Opinion ID: 2069959
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Alleged Failure to Object to Accomplice Liability Instruction

Text: Johnson avers that trial counsel was ineffective for failing to object to the trial court's jury instruction on accomplice liability; specifically, he asserts that the instruction allowed the jury to believe that he could be convicted of first-degree murder if Bridges possessed specific intent to kill, even if Johnson did not. The court read the following instruction to the jury: You may find the defendant guilty of a crime on the theory that he was an accomplice as long as you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the crime was committed and that the defendant was an accomplice of the person who committed it. It does not matter whether the person you believe committed the crime has not been prosecuted or convicted. What is important, I think, is the analysis of whether or not the defendant is an accomplice or was an accomplice of anyone, first, you must remember my instructions and definition as to the offenses. The different offenses. You must decide whether or not anyone committed murder of the first degree or murder of the third degree, or aggravated assault, either type. If you decide that one or more of those offenses have been proven beyond a reasonable doubt by the Commonwealth, you decide who, in fact, committed one or more of these offenses, then you must decided if you have not decided the defendant actually committed it, but if you decided that he did not commit it, but was acting as an accomplice, then you must look at that language of accomplice liability. Did the defendant have the same intent when he acted in aiding or agreeing to aid or attempting to aid the person who actually committed it? The Commonwealth must prove, if you find that there was a murder of the first degree, that the defendant, as an accomplice, had the same mental state, the same intent to kill as the actual killer, the specific intent to kill, for first degree murder. And he aided agreed to aid or attempted to aid the other person in planning or committing it. N.T. Trial, 11/25/97, pages 832-833 (emphasis added). When reviewing a challenge to a jury instruction, we must review the charge as a whole. Commonwealth v. Spotz, 563 Pa. 269, 759 A.2d 1280, 1290 (2000); see Commonwealth v. Gilbert Jones, 546 Pa. 161, 683 A.2d 1181 (1996). An instruction will be upheld if it clearly, adequately and accurately reflects the law. The trial court may use its own form of expression to explain difficult legal concepts to the jury, as long as the trial court's instruction accurately conveys the law. Spotz, 759 A.2d at 1287. A trial court has broad discretion in phrasing its instructions and is permitted to choose its own wording. Commonwealth v. Hawkins, 549 Pa. 352, 701 A.2d 492 (1997), cert. denied, 523 U.S. 1083, 118 S.Ct. 1535, 140 L.Ed.2d 685 (1998). The above-quoted instruction, when read as a whole, clearly indicated to the jury that, to find Johnson guilty of murder in the first degree, they needed to find that he possessed the requisite specific intent to kill, even if they determined that he was not the person who actually pulled the trigger. Therefore, the jury charge was not erroneous and counsel will not be deemed ineffective for failing to raise a meritless claim. Tilley, supra .