The Pennsylvania Superior Court addressed Rule 600 for the first time since the Supreme Court issued its decision in Commonwealth v. Harth. The Superior Court affirmed the lower court’s denial of the defendant’s motion to dismiss for violating the speedy-trial rule. The Court held that the lower court complied with Harth and reasonably found that the Commonwealth was not responsible for the judicial delay caused by a judge’s reassignment to a civil courtroom, thus necessitating the transfer of the case to the judge that eventually heard the Rule 600 motion and the defendant’s bench trial. The Court also addressed the Supreme Court’s ruling in Commonwealth v. Yale, wherein the Supreme Court clarified the standard to determine whether evidence of third-party guilt is admissible. Here, the Superior Court held that the evidence was properly excluded.
