Commonwealth v. Northrip

OPINION

Justice GREENSPAN.

We permitted this appeal in order to review the Superior Court’s decision under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9714, Sentences for Second and Subsequent Offenses, commonly referred to as the “Three Strikes Law.” The precise question is whether the Superior Court panel properly determined that the New York statute of Arson in the Third Degree, N.Y. Penal Law § 150.10, does not constitute an offense equivalent to the Pennsylvania statute of Arson Endangering Persons, 18 Pa. C.S. § 3301(a)(1). We conclude that the two offenses are not equivalent. As a result, we hold that the Superior…