Case Name: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Barbara GOINS, Appellant
Court: Superior Court of Pennsylvania
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Decision Date: 1985-11-29
Citations: 348 Pa. Super. 22
Docket Number: No. 00918
Parties: COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Barbara GOINS, Appellant.
Judges: Before WIEAND, POPOVICH and LIPEZ, JJ.
Reporter: Pennsylvania Superior Court Reports
Volume: 348
Pages: 22–26

Head Matter:
501 A.2d 279
COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania v. Barbara GOINS, Appellant.
Superior Court of Pennsylvania.
Submitted Aug. 5, 1985.
Filed Nov. 29, 1985.
Paulette J. Balogh, Assistant Public Defender, Pittsburgh, for appellant.
Robert L. Eberhardt, Deputy District Attorney, Pittsburgh, for Commonwealth, appellee.
Before WIEAND, POPOVICH and LIPEZ, JJ.

Opinion:
LIPEZ, Judge:
In a jury trial, defendant was convicted of simple assault, resisting arrest, and obstructing the administration of law. Post-verdict motions were denied, and a sentence of two consecutive one-year terms of probation was imposed for the simple assault and obstructing the administration of law charges. Sentence was suspended on the charge of resisting arrest. In this appeal defendant alleges that (1) the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict; and (2) the trial court erred by refusing to instruct the jury as to the definition of "bodily injury" for the simple assault and resisting arrest charges. We affirm.
Defendant's sufficiency of the evidence claim is waived since she failed to specifically include it in her post-verdict motions. Commonwealth v. Gravely, 486 Pa. 194, 404 A.2d 1296 (1979); Commonwealth v. Cardona, 316 Pa.Super. 381, 463 A.2d 11 (1983), petition for allowance of appeal denied.
In defendant's other claim, she argues that without having been instructed as to the definition of "bodily injury," the jury was forced to "rely on speculation and on individual prejudices to reach a verdict" on the charges of simple assault and resisting arrest. "Bodily injury" is defined as "impairment of physical condition or substantial pain." 18 Pa.C.S. § 2301. Pennsylvania Suggested Standard Criminal Jury Instructions indicate that courts should use this definition in connection with the instructions on the various assault crimes, including simple .assault. Pa. SSJI (Crim) 15.2701A-E. We do not believe, however, that "bodily injury" is a legal term with a meaning "laymen do not necessarily understand without judicial guidance." Commonwealth v. Robinson, 284 Pa.Super. 152, 156, 425 A.2d 748, 750 (1980). Furthermore, the jury heard testimony that defendant inflicted bruises and scratches upon the arresting officers. Clearly, there was little room for speculation as to whether this constituted "bodily injury." Therefore, the court's failure to define "bodily injury" did not prejudice the defendant.
Judgment of sentence affirmed.
WIEAND, J., dissents.
. Defendant also failed to raise this issue in her written brief in support of postverdict motions.