Opinion ID: 1435796
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Lack of Jury Instruction on Voluntary Manslaughter

Text: Appellant first claims that his trial counsel ignored his request to seek a jury charge on voluntary manslaughter and failed to object when the trial court did not include such an instruction. Specifically, Appellant argues that he was entitled to a jury instruction on heat of passion voluntary manslaughter. [11] The trial court instructed the jury on the elements of first-degree and third-degree murder but not voluntary manslaughter. According to Appellant, at the time of his trial, federal law required Pennsylvania courts to provide, upon request, an instruction on voluntary manslaughter in all murder indictments, even in the absence of evidence to prove the elements of voluntary manslaughter. In support of this proposition, Appellant cites United States ex rel. Matthews v. Johnson, 503 F.2d 339, 346 (3d Cir.1974) (en banc), cert. denied, 420 U.S. 952, 95 S.Ct. 1336, 43 L.Ed.2d 430 (1975). [12] In response to Appellant's assertion of controlling federal law, we first note that, in interpreting federal case law, this Court is not bound by decisions of federal courts inferior to the United States Supreme Court, even though we may look to them for guidance. Commonwealth v. Laird, 555 Pa. 629, 726 A.2d 346, 359 n. 12 (1999); Commonwealth v. Clark, 551 Pa. 258, 710 A.2d 31, 39 (1998). Second, the issue before us rests squarely on a review of state law. Pennsylvania common law has evolved considerably since the Third Circuit announced Matthews. [13] By the time the Third Circuit had published Matthews, we had already changed our substantive law to require an instruction on voluntary manslaughter whenever murder was at issue, even in the absence of evidence of passion or provocation. [14] Commonwealth v. Jones, 457 Pa. 563, 319 A.2d 142, 148, cert. denied, 419 U.S. 1000, 95 S.Ct. 316, 42 L.Ed.2d 274 (1974). Since 1983, applying the 1972 Crimes Code, [15] we have repeatedly held that a voluntary manslaughter instruction is warranted only where the offense is at issue and the evidence would support such a verdict. See Commonwealth v. Robinson, 554 Pa. 293, 721 A.2d 344, 353-54 (1998); Commonwealth v. Speight, 544 Pa. 451, 677 A.2d 317, 324-25 (1996), cert. denied, 519 U.S. 1119, 117 S.Ct. 967, 136 L.Ed.2d 852 (1997); Commonwealth v. Browdie, 543 Pa. 337, 671 A.2d 668, 673-74 (1996); Commonwealth v. Williams, 537 Pa. 1, 640 A.2d 1251, 1265-66 (1994); Commonwealth v. Carter, 502 Pa. 433, 466 A.2d 1328, 1332-33 (1983); see also Commonwealth v. White, 490 Pa. 179, 415 A.2d 399, 400 (1980) (holding that trial court may charge on involuntary manslaughter only where evidence exists to support such a verdict). The Commonwealth tried Appellant for murder in 1991 under the 1972 Crimes Code, and the relevant case law applies to his case. Pursuant to the 1972 Crimes Code, a person is guilty of heat of passion voluntary manslaughter if at the time of the killing he acted under a sudden and intense passion resulting from serious provocation by the victim. 18 Pa.C.S. § 2503(a); Commonwealth v. Walker, 540 Pa. 80, 656 A.2d 90, 95-96, cert. denied, 516 U.S. 854, 116 S.Ct. 156, 133 L.Ed.2d 100 (1995). `Heat of passion' includes emotions such as anger, rage, sudden resentment or terror, which renders the mind incapable of reason. Speight, 677 A.2d at 324-25. Absent evidence of negligence or accident, a heat of passion voluntary manslaughter charge is improper where the victim is not the person who provoked the defendant. Robinson, 721 A.2d at 353-54; Commonwealth v. Jones, 546 Pa. 161, 683 A.2d 1181, 1197 (1996). The record belies Appellant's insinuation that the killing occurred under the heat of passion as a result of a serious provocation from the victim. Furthermore, Appellant presented no evidence to demonstrate that he negligently or accidentally shot the victim while attempting to kill his brother. Instead, Appellant presented evidence to support his alibi theory that he was not at that park when the murder occurred. In contrast, the jury heard evidence from the Commonwealth that, after Appellant drew a gun and pointed it at the victim and his brother, the brother of the victim punched Appellant and ran from the scene. The evidence supports, and the jury found, that, following the assault and flight by the victim's brother, Appellant took deliberate aim, shot the victim in the chest, and then fired several more shots directly into his prone body. We find that the trial court did not err by omitting an instruction on voluntary manslaughter because Appellant presented no evidence to justify such a verdict. There is no ineffectiveness of counsel for failing to request an unwarranted instruction. See Lark 698 A.2d at 50. Accordingly, Appellant's first claim of ineffectiveness is without arguable merit.