Court Opinion

ID: 9762725
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:29:56.507502+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:55:07.454523
License: Public Domain

FLAHERTY, Chief Justice,
concurring.
While I join Mr. Justice Cappas majority opinion, I write separately to clarify my position on defining “life imprisonment” in capital cases. As I have previously stated, I would require a Simmons instruction in every capital case. Mr. Justice Nigro cogently explained the rationale for such a rule in his concurring opinion in Commonwealth v. Clark, 551 Pa. *613258, 710 A.2d 31, 43-44 (1998)(Nigro, J., concurring), which I joined:
However, I would suggest that the better practice and policy is to require trial courts to give a Simmons instruction in all death penalty proceedings, regardless of whether counsel raises the issue of a defendant’s potential future dangerousness during the penalty phase.
Under this practice, a jury considering the death penalty would automatically be informed, before deliberations began, of what life imprisonment actually means in Pennsylvania at the time of the instruction. In my opinion, a standard Simmons instruction would, in the first instance, serve to clarify that issue for the jury. For example, ... commutation is, at this time, a possibility in Pennsylvania for those serving life sentences, and therefore proper for the jury’s consideration.... Moreover, I can see no prejudice that the Commonwealth would suffer if every defendant facing a sentence of death received a Simmons jury instruction explaining, as thoroughly as possible, what “life imprisonment” means in Pennsylvania.
See also Commonwealth v. Young, 120 Capital App. Dkt., 1999 Pa LEXIS 139, 1999 WL 24540 (Pa.1999) (Flaherty, C.J., concurring); Commonwealth v. Cox, 556 Pa. 368, 728 A.2d 923, 938 (.1999) (Flaherty, C.J., concurring); Commonwealth v. King, 554 Pa. 331, 721 A.2d 763, 785 (1998) (Flaherty, C.J., concurring); Commonwealth v. Chandler, 554 Pa. 401, 721 A.2d 1040, 1047 n. 10 (1998); Commonwealth v. Robinson, 554 Pa. 293, 721 A.2d 344 (1998) (Flaherty, C.J., dissenting); Commonwealth v. Rompilla, 554 Pa. 378, 721 A.2d 786 (1998) (Flaherty, C.J., dissenting).
However, in the instant ease, Simmons was not decided until years after the final disposition of appellant’s direct appeal. Therefore, I agree with the majority that appellant’s claim of a constitutional violation does not satisfy the requirements of 42 Pa.C.S. § 9545(b)(l)(iii), as both the United States Supreme Court and this court have held that Simmons will not be given retroactive effect in a collateral attack. See O’Dell v. Netherland, 521 U.S. 151, 153, 117 S.Ct. 1969, 138 *614L.Ed.2d 351 (1997); Commonwealth v. Laird, 555 Pa. 629, 726 A.2d 346, 360 (1999).
Justice NIGRO joins this concurring opinion.