Court Opinion

ID: 9754103
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 19:43:46.509449+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:48.648337
License: Public Domain

Justice NIGRO,
Concurring.
I join the majority opinion but write separately only to address its analysis as it relates to Appellant’s arguments that victim impact testimony was improperly admitted in the penalty phase of his trial. In Commonwealth v. Means, I dissented from the lead opinion’s conclusion that Pennsylvania’s statutory scheme governing victim impact evidence in the penalty phases of capital trials was constitutional. See Means, 565 Pa. 309, 773 A.2d 143, 162-167 (2001) (Nigro, J., dissenting). To correct what I saw as the constitutional infirmity of that *520scheme, I set forth a series of procedural safeguards that would, in my view, prevent a jury from using victim impact evidence in an arbitrary and capricious manner when deciding whether the death penalty is an appropriate sentence. Id. at 165-166. While it is clear in the instant case that some of those procedural safeguards were met, it is equally clear that others were not.1 I nonetheless recognize that, under the controlling precedent of this Court, Appellant is not entitled to relief on his claims and I therefore join the majority’s disposition to that effect. See Means, 773 A.2d at 147-58; Commonwealth v. Harris, 572 Pa. 489, 817 A.2d 1033, 1052-1053 (2002). Accord Commonwealth v. Rice, 568 Pa. 182, 795 A.2d 340, 363-64 (2002) (Nigro, J. concurring) (recognizing stare decisis effect of decision in Means).

. For example, I stated in my dissenting opinion that I would only allow die Commonwealth to introduce victim impact evidence if the defendant presents evidence pursuant to the catch-all mitigating provision, 42 Pa.C.S. § 9711(e)(8). See Means, 773 A.2d at 165 (Nigro, J., dissenting). Here, it is clear that Appellant presented such evidence, as the jury found the existence of that mitigator. At the same time, I also stated in my dissenting opinion that, absent special circumstances, I would only allow one witness to testify on behalf of the victim’s family. Id. Here, however, four witnesses offered victim impact testimony at Appellant's penalty phase hearing and there does not appear to be any "special circumstances” that would warrant that amount of testimony.