Court Opinion

ID: 9535893
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 06:46:12.609856+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:33:22.797029
License: Public Domain

Justice SAYLOR,
concurring.
I join the majority opinion, except for footnote 6, because I do not see mischief in labeling the Blockburger test a “pure” or “strict” elements one, as a number of other jurisdictions do. Conceptually, I agree with the majority that many criminal offenses may be established via alternative methods of proof, and therefore, can be said to encompass alternative elements. Consequently, when assessing the appropriateness of merger, it is sometimes necessary to determine as a threshold matter which elements are in issue. Beyond that, and where a single criminal act is involved, I believe that the legislative design embodies a pure statutory elements approach.
Parenthetically, given the prevalence of general verdicts, and the possibility of jury instructions encompassing multiple methods of proof for an offense, it may well be that trial judges (and/or this Court in its rulemaking capacity) should institutionalize avenues by which to clarify which particular method of proof was accepted by the fact finder in such cases. Barring this, this Court may be called upon to decide to whose detriment (the Commonwealth’s or the defendant’s) a failure *50to obtain such clarification redounds in terms of sentencing merger.