Chatman v. Commonwealth

Although I admire the efforts of the majority to discern and comply with the Supreme Court’s relevant holdings in this area, I believe it applies these holdings and the applicable rules more rigidly than necessary. In my view, the Supreme Court’s relevant decisions leave room for the conclusion that this Court obtains active jurisdiction to adjudicate an appeal when the appellant timely files a petition that substantially complies with Rule 5A:12(c). Because I believe a more lenient interpretation of the Rules better serves public policy, I would conclude we obtain active jurisdiction over a…