Court Opinion

ID: 9766309
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 04:40:46.632936+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:30:21.206735
License: Public Domain

*151HOFFMAN, Judge
(dissenting):
Appellants contend that the court below erred in refusing to declare a mistrial when evidence was introduced showing that they were in possession of drug-related paraphernalia unrelated to the offenses with which they were charged. For reasons stated in Commonwealth v. Conti, 236 Pa.Super. 488, 345 A.2d 238 (1975), and in my dissenting opinion in Commonwealth v. Williams, 230 Pa.Super. 72, 327 A.2d 367 (1974), I would reverse and grant a new trial.
This Court has recently held that a mistrial is required “when evidence is so prejudicial that we cannot assume that the trier of fact will be able to put the evidence aside and arrive at an impartial adjudication.” Commonwealth v. Conti, supra, 236 Pa.Super. at 495, 345 A.2d at 242.
The possession or use of drugs is itself a crime. Thus, the introduction of this evidence in a trial for unrelated offenses is clearly prejudicial in a jury trial. As stated in Commonwealth v. Conti, supra at 499, 345 A.2d at 244, we cannot overlook “the fact that judges are subject to the same emotions and human frailties as affect all persons, lay jurors or not.”
Accordingly, the judgment of sentence should be reversed and appellants granted a new trial.
JACOBS, J., joins in this dissenting opinion.