J-S14013-15

NON-PRECEDENTIAL DECISION – SEE SUPERIOR COURT I.O.P 65.37

COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, : IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF

: PENNSYLVANIA

Appellee :

:

v. :

:

KENISHA TYLER, :

:

Appellant : No. 532 EDA 2014

Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence January 16, 2014,

Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County,

Criminal Division at No. CP-51-CR-0008610-2012

BEFORE: DONOHUE, OLSON and MUSMANNO, JJ.

MEMORANDUM BY DONOHUE, J.: FILED APRIL 14, 2015

Appellant, Kenisha Tyler (“Tyler”), appeals from the judgment of 

sentence entered on January 16, 2014 following her convictions for simple 

assault, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2701, aggravated assault, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2702, and 

conspiracy, 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 903. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the 

convictions.

The trial court aptly summarized the evidence introduced at trial as

follows:

The complainant, Ms. Joh'nae Nicole Thompson 

[(“Thompson”)], testified to two separate events 

occurring on March 18, 2012 and March 19, 2012. 

(N.T., 8/1 9/12 pgs. 26 — 83). On March 18, 2012 

at approximately 3:00 p.m., while walking to work, 

[Thompson] encountered [Tyler]. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 

27). [Tyler] began yelling at [Thompson] "Do you 

want to fight?" (N.T., 8/1 9/12 pg. 28). 

[Thompson] answered [Tyler] that she did not want 

to fight her [and] that she was on her way to work[;] 
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[Thompson] then continued walking to work. [Tyler] 

followed and yelled out to [Thompson] again asking 

her if she wanted to fight and [Thompson] 

responded in the same way, and continued walking. 

(N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 28). [Tyler] then told 

[Thompson] "No, you want to fight me, so we're 

going to fight[,]" then threw a punch that hit 

[Thompson] on the left side of her face. (N.T., 

8/19/12 pgs. 28, 29). [Thompson] felt she had no 

choice but to defend herself and began to fight back 

with [Tyler]. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 29, 53).

[Thompson] testified that while she was engaged 

with [Tyler], more women, that she did not 

recognize, began punching, kicking, and jumping on 

her. (N.T., 8/19/12 pgs. 29-30, 59, 60). She 

recalled being beaten by the entire group, including 

[Tyler], for about three minutes until she was 

eventually pulled out from under the assailants by a 

neighbor. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 31). [Thompson] was 

shaken up by the incident but was able to walk 

home[;] her mother and father were home when she 

arrived, and they helped her to calm down. 

[Thompson] testified that she received a chipped 

tooth, a black eye, a few bumps on her face and 

several scrapes on her body from this incident. 

(N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 31). Her mother took pictures of 

her injuries shortly after she arrived home. (N.T., 

8/19/12 pg. 44).

On March 19, 2012 [Thompson] went to the police 

station to report the assault from the previous 

evening. She was directed to the Southwest 

Detectives in the 18th district located on 55th Street 

and Pine Street, and spoke with Detective Campbell 

about the incident with [Tyler] that occurred March 

18, 2012. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 33). [Thompson] 

testified that she was speaking with the detective 

until about 2:30 p.m., after speaking with the 

detective she went directly home.

When she arrived home from the police station[,] 

she was sitting outside with her mother, father, 
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aunts, cousins and some neighbors explaining what 

happened the night before and at the police station. 

[Thompson] stated that while she was outside she 

saw [Tyler]'s sisters, Kiera and Amarra, approaching 

from the corner. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 34). When 

Kiera saw her she taunted [Thompson] yelling "My 

sister mangled your face." [Thompson] responded 

"You are a stupid bitch and so is your sister." Kiera 

then threw a punch at her. (N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 35, 

64).

[Thompson] defended herself and began fighting 

Kiera. While [Thompson] was already engaged with 

Kiera, Amarra began punching her as well. This 

altercation went on for about two minutes until 

neighbors broke the three of them apart. (N.T., 

8/19/12 pgs. 35-36).

Kiera and Amarra then left only to return five 

minutes later with [Tyler] and approximately thirty 

other people on foot and in vehicles. (N.T., 8/1 9/12 

pgs. 36, 67, 68). The crowd with [Tyler] and her 

sisters rushed over and attacked [Thompson]'s 

family. Kiera attacked [Thompson], and while they 

were engaged [Tyler] came from behind [Thompson] 

and punched her in the face. [Tyler]'s punch 

knocked [Thompson] down on top of [Tyler]'s sister, 

Kiera. (N.T., 8/19/12 pgs. 37, 68 69). While 

[Thompson] was on the ground [Tyler] grabbed her 

hair and slammed her head into a cobblestone wall 

twice. The melee stopped shortly thereafter. (N.T., 

8/19/12 pgs. 38, 70).

[Thompson] was rushed to the University of 

Pennsylvania Hospital by ambulance. (N.T„ 8/19/12 

pg. 39). She was treated and admitted through 

emergency for multiple abrasions throughout her 

upper extremities, with a contusion to her orbital and 

orbital swelling resulting from a left orbital flora 

fracture[;] she stayed at the hospital for three days. 

(N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 41, 8/20/12 pg. 47). She 

returned to the hospital March 26, 2012 for surgery 

to correct the broken bone, and was admitted to the 
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hospital, for recovery, for four days. (N.T., 8/19/12 

pg. 41).

As a result of the injuries sustained during the 

incident, [Thompson] had quadruple vision for about 

four months, and was placed on medical deferment 

from enlisting in the military. (N.T., 8/19/12 pgs. 

42-43). She was cleared for active military duty on 

July 26th, 2013. N.T., 8/19/12 pg. 42).1

* * *

Philadelphia Police Officer Pamela Roberts testified 

that on March 19, 2012 she was working the activity 

desk inside the nineteenth district. (N.T., 8/20/13 

pg. 41, 42). On that day, [Thompson] came in to 

make a police report. (N.T., 8/20/13 pg. 42). 

[Thompson] told Officer Roberts that she had been 

assaulted by the [Tyler]. (N.T., 8/20/13 pg. 44, 45). 

[Thompson] told Officer Roberts that she was 

walking to the store when [Tyler] approached her, 

alongside five to six black females, and asked if she 

wanted to fight. (N.T., 8/20/13 pg. 45). When 

[Thompson] came to make the police report, Officer 

Roberts noticed that she had a black right eye and 

her front bottom tooth was chipped. (N.T., 8/20/13 

pg. 45). Officer Roberts documented all of this on a 

75-48 incident report and later sent the report to 

Southwest Detectives. (N.T., 8/20/13 pg. 45).

Trial Court Opinion, 8/1/2014, at 4-8.

On August 21, 2013, a jury convicted Tyler of the three abovereferenced crimes. The trial court sentenced her to 11 and one half to 23 

months of confinement in the county prison on the simple assault conviction, 

five years of probation on the aggravated assault conviction, and five years 

 

1

 The trial court also summarized the testimony of Thompson’s mother, 

Christina Miller-Marcus, whose recollection of events was consistent with and 

supportive of Thompson’s testimony.
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of probation (concurrent) on the conspiracy conviction. This appeal 

followed, in which Tyler presents the following seven issues for our 

consideration and determination:

1. Did the trial court err during jury selection by 

engaging in excessive rehabilitation of several 

potential jurors who stated that they would be more 

likely to believe police witnesses?

2. Did the trial court err in allowing inflammatory color 

photographs of [Thompson’s] facial injuries to be 

published to the jury?

3. Did the trial court err and cause irreparable harm 

and prejudice to [Tyler] when, while [Tyler] was 

testifying before the jury, the trial court told [Tyler] 

that she had committed a crime?

4. Did the trial court err in refusing to give a charge for 

Simple Assault with regard to the incident that 

occurred on March 19, 2012, because there was no 

risk of death to [Thompson] and [Thompson] did not 

suffer serious permanent disfigurement or protracted 

loss of the function of any bodily member or organ?

5. Did the trial court err in refusing to include malice 

and a definition thereof in its charge for Aggravated 

Assault as a Felony of the First Degree?

6. Did the trial court err in interrupting [Tyler’s] counsel 

and engaging in a lengthy soliloquy during closing 

argument, causing harm and prejudice to [Tyler], 

when counsel simply and correctly read the 

Aggravated Assault statute for which [Tyler] had 

been charged?

7. Was there sufficient evidence as a matter of law that 

[Tyler] was guilty of Aggravated Assault as a Felony 

of the First Degree and Conspiracy to commit the 

same as to events that occurred on March 19, 2012?

Tyler’s Brief at 4-5.
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For her first issue on appeal, Tyler claims that she was not tried before 

an impartial jury because during voir dire the trial court “excessively 

rehabilitat[ed] potential jurors who stated that they would be more likely to 

believe police testimony rather than testimony from civilian witnesses.” 

Tyler'’ Brief at 10. Conversely, Tyler contends that a “pro-defense juror” 

was not similarly rehabilitated and then excused. Id. According to Tyler, 

the trial court’s conduct required her to use preemptory challenges against 

jurors that should have been dismissed for cause.

The scope of voir dire is at the discretion of the trial court. 

Commonwealth v. Ellison, 902 A.2d 419, 424 (Pa. 2006). “The 

opportunity to observe the demeanor of the prospective juror and the tenor 

of the juror's answers is indispensable to the judge in determining whether a 

fair trial can be had in the community. Claims of impartiality by prospective 

jurors are subject to scrutiny for credibility and reliability as is any 

testimony, and the judgment of the trial court is necessarily accorded great 

weight.” Commonwealth v. Bachert, 453 A.2d 931, 937 (Pa. 1982). This 

Court should not reverse decisions of the trial judge concerning voir dire in 

the absence of palpable error. Ellison, 902 A.2d at 424. The test for 

determining whether a prospective juror should be disqualified is whether he 

is willing and able to eliminate the influence of any scruples and render a 

verdict according to the evidence. Cordes v. Associates of Internal 
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Med., 87 A.3d 829, 864 (Pa. Super.) (en banc), appeal denied, 102 A.3d 

986 (Pa. 2014).

Tyler directs our attention to the testimony of three jurors, each of 

whom answered in the affirmative to a question on a jury questionnaire 

regarding whether they would be more likely to believe the testimony of 

police officers because of their job. The relevant testimony of these three 

witnesses, against whom Tyler exercised preemptory challenges, is as 

follows, beginning with juror Maurice O’Donnell:

[COURT]: You also said that you would be more likely to 

believe the testimony of a police officer or anybody 

in law enforcement because of their job; is that 

right?

[PANELIST]: Yes, sir.

[COURT]: Here’s the real question: If a police officer comes in 

here and testifies, are you able to evaluate his or her 

testimony and make a determination – is he telling 

the truth or not; is he exaggerating or not; is this 

reliable or not – or are you telling me with this 

answer that if a police officer testifies, it must be 

true, he’s a police officer?

[PANELIST]: I think you have to take in the sense of this is a 

member of the law enforcement community and that 

he is a responsible – he or she is a responsible 

individual; otherwise, they shouldn’t be in their 

current position.

I know good police officers and bad police officers.

[COURT]: So if I understand what you’re saying, in some 

cases, you might believe the police officers; in some 

cases, you might not?
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[PANELIST]: Yes, sir.

[COURT]: So based on your conversation and your 

questionnaire, it’s my understanding that there’s no 

reason why you would not be a fair juror.

There’s no reason why you can’t sit on this jury, 

correct?

[PANELIST]: Correct.

N.T., 8/19/2013,2at 40-41.

The relevant testimony of juror Iwona Herok:

[COURT]: So you expect police officers to tell the truth?

[PANELIST]: Yes.

[COURT]: But the question is, if you’re sitting on this jury, are 

you able to evaluate all of the witnesses, including 

any police officers – I don’t know if there will be 

police witnesses; but if there are police witnesses, 

would you be able to evaluate their testimony and 

make a determination whether they’re telling the 

truth or not or since they’re a police officer, you’re 

just going to accept whatever they say – it must be 

the truth.

[PANELIST]: I would expect them to tell the truth since – I don’t 

know. I think all police officers, it is their job. It’s 

part of their job to be honest with everybody. So I 

would expect them to be honest when they’re on the 

jury stand. Like if it was me on there, everybody 

would expect me to tell the truth, not to lie under 

the oath and pay the consequences.

[COURT]: Okay. So you’re telling me you expect every witness 

to tell the truth?

 

2

 The transcript of the jury selection process was incorrectly dated August 

19, 2014.
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[PANELIST]: Yes. If they’re honest, yes.

[COURT]: All right. So when you say you expect police officers 

to tell the truth, it’s not because of their job; it’s 

because they’re witnesses?

[PANELIST]: Because they’re under oath like myself; if you’re 

under oath, you should be telling the truth, not doing 

something that you would have to pay consequences 

for.

[COURT]: Okay. Can you accept the possibility that sometimes 

people testify and they don’t tell the truth?

[PANELIST]: That’s hard to believe, but it’s a possibility.

[COURT]: So are you able to sit on this jury and make that 

kind of determination – is this witness telling the 

truth or is this witness telling me something else?

[PANELIST]: True.

[COURT]: So then in some cases, you might believe a police 

officer; in some cases, you might not?

[PANELIST]: True.

[COURT]: So having gone through all these questions with you 

and reviewing your questionnaire, it’s my impression 

that there’s no reason why you would not be a fair 

juror.

There’s no reason why you can’t sit on this jury, 

correct?

[PANELIST]: Correct.

Id. at 74-76.

The relevant testimony of juror Robert Peck:

[COURT]: You also said that you would be more likely to 

believe the testimony of a police officer or anybody 
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in law enforcement because of their job; is that 

right?

[PANELIST]: Yes.

[COURT]: Here’s the real question: If a police officer comes in 

here and testifies, are you able to evaluate his or her 

testimony and make a determination – is he telling 

the truth or not; is he exaggerating or not; is this 

reliable or not – or are you telling me with this 

answer that if a police officer testifies, it must be 

true – he’s a police officer.

[PANELIST]: I would listen to him carefully and determine 

whether he was telling the truth or not.

[COURT]: So in some cases, you might believe the police 

officer; in some cases, you might not?

[PANELIST]: Correct.

[COURT]: Based on our discussion and your questionnaire, it 

appears that there’s no reason why you would not be 

a fair juror.

There’s no reason why you can’t serve on this jury, 

correct?

[PANELIST]: Correct.

Id. at 92-93.

Finally, the testimony of “pro-defense’ juror Lucas Brown, who the trial 

court dismissed for cause:

[COURT]: When I was asking questions of the panel, you raised 

your hand.

Do you remember what that was for?

[PANELIST]: That if I knew anybody was in here.
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[COURT]: Yes.

[PANELIST]: I mean, I don’t know you personally, but I know who 

you are.

[COURT]: How do you know me?

[PANELIST]: My brother-in-law and my sister are defenders.

[COURT]: And they complain about me a lot?

[PANELIST]: I didn’t say that.

[COURT]: So you recognize my name, but we’ve never met. 

I’ve never seen you as far as I know.

[PANELIST]: I’m not sure.

[COURT]: Okay. What you’ve just described, is there anything 

about that that would prevent you from being a fair 

juror if you were sitting on this case?

[PANELIST]: Beyond like my already personal opinions about this?

Probably not.

[COURT]: Well, while we’re on the subject, what are your 

personal opinions that you think might prevent you 

from being fair?

[PANELIST]: The system, I don’t really think it works. We have a 

broken school district. We put money into the 

prisons left and right.

Id. at 55-56.

Based upon our review of the above testimony in its entirety, we 

cannot agree with Tyler that the trial court “excessively rehabilitat[ed]” 

jurors O’Donnell, Herok, and Peck. Instead, the certified record reflects only 

that the trial court questioned these jurors regarding their questionnaire 
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answers and determined that each juror would consider the testimony of any 

police witnesses objectively.3 Conversely, juror Brown suggested that he did 

not think he could be fair based upon his “personal opinions” about the 

school system and prisons. As set forth hereinabove, our standard of review 

in this regard is extremely deferential to the trial court, which, unlike this 

Court, had the opportunity to observe the prospective jurors when 

determining whether they could serve as impartial arbiters of the evidence 

presented. Bachert, 453 A.2d at 937 According the trial court’s decisions 

with great weight, as we must, we cannot say that that the trial court 

committed “palpable error” in its decisions during the voir dire process. No 

relief is due on Tyler’s first issue on appeal. 

For her second issue on appeal, Tyler contends that the trial court 

erred in publishing to the jury “inflammatory color photographs” of 

Thompson’s facial injuries. Tyler’s Brief at 13. Tyler argues that these 

photographs were cumulative evidence, prejudicial, and “inflammatory in 

their color version.” Id. 

The admissibility of evidence is at the discretion of the trial court and 

only a showing of an abuse of that discretion, and resulting prejudice, 

 

3

 We note that only one police witness testified at trial. Officer Pamela 

Roberts did not witness any of the events (fighting) at issue in this case, and 

instead her testimony was limited to her observations when she took a 

police report when Thompson came into the nineteenth district on March 18, 

2012 to report Tyler’s attack on her earlier that day. N.T., 8/20/13 pg. 41-

42. 
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constitutes reversible error. Commonwealth v. Malloy, 579 425, 856 A.2d 

767, 776 (Pa. 2004). Relevant evidence makes “the existence of any fact 

that is of consequence to the determination of the action more probable or 

less probable than it would be without the evidence.” Pa.R.E. 401. Relevant 

evidence may be excluded only if its probative value “is outweighed by the 

danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or 

by considerations of undue delay, waste of time, or needless presentation of 

cumulative evidence.” Pa.R.E. 403. Whether photographic evidence that is 

alleged to be inflammatory is admissible involves a two-step analysis. First, 

the court must decide whether a photograph is inflammatory by its very 

nature. Commonwealth v. Sanchez, 36 A.3d 24, 49 (Pa. 2011), cert. 

denied, 133 S.Ct. 122 (2012). If the court decides that the photograph is 

inflammatory, it must determine whether its essential evidentiary value 

outweighs the likelihood that its publication will improperly inflame the 

minds and passions of the jury.” Id. 

In this case, the trial court decided that the photographs in question 

were not inflammatory, and were relevant because they depicted 

Thompson’s injuries for the jury. Trial Court Opinion, 8/1/2014, at 12. We 

are unable to conduct a meaningful review of the trial court’s discretion 

because the allegedly objectionable photographs are not contained in the 

certified record on appeal. See Commonwealth v. Cottam, 616 A.2d 988, 

1002 n.7 (Pa. Super. 1992) (stating “it is [appellant’s] responsibility to 
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provide a record replete with all exhibits necessary for this court to review 

the issues raised”), appeal denied, 535 Pa. 673, 636 A.2d 632 (1993). 

Accordingly, we find this claim to be waived. See Commonwealth v. 

Lassen, 659 A.2d 999, 1008 (Pa. Super. 1995) (holding appellant’s 

assertion that photographs of the victim’s injuries were inadmissible based 

on their inflammatory and prejudicial nature was waived because he failed to 

include those photographs in the record). 

For her third issue on appeal, Tyler complains that the trial court 

refused to grant a motion for mistrial or issue a curative instruction after the 

trial judge “interject[ed] himself into a jury trial and [told Tyler] that she 

was guilty of a crime.” The relevant portion of the transcript during Tyler’s 

direct examination is as follows:

A. She was like, You know what, just drop your things -

- okay.

So we both put down our things. She gave the boy, 

Mike, who was with her – at that time, she gave him 

her bag and whatever else she had in her hand. I 

put my things down.

She said, This is what you want; this is what you 

want; you are about to get it – okay.

I threw my hands up as well.

[COURT]: All right. So you’re saying that after you had 

some words, the two of you agreed –

[TYLER]: Yes.

[COURT]: -- that you were going to fight?
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[TYLER]: Yes, sir.

[COURT]: Okay.

[TYLER]: She gave him her things. I put my things 

down. We both threw our hands up.

She said, This is what you want.

And then she swung. And then we wind up fighting.

Q. So the first swing was –

A. Was initially [Thompson].

[COURT]: Well, it doesn’t matter who was the first swing.

Before the first swing was swung, the two of you had 

agreed that you were going to fight, is that what 

you’re saying?

[TYLER]: Yes.

[COURT]: Okay. That’s – you understand that that’s 

against the law in Pennsylvania?

You understand that two people cannot by mutual 

consent agree to a fight?

It’s called simple assault, mutual consent, do you 

understand that?

[TYLER]: Yes.

[COURT]: Okay.

N.T., 8/20/2013, at 53-54.

Rule 605(B) of the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure governs 

the granting of mistrials:
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§ 605. Mistrial.

(B) When an event prejudicial to the defendant 

occurs during trial only the defendant may move for 

a mistrial; the motion shall be made when the event 

is disclosed. Otherwise, the trial judge may declare 

a mistrial only for reasons of manifest necessity.

Pa.R.Crim.P. 605(B). Furthermore, it is within the sound discretion of the 

trial court to determine whether a curative instruction is necessary, or even 

desirable. Commonwealth v. Sanchez, 82 A.3d 943, 982 (Pa. 2013), cert. 

denied sub nom., Sanchez v. Pennsylvania, 135 S. Ct. 154 (2014).

The Commonwealth persuasively submits that this claim is waived. 

Tyler did not move for a mistrial or request a curative instruction at the time 

of the above-quoted testimony. Instead, Tyler did not move for relief until 

much later that day, after the completion of Tyler’s testimony and that of 

her cousin (Felicia Tyler). In contravention of Rule 605(B), then, Tyler did 

not make a timely request for relief.4 Pa.R.Crim.P. 605(B); 

Commonwealth v. Strunk, 953 A.2d 577, 580 (Pa. Super. 2008) (“[O]ne 

must object to errors, improprieties or irregularities at the earliest possible 

stage of the criminal or civil adjudicatory process to afford the jurist hearing 

the case the first occasion to remedy the wrong and possibly avoid an 

unnecessary appeal to complain of the matter.”) (quoting Commonwealth 

 

4

 Tyler does not contend that manifest necessity existed on the facts 

presented here.
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v. English, 667 A.2d 1123, 1126 (Pa. Super. 1995), affirmed, 699 A.2d 710 

(Pa. 1997)). 

Moreover, even if not waived, we are not persuaded that that the trial 

court erred in refusing to grant a mistrial. “A trial court need only grant a 

mistrial where the alleged prejudicial event may reasonably be said to 

deprive the defendant of a fair and impartial trial.” Commonwealth v. 

Jones, 542 464, 668 A.2d 491, 503 (Pa. 1995), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 826 

(1996); Commonwealth v. Boczkowski, 454, 846 A.2d 75, 94-95 (Pa. 

2004). The extent to which Tyler was prejudiced by the trial court’s 

questions, if at all, is unclear. Rather than stating an objection or requesting 

a mistrial, counsel for Tyler responded to the trial court’s questions by 

rehabilitating Tyler -- eliciting considerably more favorable testimony from 

her, including that it was Thompson who wanted to fight, that she (Tyler) did 

not want to do so, that she felt threatened and scared by Thompson’s 

threats, and that she attempted to break up the fight when others joined in 

against Thompson. N.T., 8/20/2013, at 54-58. To the extent that Tyler 

suffered any prejudice, it did not rise to the high level necessitating the 

grant of a mistrial.

We are likewise not convinced that the trial court erred in refusing to 

give a curative instruction. The transcript shows that the trial court offered 

to consider giving one if drafted by Tyler’s counsel, but thereafter could not 

agree with the strong language recommended by counsel. Id. at 97-98. In 
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addition, while not specifically directed to the above-quoted questions, the 

trial court gave an extended instruction during its charge to the jury to 

ignore any of the trial court’s comments or opinions when reaching its 

verdict: 

Likewise, if I have said or done anything during the 

trial or during this instruction that I’m giving you 

now which implies my opinion as to any witness, any 

evidence or what your verdict should be in this case, 

I want to tell you two things. First, I have no 

opinion. And second, if I had an opinion, it would be 

the least well-informed opinion in this courtroom, 

because, as I explained to you at the beginning of 

the trial, most of the time, I can hardly see the 

witness.

I got a pretty good look at the witness who was in 

the scooter because she wasn’t in the chair. She 

was seated further back. She was an exception. 

I can’t see facial expression. I can’t see gestures. 

And I get distracted. I’m up here dealing with other 

things. As I told you at the outset, your job and my 

job are different. So a lot of times, I’m going 

through papers, I’m looking through this file or files 

from other cases, I’m off on the side talking to the 

courtroom staff. So two things, one, I have no 

opinion; and second, if I did, you should disregard it, 

because the only opinion in this courtroom that 

matters is your opinion – your opinion of the 

evidence, your opinion of the witnesses and 

ultimately your opinion as to what the verdict should 

be in this case.

N.T., 8/21/2013, at 13-14.

For her fourth issue on appeal, Tyler claims that the trial court erred in 

refusing to give a jury charge on simple assault for her actions on March 19, 
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2012. Tyler argues that the jury could have found her guilty of simple 

assault rather than aggravated assault, noting that there was no risk of 

death to Thompson and Thompson did not in fact suffer a serious bodily 

injury (serious impairment, disfigurement, or loss of the function of a bodily 

member or organ). Tyler’s Brief at 17. The trial court, upon consideration 

of the evidence presented at trial, determined that “[n]o evidence of simple 

assault was presented.” Trial Court Opinion, 8/1/2014, at 20. 

In Commonwealth v. Sirianni, 428 A.2d 829 (Pa. Super. 1981), this 

Court determined, based upon the following analysis of the two statutes, 

that simple assault is a lesser included offense to aggravated assault:

[W]e come to the next step of deciding whether or 

not simple assault, defined in section 2701(a)(1) as 

attempting to cause “bodily injury” is, in fact, a 

lesser included offense of aggravated assault, 

defined in section 2702(a)(1) as attempting to cause 

“serious bodily injury.” The “serious bodily injury” 

required to prove aggravated assault is defined as 

“(b)odily injury which creates a substantial risk of 

death or which causes serious, permanent 

disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of 

the function of any bodily member or organ.” 18 

Pa.C.S. § 2301. On the other hand, the “bodily 

injury” required to prove simple assault is defined as 

“(i)mpairment of physical condition or substantial 

pain.” A comparison of the above-quoted sections 

indicates that the definition of “serious bodily injury” 

contains “bodily injury” within it. In 

Commonwealth v. Wilds, this Court sitting en banc 

stated that “an offense is a lesser included offense if 

each and every element of the lesser offense is 

necessarily an element of the greater.” This test has 

been met here. “Simple assault” as an attempt to 

cause mere bodily injury is, therefore, a lesser 
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included offense of aggravated assault which is an 

attempt to cause serious bodily injury.

Id. at 632-33 (citations omitted). 

The proper focus in distinguishing between simple and aggravated 

assault is thus on the defendant's intent and actions. Commonwealth v. 

Thomas, 546 A.2d 116, 118 (Pa. Super. 1988). A defendant is entitled to a 

jury instruction on a lesser included offense only where the evidence in the 

record would permit the jury to find, rationally, that the defendant is guilty 

of the lesser included offense but not of the greater offense. Id. 

A trial court has wide discretion with respect to its jury instructions, 

and commits an abuse of discretion only when there is an inaccurate 

statement of the law. Commonwealth v. Jones, 954 A.2d 1194, 1198 (Pa. 

Super. 2008); Commonwealth v. Einhorn, 911 A.2d 960, 975 (Pa. Super. 

2006). Here the trial court, upon consideration of the evidence introduced 

at trial, determined that “[n]o evidence of simple assault was presented” 

and declined to instruct on simple assault for the events of March 19, 2012. 

Trial Court Opinion, 8/1/2014, at 20. 

We conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing 

to give an instruction on simple assault regarding Tyler’s actions on March 

19, 2012, for two reasons. First, contrary to Tyler’s claims, it was within the 

jury’s province to conclude that Thompson’s injuries resulting from the 

events on March 19 did qualify as serious bodily injuries. The definition of 
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“serious bodily injury” includes “protracted loss or impairment of the 

function of any bodily member or organ.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2301. The 

evidence showed that Thompson suffered a broken bone in the optical region 

of her face that caused her to have double vision for four months, and this 

injury eventually required surgery and a sustained deferment from military 

service. N.T., 8/19/2013, at 41; N.T., 8/20/2013, at 47. The protracted 

nature of these injuries to her eyes and vision could constitute serious bodily 

injury (rather than mere bodily injury), and thus the intentional and/or 

knowing nature of Tyler’s actions in inflicting these injuries would preclude 

any rational finding that Tyler was guilty of only simple assault (rather than 

aggravated assault). 

Second, even if Thompson did not suffer a serious bodily injury, the 

trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining, based upon the 

entirety of the evidence presented at trial, that the jury could not have 

rationally found that Tyler was guilty of only simple, as opposed to 

aggravated, assault for her actions on March 19, 2012. This Court has 

consistently held that multiple blows to a person’s head reflects an intention 

to inflict serious bodily injury. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Pandolfo, 

446 A.2d 939, 941 (Pa. Super. 1982); Commonwealth v. Bruce, 916 A.2d 

657, 661-62 (Pa. Super. 2007); Commonwealth v. Burton, 2 A.3d 598, 

605 (Pa. Super. 2010) (en banc) (single blow to the head knocking the 

victim to the ground). In the present circumstances, where the level of 
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Tyler’s violence escalated from March 18 to March 19, and where Tyler twice 

slammed Thompson’s head into a wall with enough force to break a bone in 

her face and cause her to suffer double vision for four months, it was well 

within the trial court’s discretion to decide that the evidence was consistent 

with only a charge for aggravated assault.

For her fifth issue on appeal, Tyler contends that the trial court erred 

in failing to instruct the jury on the definition of malice in connection with its 

charge on the elements of aggravated assault. This issue is without merit. 

As defined by statute, aggravated assault involves an attempt “to cause 

serious bodily injury to another, or causes such injury intentionally, 

knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme 

indifference to the value of human life.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2702(a)(1). Parsing 

this language, either of three mens rea will suffice: intentional conduct, 

knowing conduct, or reckless conduct with malice (i.e., under circumstances 

manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.). As such, this 

Court has held that malice is required for aggravated assault when the mens 

rea at issue is recklessness. Commonwealth v. McHale, 858 A.2d 1209, 

1212 (Pa. Super. 2004) (“Appellant was clearly negligent, but his actions did 

not rise to the level of recklessness required to support a conviction for 

aggravated assault.”); Commonwealth v. Myers, 722 A.2d 1074, 1077 

(Pa. Super. 1998) (“[T]he trial court instruction included the critical 

language ‘recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference 
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to the value of human life.’ This adequately informed the jury a heightened 

state of recklessness amounting to malice was required to convict under 18 

Pa.C.S. 2702(a)(1).”), appeal denied, 722 A.2d 1074 (Pa. 1999); 

Commonwealth v. Nichols, 692 A.2d 181, 186 (Pa. Super. 1997) 

(“[w]here malice is based on the recklessness of consequences, it is not 

sufficient to show mere recklessness as codified at 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 302(b)(3); 

but rather, it must be shown that the defendant consciously disregarded an 

unjustified and extremely high risk that his actions might cause death or 

serious bodily harm.”) (emphasis in original) (quoting Commonwealth v. 

Fierst, 4620 A.2d 1196, 1203 (Pa. Super. 1993)).

In this case, the Commonwealth did not request, and the trial court did 

not give, an instruction based upon recklessness, and instead the instruction 

to the jury focused solely on intentional or knowing misconduct:

[T]he next element is that the defendant acted 

intentionally, knowingly. A person acts intentionally 

with respect to serious bodily injury when it is her 

conscious object or purpose to cause such injury. A 

person acts knowingly with respect to serious bodily 

injury when she is aware that it is practically certain 

that her conduct will cause such a result. If you’re 

convinced that the Commonwealth has proven all of 

those elements beyond a reasonable doubt, then you 

must find the defendant guilty of aggravated assault.

N.T., 8/21/2013, at 43. Because the trial court limited its instruction to 

intentional or knowing actions, no instruction on malice was necessary. We 

thus find no error.
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For her sixth issue on appeal, Tyler posits that the trial court 

interrupted her counsel’s closing argument and engaged the jury in a 

lengthy soliloquy on the law. Tyler contends that her counsel was only 

attempting to read the text of the aggravated assault statute to the jury, 

and that the trial judge’s actions reflected a hostility to her and her counsel 

that resulted in prejudice to her. Tyler’s Brief at 19. 

We are unable to conduct meaningful appellate review of this claim 

because the closing arguments of counsel were not transcribed and thus are 

not part of the certified record on appeal. See N.T., 8/20/2013, at 109 

(“Whereupon closing arguments were stenographically taken but not 

transcribed”). Consideration of Tyler’s claim would, at a minimum, require 

this Court to review her counsel’s closing argument and the controverted 

interruptions by the trial court to determine if counsel preserved the issue 

for appeal and, if so, whether the interruptions were necessary, warranted, 

and/or prejudicial. Because the absence of a transcript precludes us from 

doing so, we may not grant any relief on this issue.

For her seventh issue on appeal, Tyler argues that the Commonwealth 

failed to present sufficient evidence to support the convictions for 

aggravated assault and conspiracy on March 19, 2012. In particular, Tyler 

posits that the Commonwealth did not disprove her self-defense defense. 

On appeal, she contends that the evidence at trial showed that after the 

fight on March 18, 2012, Thompson later appeared on the street with a gun, 
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and that as a result the next day she (Tyler) had reason to fear for her life 

on March 19, 2012. Tyler’s Brief at 25. Tyler further argues that she had no 

duty to retreat on the 19th after she saw Thompson fighting with her sister 

Kiera and came to Kiera’s aid. Id. Finally, Tyler claims that there was no 

evidence of any agreement with anyone to commit aggravated assault. Id.

We are guided by the following standard of review when presented 

with a challenge to the sufficiency of the evidence supporting a defendant's 

conviction:

As a general matter, our standard of review of 

sufficiency claims requires that we evaluate the 

record in the light most favorable to the verdict 

winner giving the prosecution the benefit of all 

reasonable inferences to be drawn from the 

evidence. Evidence will be deemed sufficient to 

support the verdict when it establishes each material 

element of the crime charged and the commission 

thereof by the accused, beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Nevertheless, the Commonwealth need not establish 

guilt to a mathematical certainty. Any doubt about 

the defendant's guilt is to be resolved by the fact 

finder unless the evidence is so weak and 

inconclusive that, as a matter of law, no probability 

of fact can be drawn from the combined 

circumstances. 

The Commonwealth may sustain its burden by 

means of wholly circumstantial evidence. 

Accordingly, the fact that the evidence establishing a 

defendant's participation in a crime is circumstantial 

does not preclude a conviction where the evidence 

coupled with the reasonable inferences drawn 

therefrom overcomes the presumption of innocence. 

Significantly, we may not substitute our judgment 

for that of the fact finder; thus, so long as the 

evidence adduced, accepted in the light most 
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favorable to the Commonwealth, demonstrates the 

respective elements of a defendant's crimes beyond 

a reasonable doubt, the appellant's convictions will 

be upheld.

Commonwealth v. Franklin, 69 A.3d 719, 722-23 (Pa. Super. 2013) 

(quoting Commonwealth v. Pettyjohn, 64 A.3d 1072, 1074 (Pa. Super. 

2013) (citations and quotation marks omitted)). 

If a defendant introduces evidence of self-defense, the Commonwealth 

bears the burden of disproving the self-defense claim beyond a reasonable 

doubt. Commonwealth v. Rivera, 983 A.2d 1211, 1221 (Pa. 2009). 

“Although the Commonwealth is required to disprove a claim of self-defense 

... a jury is not required to believe the testimony of the defendant who 

raises the claim.” Commonwealth v. Houser, 18 A.3d 1128, 1135 (Pa. 

2011) (quoting Commonwealth v. Carbone, 574 A.2d 584, 589 (Pa. 

1990)).

With respect to the charge of aggravated assault on March 19, 2012, 

we agree with the Commonwealth that Tyler did not present a self-defense 

defense. Instead, in her direct testimony, Tyler flatly denied that she hit 

Thompson or slammed her head into the wall. N.T., 8/20/2013, at 62 (“Q. 

Did you slam her face against a wall? A. No, I did not.”). As reflected in its 

verdict, the jury obviously disbelieved this testimony, finding instead that 

Tyler attacked Thompson, not for purposes of protecting herself but with the 

intention to inflict serious bodily harm. Similarly, with respect to conspiracy, 
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it was within the jury’s province to believe the evidence introduced by the 

Commonwealth, namely that Tyler and her sisters organized a crowd of up 

to 30 people to attack Thompson's family (during which melee Tyler twice 

slammed Thompson’s head into a wall). N.T., 8/19/2013, at 37, 68 69. This 

evidence was sufficient to establish a conspiracy.

Judgment of sentence affirmed.

Judgment Entered.

Joseph D. Seletyn, Esq.

Prothonotary

Date: 4/14/2015