the conclusion that Appellant was guilty of Second Degree
Murder. The verdict was not against the weight of the evidence.
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Trial Court Opinion, 9/16/15, at 5-7.
Based upon our review of the record, we are compelled to agree with
the trial court. Here, the jury was free to believe all, part, or none of the
evidence against Appellant. The jury weighed the evidence, both testimonial
and physical, and concluded Appellant perpetrated the crimes in question.
This determination is not so contrary to the evidence so as to shock one’s
sense of justice. We decline Appellant’s invitation to assume the role of fact-
finder and to reweigh the evidence. Accordingly, we conclude that the trial
court did not abuse its discretion in refusing to grant relief on Appellant’s
challenge to the weight of the evidence.
In his second issue, Appellant purports to argue that there was
insufficient evidence to support his convictions. Appellant’s Brief at 18-20.
We analyze arguments challenging the sufficiency of the evidence under the
following parameters:
Our standard when reviewing the sufficiency of the
evidence is whether the evidence at trial, and all reasonable
inferences derived therefrom, when viewed in the light most
favorable to the Commonwealth as verdict-winner, are sufficient
to establish all elements of the offense beyond a reasonable
doubt. We may not weigh the evidence or substitute our
judgment for that of the fact-finder. Additionally, the evidence
at trial need not preclude every possibility of innocence, and the
fact-finder is free to resolve any doubts regarding a defendant’s
guilt 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. When evaluating the credibility and
weight of the evidence, the fact-finder is free to believe all, part
or none of the evidence. For purposes of our review under these
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principles, we must review the entire record and consider all of
the evidence introduced.
Commonwealth v. Trinidad, 96 A.3d 1031, 1038 (Pa. Super. 2014)
(quoting Commonwealth v. Emler, 903 A.2d 1273, 1276-1277 (Pa. Super.
2006)).
Instantly, for the following reasons, Appellant has abandoned any
argument concerning the sufficiency of the evidence. Regarding sufficiency-
of-the-evidence issues, an appellant must specify the elements upon which
the evidence was insufficient in order to preserve the issue for appeal. See
Commonwealth v. Williams, 959 A.2d 1252, 1257–1258 (Pa. Super.
2008) (finding waiver where the appellant failed to specify the elements of
particular crime not proven by the Commonwealth). See also
Commonwealth v. Gibbs, 981 A.2d 274, 281 (Pa. Super. 2009) (finding
claim waived under Williams for failure to specify either in Rule 1925(b)
statement or in argument portion of appellate brief which elements of crimes
were not proven beyond a reasonable doubt).
Appellant’s Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) statement presents the following
pertinent issue, which fails to specify the elements of the crimes allegedly
not proven by the Commonwealth:
2. The adjudication of guilt is based upon insufficient evidence
because it was an unreasonable inference to conclude beyond a
reasonable doubt that the witnesses were telling the truth where
there was no physical and scientific evidence linking the
defendant to the possession of any firearm or to the victim’s
apartment and where the only witnesses against the defendant
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were corrupt and polluted sources seeking favorable treatment
from the Commonwealth.
Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) Statement (Record Entry 14), 4/21/15, at 1.
Likewise, Appellant has failed to specify in his appellate brief the
elements of the various crimes that allegedly were not established by the
Commonwealth. Rather, Appellant’s argument consists of citation to general
case law, challenges to the credibility and reliability of the testimony offered
by his co-conspirators, and the lack of physical evidence produced by the
Commonwealth. Appellant’s Brief at 18-20. Appellant’s argument for this
issue begins with the following introduction:
While legally the Commonwealth should be given the
benefit of all reasonable inferences as the verdict winner such
deference should not be accorded where the evidence that was
offered to support the verdict is in contradiction to the physical
facts and defies human experience. Here the benefit that is to
be accorded to the Commonwealth rests solely on the credibility
determinations the jury made as to the truthfulness of the
testimony of Thomas and Basemy. But such a determination
was not reasonable because of the absence of physical facts
corroborating their corrupt and polluted testimony.
Appellant’s Brief at 18-19. Appellant’s argument on this issue ends with the
following summation:
Furthermore, the Appellant never fled, never concealed himself,
never threatened another to silent and never displayed any of
the indicia of guilt or guilty conscious. That the jury would have
ignored that vital circumstance and credited the evil motives of
Thomas and Basemy was similarly not reasonable. Since the
inferences drawn from the testimony as to the credibility of
Thomas and Basemy were unreasonable and because the jury
unreasonably inferred the Appellant’s guilt in contradiction to the
physical facts and in contravention to human experience this
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verdict is not based upon sufficient evidence and should be
vacated.
Appellant’s Brief at 19-20. Consequently, Appellant’s non-specific claim
challenging the sufficiency of the evidence, which fails to state the exact
elements of the particular crimes allegedly not proven by the
Commonwealth, is waived. Williams.
Moreover, to the extent that Appellant contends that the jury failed to
properly consider the evidence and wrongly credited the testimony
presented by the Commonwealth in determining the verdicts, we observe
that a review of the sufficiency of the evidence does not include an
assessment of the credibility of the testimony. Commonwealth v. Wilson,
825 A.2d 710, 713-714 (Pa. Super. 2003). Such a claim is more properly
characterized as a challenge to the weight of the evidence. Id. A challenge
to the weight of the evidence questions which evidence is to be believed.
Commonwealth v. Charlton, 902 A.2d 554, 561 (Pa. Super. 2006).
Indeed, claims challenging the weight of the evidence and sufficiency of the
evidence are clearly distinct. See Commonwealth v. Widmer, 744 A.2d
745 (Pa. 2000) (discussing the distinctions between a claim challenging the
sufficiency of the evidence and a claim that the verdict is against the weight
of the evidence). See also Commonwealth v. Palo, 24 A.3d 1050, 1055
(Pa. Super. 2011) (explaining that the appellant’s “sufficiency” argument
directed entirely to the credibility of the Commonwealth’s chief witness
challenged the weight, not the sufficiency, of the evidence). “A true weight
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of the evidence challenge concedes that sufficient evidence exists to sustain
the verdict but questions which evidence is to be believed.”
Commonwealth v. Charlton, 902 A.2d 554, 561 (Pa. Super. 2006)
(quoting Commonwealth v. Galindes, 786 A.2d 1004, 1013 (Pa. Super.
2001)).
Thus, this argument goes to the credibility of the testimony of the
witnesses, and is, therefore, not an attack on the sufficiency of the evidence,
but an allegation regarding the weight it should have been afforded.
Commonwealth v. Griffin, 65 A.3d 932, 939 (Pa. Super. 2011).
Therefore, to the extent that Appellant intermingles his sufficiency argument
with challenges to the jury’s findings pertaining to the credibility of the
witnesses and determination of the weight of the evidence presented, we
observe that we have reviewed a proper challenge to the weight of the
evidence in the first issue presented by Appellant and concluded that no
relief is due.1
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
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1
In the event that we had not found Appellant’s attempted challenge to the
sufficiency of the evidence waived and concluded that it presents an
appropriate challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence, we would have
affirmed on the basis of the trial court’s discussion of the issue, which
concludes as follows: “All of the elements of the various crimes for which
[A]ppellant was convicted were established during trial. Thus, this [c]ourt
finds that viewed in a light most favorable to the Commonwealth, there was
sufficient evidence to establish the Appellant as the perpetrator of these
crimes.” Trial Court Opinion, 9/16/15, at 7-9.
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Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 10/21/2016
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