Court Opinion

ID: 9752103
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 17:36:30.814662+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:07.531235
License: Public Domain

PAPADAKOS, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent from the majority opinion on two grounds: the opinion has the unfortunate effect of establishing a per se rule that the use of any hearsay evidence must result in a new trial and, secondly, fails to give proper consideration to the related issue of harmless error.
With the exception of one conclusory sentence, the entire remainder of the majority opinion is devoted to proving that the testimony of Margaret Culp was hearsay. The stated conclusion (opinion, p. 165) is that “Testimony that appellant inflicted beatings upon his wife was prejudicial, and, hence, a new trial is required.” 1 I find no argument within the opinion supporting , such a conclusion and balk at the suggestion that the introduction of hearsay evidence will be per se prejudicial.
On the merits, as well, the evidence of the Appellant’s guilt is dispositive beyond a reasonable doubt. As related by Appellant at trial, his wife, the victim, attacked him with a knife. In the ensuing struggle, “I stabbed my wife and I had stabbed myself, and we both fallen to the ground” (T.T., pp. 654, 696-698). This version would account for the fact that the knife, with unidentifiable fingerprints, had blood from both Appellant and his wife. The jury, however, had reason to believe beyond a reasonable doubt that his self-inflicted wounds were a cover-up for the murder. Appellant additionally had difficulty in explaining why he possessed a new syringe and a small amount of Drano in his coat which he took to his wife’s house although he had been banned from returning there by court order (T.T., pp. 688-691). *403The majority also overlooked the fact that Appellant himself testified that, indeed, he had beaten his wife so severely that once she required hospitalization and also that he had rammed her car while she was driving it (T.T., pp. 668-674). Witness Culp had testified to such beatings, but even though her testimony was hearsay, I fail to see how that testimony was prejudicial in light of Appellant’s admissions on point.

. Mrs. Culp testified that she had not witnessed any beatings but was told of the abuse by the victim (T.T., pp. 107-114).