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NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION - SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P. 65.37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.
SEAN JOSE RAIN,
Appellant No. 1236 WDA 2016
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence October 5, 2015
in the Court of Common Pleas of Mercer County
Criminal Division at No.: CP-43-CR-0001010-2014
BEFORE: MOULTON, J., RANSOM, J., and PLATT, J.*
MEMORANDUM BY PLATT, J.: FILED MAY 02, 2017
Appellant, Sean Jose Rain, appeals, nunc pro tunc, from the judgment
of sentence imposed on October 5, 2015, following his jury conviction of
person not to possess firearms.1 We affirm.
We take the underlying facts and procedural history in this matter
from the trial court’s October 31, 2016 opinion and our independent review
of the certified record.
On September 9, 2014, the Commonwealth filed [a]
criminal information against [Appellant] in connection with a
shooting that occurred on October 10, 2013. This information
charged him with attempted first-degree murder,[a] conspiracy to
commit first-degree murder,[b] conspiracy to commit aggravated
____________________________________________
*
Retired Senior Judge assigned to the Superior Court.
1
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 6105(a)(1).
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assaults,[c] two counts of aggravated assault,[d] discharging a
firearm into an occupied structures,[e] two counts of person not
to possess a firearm,[f] two counts of carrying a firearm without
a license,[g] and recklessly endangering another person.[h] On
November 5, 2014, [Appellant] made an application to sever the
two counts of person not to possess a firearm, which [the trial
c]ourt granted two days later. [The trial c]ourt empaneled a
jury for a trial on the murder, assault, discharging a firearm into
an occupied structure, reckless endangerment, and carrying a
firearm without a license [charges] which returned a not guilty
verdict on all counts on February 20, 2015. At trial, there was
no direct stipulation as to whether [Appellant] was licensed to
carry a firearm, however, defense counsel did stipulate to Mercer
County Sheriff and Pennsylvania State Police reports that
indicated [Appellant] did not have a license to carry a firearm.
Also at trial, defense witness Andre Hailstock testified that
[Appellant] possessed a revolver on the 900 block of Fruit Ave.,
Sharon, Pennsylvania the day before the shooting.
[a]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 2502(a), 18 Pa.C.S.[A.] §
901(a).
[b]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 2502(a), 18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 903.
[c]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 2702(a)(1), 18 Pa.C.S.[A.] §
903.
[d]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] §§ 2702(a)(1),(4).
[e]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 2707.1(a).
[f]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 6105(a)(1).
[g]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 6106(a)(1).
[h]
18 Pa.C.S.[A.] § 2705.
On March 1[0], 2015, [Appellant] filed an application to
quash the counts of person not to possess a firearm, on the
grounds that the Commonwealth was collaterally estopped from
bringing the gun charges due to the jury acquittal. The
Commonwealth filed a concurrent motion to amend the criminal
information to add a new count of person not to possess. [The
trial c]ourt in a June 4, 2015 order granted [Appellant’s] motion
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to quash due to collateral estoppel but also granted the
Commonwealth’s motion to amend the information and allowed
the case to proceed.
On July 15, 2015[,] a jury convicted [Appellant] of being a
person not to possess a firearm . . . and [the trial c]ourt
sentenced [Appellant] on October 5, 2015[,] to [not less than
thirty nor more than sixty months of] incarceration in a state
correctional facility. That same day, [Appellant’s] trial counsel
orally moved to withdraw which [the trial c]ourt granted and
subsequently appointed the Public Defender’s Office of Mercer
County to represent [Appellant] on appeal. Despite this
appointment, the Public Defender’s Office had no contact with
[Appellant], and it [did] not file an appeal or post sentence
motions on [Appellant’s] behalf. According to Pa.R.Crim.P.
720(A)(3), [Appellant’s] deadline to file a notice of appeal to the
Superior Court passed on November 4, 2015[,] without action,
despite the fact that [Appellant] wrote to the Public Defender’s
Office of Mercer County requesting an update on his appeal and
an in-person meeting with his counsel. On February 5, 2016,
the Public Defender’s Office of Mercer County made an oral
motion to withdraw as counsel due to conflicts of interest, which
this Court granted, and subsequently appointed the present
counsel for [Appellant’s] representation.
[Appellant], through his present counsel, filed his first
PCRA[i] petition on July 15, 2016[,] and argued that his originally
appointed appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to: file
post-sentence motions, file a direct appeal, meet with
[Appellant] to discuss his appellate rights, and call character
witnesses at the time of trial. The PCRA petition also argued
that [Appellant’s] sentence was outside of the guideline range
and was unduly excessive. [The trial c]ourt granted
[Appellant’s] PCRA petition on July 25, 2016, on the grounds
that [Appellant’s] initial appellate counsel was per se ineffective
for failing to file a direct appeal after sentencing and restored his
appellate rights nunc pro tunc. After a detailed consideration,
[the trial c]ourt determined that it lacked the jurisdiction to
entertain any of the issues raised in [Appellant’s] PCRA not
related to the ineffective assistance of appellate counsel,
because as soon as it restored appellate rights, [Appellant’s]
sentence was no longer final.
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[i]
[] Post Conviction Relief Act, 42 Pa.C.S.[A.] §§
9541-9546[].
(Trial Court Opinion, 10/31/16, at 1-3).
Appellant filed a timely notice of appeal on August 17, 2016. On
August 22, 2016, the trial court ordered Appellant to file a concise statement
of errors complained of on appeal. See Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b). On September
2, 2016, Appellant filed a timely Rule 1925(b) statement. See id. On
October 31, 2016, the trial court issued an opinion. See Pa.R.A.P. 1925(a).
On appeal, Appellant raises the following questions for our review:
1. Did the [t]rial [c]ourt abuse its discretion in
sentencing Appellant excessively outside the recommended
guidelines and in failing to place sufficient weight on mitigating
factors presented at the time of sentencing and for placing too
much weight on Appellant’s criminal record, juvenile record, and
the gravity of the current offense?
2. Can originally appointed [a]ppellate counsel, the
Public Defender’s Office, be rendered ineffective for failing to file
post[-]sentence motions, meet with Appellant, and failing to file
a notice of appeal?
3. Did [t]rial [c]ounsel render ineffective assistance for
failing to interview prospective character witnesses for
Appellant’s trial?
4. Did [t]rial [c]ounsel render ineffective assistance for
failing to call known, present, and available character witnesses
at trial to the detriment of Appellant’s case?
(Appellant’s Brief, at 5-6).
In his first claim, Appellant challenges the discretionary aspects of
sentence. (See Appellant’s Brief, at 22-33). However, Appellant waived this
issue.
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It is settled that, “[i]ssues challenging the discretionary aspects of
sentence must be raised in a post-sentence motion or by presenting the
claim to the trial court during the sentencing proceedings. Absent such
efforts, an objection to a discretionary aspect of a sentence is waived.”
Commonwealth v. McAfee, 849 A.2d 270, 275 (Pa. Super. 2004), appeal
denied, 860 A.2d 122 (Pa. 2004) (citations and quotation marks omitted).
Here, Appellant neither raised any objections to the sentence at sentencing
nor filed a post-sentence motion challenging the discretionary aspects of
sentence. Thus, he waived any challenge to the discretionary aspects of
sentence.
Appellant’s remaining three claims all argue ineffective assistance of
counsel. (See Appellant’s Brief, at 33-40). However, these claims are not
ripe for review. Our Supreme Court reaffirmed the holding of
Commonwealth v. Grant, 813 A.2d 726 (Pa. 2002), in Commonwealth v.
Holmes, 79 A.3d 562, (Pa. 2013). In Holmes, our Supreme Court held
“claims of ineffective assistance of counsel are to be deferred to [PCRA]
review; trial courts should not entertain claims of ineffectiveness upon post[-
]verdict motions; and such claims should not be reviewed upon direct
appeal.” Holmes, supra at 576 (footnote omitted). The Holmes Court
noted two narrow exceptions for “extraordinary circumstances” to the
broader rule, holding “where the trial court, in the exercise of its discretion,
determines that a claim (or claims) of ineffectiveness is both meritorious and
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apparent from the record so that immediate consideration and relief is
warranted,” and allowing review for “good cause,” such as the shortness of a
sentence, of “multiple, and indeed comprehensive, ineffectiveness claims” if
such review is accompanied by a knowing, voluntarily, and express waiver of
PCRA rights. Id. at 577–78. Instantly, neither of these exceptions applies.
Therefore, Appellant’s ineffective assistance of counsel issues are premature
and we decline to address the merits. This is without prejudice to
Appellant’s right to present these ineffectiveness claims in a timely PCRA
petition.
All of Appellant’s issues on appeal are either waived or premature.
Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of sentence.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Judgment Entered.
Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.
Prothonotary
Date: 5/2/2017
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