PA Superior Court Upholds 13-To-28-Year Sentence In Abington Gun And Drug Case

ABINGTON, PA — A Pennsylvania appellate court panel has upheld the conviction of a man who was sentenced to 13 to 28 years in state prison nearly two years ago for various drug and gun violations following his arrest at an Abington Township home.

A three-judge panel of the state’s Superior Court on Oct. 4 affirmed the sentence that had been handed down to Christopher Hall in December 2019 stemming from his conviction on charges relating to running a drug manufacturing operation and related firearms charges.

According to a history of the case given by the Superior Court, Hall was arrested back in late 2017 by officers with the Abington Township Police Department after they were called to a home on the 1500 block of Lindbergh Avenue in the Roslyn section for a report of a domestic altercation.

Prior to arriving at the home, police were made aware of an active warrant for Hall for aggravated assault, and when officers arrived on scene, they were met by a neighbor who informed them that Hall had been involved in a disturbance at the home.

Officers eventually entered the home when they believed someone inside had been in danger, and once inside they observed what appeared to be a marijuana growing operation, according to the court record. They also discovered drug paraphernalia and a total of five handguns, two of which were admitted as stolen. One of the guns had an obliterated serial number.

Following a jury trial at the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, Hall was convicted of five counts of person not to possess a firearm, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number, manufacturing a controlled substance; three counts of receiving stolen property; and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A Montgomery County judge subsequently sentenced Hall to between 13 and 28 years in prison. He had a prior criminal record.

Hall ultimately appealed his sentence, arguing that the trial court committed numerous errors, including denying a defense motion to suppress evidence relating to the police committing a warrantless search of the home without probable cause when they went inside on the day of Hall’s arrest.

Police had asserted that they entered the home when they heard screaming and that that gave them probable cause to come inside, since they believed someone was in danger.

The appeals panel disagreed with Hall’s argument relating to the warrantless search, stating that there is an exception to warrantless entry of a residence when exigent circumstances exist.

In this case, the Superior Court panel wrote, Abington officers took into account Hall’s outstanding warrant for aggravated assault, his connection to the property, the screaming inside the residence, and details provided by the 911 caller saying somebody might be hurt at the home.

Hall had also argued four other issues on appeal, all of which the appeals panel quashed, ultimately affirming the trial court’s sentencing.