Opinion ID: 2305923
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Trial of Cam Ly, Appellant

Text: In January 1988, Appellant's case went to trial. The Commonwealth's theory of the case assigned the role of Second Man, the principal assailant and shooter, to Appellant, and the role of First Man to Ah Thank Lee, with Benson Luong as Third Man. Janice Wong identified Appellant as her sister's killer, testifying that she would never forget his face. She noted that she had observed Appellant while he was eating and facing the kitchen, during the confrontation around the cash register, under the streetlights when he prevented her escape, and, finally, in the kitchen following the shooting of her sister. Janice Wong claimed to be 100 percent certain of the identification, but also testified that she was equally certain of her identifications of Ah Thank Lee and Benson Luong. [2] Notes of Testimony of Jury Trial (N.T.(Jury)), 1/26/1988, at 75, 99-100. Waiter Phong Ngo also identified Appellant from the witness stand as one of the three men upon whom he had waited and to whom he provided translation prior to the robbery and shooting, even though he had been unable to pick Appellant's photograph out of the array. Similarly, Officer Scanzello testified that Appellant was one of the individuals he saw in the restaurant. Appellant's brother presented alibi testimony claiming that Appellant was in New York with him on the night of the killing. On cross-examination, the prosecutor asked the brother whether Appellant was a member of the Flying Dragons gang, and after counsel's objection was overruled, the brother testified that he did not have any knowledge of gang membership but admitted that Appellant had a dragon tattoo on his arm. On February 1, 1988, at the close of the guilt phase, the trial court instructed the jury. Following some deliberation, the jury requested that the court repeat the instructions regarding the difference between murder in the first degree and murder in the second degree. Eventually, the jury convicted Appellant of first-degree murder, robbery, criminal conspiracy, and possession of an instrument of crime. Immediately following the guilt phase, the penalty phase began. Without specifically informing the defense prior to the hearing of the aggravators to be pursued, the Commonwealth based its argument for the death penalty primarily on the record in the guilt phase. It additionally introduced evidence that Appellant had pled guilty to two robberies and an attempted robbery in New York. In closing, the prosecutor made several comments regarding Appellant's lack of remorse, past violent acts, and his lack of respect for the rule of law. Defense counsel presented mitigation testimony focused on Appellant's three-year-old son in an attempt to humanize Appellant. Appellant testified during the penalty phase and professed his innocence, but did not provide any other mitigating information. During defense counsel's closing statement, he suggested that Appellant could be paroled if sentenced to life in prison. On February 2, 1988, upon finding three aggravating factors [3] and no mitigating factors, the jury returned the statutorily mandated death sentence. 42 Pa.C.S. § 9711(c)(iv). Following the denial of post-verdict motions, the trial court imposed consecutive sentences of seventeen and one-half to thirty-five years of imprisonment for the remaining charges.