Commonwealth v. Carela-Tolentino

The Court today summarily affirms, without opinion, the Superior Court’s determination that the mandatory $25,000 fine imposed in this drug possession ease was not unconstitutionally excessive. Because I believe that there must be some rational and reasonable relationship between the actual criminal conduct, the circumstances at issue, and the fine imposed, and because I believe that sentencing courts must have some discretion to ensure that such a relationship exists, I would find that the one-size-fits-all mandatory approach represented by 18 Pa.C.S. § 7508 violates constitutional…