Opinion ID: 2306390
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Charge on Third Degree Murder

Text: Appellant next contends that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to object to the jury charge defining third degree murder. This claim is waived because it was not raised on direct appeal. See 42 Pa.C.S. § 9544(b). Appellant, however, additionally contends that appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise this issue on appeal. [19] Accordingly, we shall examine the merits of the claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness solely for purposes of evaluating the derivative claim of appellate counsel ineffectiveness. Appellant argues that the trial court's instruction on third degree murder misinterpreted Section 2502 of the Crimes Code [20] and was improper on two grounds: (1) the instruction led the jury to believe that it could only find Appellant guilty of third degree murder if it found that he intended to inflict grievous bodily injury on another person and death resulted; and (2) the instruction precluded the jury from finding a verdict of third degree murder if it found that a malicious, intentional killing had occurred. According to Appellant, a killing could be malicious and intentional, yet nonetheless support a finding of third degree murder based on the lack of deliberation or premeditation. Appellant's Brief at 38. We have held that [w]hen evaluating jury instructions, the charge must be read as a whole to determine whether it was fair or prejudicial. Commonwealth v. Robinson, 583 Pa. 358, 877 A.2d 433, 444 (2005); Commonwealth v. Hawkins, 567 Pa. 310, 787 A.2d 292, 301 (2001). The trial court has broad discretion in phrasing its instructions, and may choose its own wording so long as the law is clearly, adequately, and accurately presented to the jury for its consideration. Id. There is error only when the trial court abuses its discretion or inaccurately states the law. Commonwealth v. Markman, 591 Pa. 249, 916 A.2d 586, 613 (2007). To evaluate Appellant's claim, we look to the trial court's instructions explaining the various degrees of murder. First, the trial court defined first degree murder, in relevant part, as follows: Murder of the first degree is a criminal homicide that is committed with a specific intent to kill. It is this specific intention to kill which distinguishes it from other degrees of murder. An intentional killing is a killing by means of poison or by lying in wait or by any other kind of willful, deliberate and premeditated act. N.T. 6/16/88, at 457. The trial court briefly addressed the definition of second degree murder and indicated that it did not apply to this case. The court then defined third degree murder as follows: All murder which is not murder of the first degree or murder of the second degree under the law shall be murder of the third degree and again the doctrine of transferred intent applies. What is that kind of definition of third degree murder? Third degree murder is an unlawful killing of another person with malice as I defined it for you but with an intention to inflict grievous bodily injury on another person and not to take human life and yet as a result of the infliction of an injury, death does result. So, third degree murder includes any unlawful killing of a human being with malice but where no intention to actually kill exists or can reasonably and fully be inferred from the circumstances. So, if there is an unlawful killing where there's wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of consequences and a mind regardless of social duty but if no specific intention to kill can be inferred or collected, that is no intention to kill anyone can be inferred or collected from the facts, then the verdict should be guilty of murder in the third degree. Malice in murder of the third degree is the malicious design to do harm but not to kill. Third degree murder therefore is the unlawful taking of a human life with malice aforethought with no specific intention to kill another person but with the intention to inflict grievous bodily harm on another person and yet as a result of inflicting that injury death results. Id. at 459-60. After defining voluntary manslaughter, the trial court summarized the applicable law as follows: Let me summarize the law regarding murder and manslaughter. Murder of the first degree is an unlawful, willful, deliberate and premeditated killing with malice. It is accompanied by a specific intent to kill. Murder of the second degree doesn't apply. Murder of the third degree includes all unlawful killings with malice but where no intention to kill exists or can reasonably and fully be inferred from the circumstances.... Id., at 462. Contrary to Appellant's contentions, when read in its entirety, we conclude that the trial court's instruction adequately and accurately explained to the jury the law regarding third degree murder. Appellant's first challenge is based on the assertion that the instruction improperly led the jury to believe that it could only find Appellant guilty of third degree murder if it found that he intended to inflict grievous bodily injury on another person, and death resulted. The trial court did not, however, expressly instruct the jury that such intent was mandatory for third degree murder, but instead included such intent as a valid means of establishing the requisite malice. See Commonwealth v. Thomas, 552 Pa. 621, 717 A.2d 468, 479-80 (1998) (holding that third degree murder requires malice, which may include an intent to cause serious bodily injury that results in death, but third degree murder does not require such intent because malice can also be established by a wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of consequences and a mind regardless of social duty, which indicates an unjustified disregard for the likelihood of death or great bodily harm, and an extreme indifference to the value of human life). Here, the trial court's instruction, when read as a whole, adequately informed the jury of the various ways of demonstrating the requisite malice in a manner sufficient to establish third degree murder. Moreover, the jury charge correctly explained that third degree murder includes any unlawful killing of a human being with malice but where no intention to actually kill exists or can reasonably and fully be inferred from the circumstances. N.T. 6/16/1998, at 459. As this is an accurate statement of the law; the trial court did not err in charging the jury and prior counsel were not ineffective for failing to object or raise such claim on appeal. See Commonwealth v. Busanet, 572 Pa. 535, 817 A.2d 1060, 1075 (2002) (counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to raise meritless challenge to jury instructions). Appellant's second challenge is that the jury charge failed to note that a killing could be malicious and intentional, yet nonetheless support a finding of third degree murder due to the lack of deliberation or premeditation. This claim is unpersuasive because a killing committed with the specific intent to kill can never constitute third degree murder. To the contrary, as the trial court instructed, first degree murder is statutorily defined as an intentional killing, which, in turn, is defined as killing by means of poison, or by lying in wait, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate and premeditated killing. 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(a), (d). It is well-established that third degree murder is distinguishable from first degree murder in that only first degree murder requires the specific intent to kill. Commonwealth v. Overby, 575 Pa. 227, 836 A.2d 20, 24 (2003); See also 18 Pa.C.S. § 2502(a), (d). Thus, the underlying challenge to the jury instruction fails, the derivative claim of trial counsel ineffectiveness lacks arguable merit, and appellate counsel cannot be deemed ineffective for failing to raise the meritless claim on appeal.