Opinion ID: 2343208
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: issue 14the criminal information omitted essential elements of the offense

Text: Pursuant to Pennsylvania law, first-degree murder requires the specific intent to kill the victim. 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502. This specific intent may be transferred to an unintended victim. 18 Pa.C.S. § 303(b). Jones states that because the Commonwealth proceeded under the theory of transferred intent, it was required to show that Jones specifically intended to kill Sylvester Williams in order to have that intent transferred to eventual victims. He avers that because this element of the crime was not set forth in the criminal information against him, the information violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 9 of the Pennsylvania Constitution. Indictments must be read in a common-sense manner, and are not to be construed in an overly technical sense. Commonwealth v. Pope, 455 Pa. 384, 317 A.2d 887, 890 (1974). At an earlier stage of legal development, indictments were strictly and technically construed, and the slightest imprecision in wording was often considered incurable error. Today, however, such arguments are unpersuasive. Id. (internal citations omitted). This Court has upheld criminal indictments possessing a flaw and found them to be constitutional because they put the defendant on sufficient notice of the charge against him or her. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Kelly, 487 Pa. 174, 409 A.2d 21 (1979) (upholding indictment that charged defendant with possession of heroin when the controlled substance in fact was methamphetamine because defendant was well advised of the nature of the offense charged). Jones admits that the challenged criminal information in this matter separately charged that Jones did feloniously, willfully, and of his malice aforethought kill and murder Maurice Jones and Reginald Hines, pursuant to 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502. ( See Brief of Jones at 87). Both criminal informations charged Jones with violating the statutory section for first-degree murder. A criminal information is not constitutionally infirm if it notified the defendant of the crime with which he is charged. We believe that when properly read in a common sense manner, the indictments in this case gave Jones adequate notice of the charges against him, regardless of the fact that the criminal information did not specify the specific intent element as to Williams. Moreover, this Court does not view the alleged unconstitutional variance as material or prejudicial to Jones. It is well settled that a purported variance will not be deemed fatal unless it could mislead the defendant at trial, involves an element of surprise prejudicial to the defendant's efforts to prepare his defense, precludes the defendant from anticipating the prosecution's proof, or impairs a substantial right. Pope, 317 A.2d at 890 (footnotes omitted). In the case sub judice, Jones knew that he was charged with killing Maurice Jones and Reginald Hines. He further knew that the charge was for an intentional killing pursuant to 18 Pa. C.S. § 2502. The variance in the charge did not hinder his ability to prepare a defense or impair a substantial right. Jones' state and federal constitutional rights were not violated by the form of the criminal information in this instance. Counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to bring an issue that has no merit. See Hall, supra. No relief is due.