Opinion ID: 2550075
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: jury instructions-penalty phase

Text: Appellant claims the trial court erred by failing to give the jury his requested instruction regarding residual or lingering doubt. Appellant's proposed instruction would have informed the jury that they could consider any residual or lingering doubt they may have regarding Appellant's guilt in determining whether to impose a life sentence without release. Appellant's sole argument with respect to this claim is that this instruction was appropriate and proper under the circumstances. Appellant's Brief at 63. Appellant fails to elaborate on what particular circumstances he is referring to, nor does he develop this argument that the instruction was appropriate by reference to the relevant evidence of record, if any, which supports this claim, or to pertinent legal authority. Hence, as this claim is utterly undeveloped, it is waived for purposes of this direct appeal.
Appellant argues that the trial court erred in distributing only one verdict slip to the jury for use in their deliberations. He contends this improperly allowed the jury to lump all of the aggravating factors concerning the murder of each deputy together and to weigh them collectively against the one mitigating circumstance which they found. The trial court noted that Appellant was given a copy of the penalty phase verdict slip the night before the jury was to deliberate, and counsel made no objection to its form or contents. Trial Court Opinion, 7/6/07, at 51. It was only after the jury had returned its sentence of death and was discharged by the trial court, that Appellant presented this objection to the trial court. N.T. Penalty Phase Hearing, 2/9/06, at 67-68, 71. Because Appellant failed to make a timely objection regarding the verdict slip to the trial court, which raised the matters he presently complains of, when the trial court still had an opportunity to address them while the jury remained empanelled, he has waived this issue. Pa. R.A.P. 302(a).