Court Opinion

ID: 9735043
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 17:58:39.928615+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:26:54.784259
License: Public Domain

NIX, Justice
(concurring).
I cannot agree with that portion of the majority opinion which holds that the maximum permissible sanction that may be imposed for a given offense is not a factor of which the accused should be aware in order to intelligently decide whether to waive his right to a jury trial.
Waiver of the right to a jury trial is unquestionably the waiver of a substantial constitutional right. In Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U.S. 145, 88 S.Ct. 1444, 20 L.Ed.2d 491 (1967), the United States Supreme Court stated: “ . . .we believe that trial by jury in criminal cases is fundamental to the American scheme of justice . ”. Id. at 149, 88 S.Ct. at 1447. Accordingly for the waiver of a constitutional right the court must be assured that the accused is aware of all the material factors necessary to make an intelligent decision.
Case law has recognized the close relationship between the right to trial by jury and the gravity of the offense. Courts have held in determining when the right to trial by jury must be given an accused, the critical factor to be considered is the nature of the possible sanction to be imposed. Commonwealth v. Mayberry, 459 Pa. 91, 97, 327 A.2d 86, 89 (1974). See also Codispoti v. Pennsylvania, 418 U.S. 506, 511, 94 S.Ct. 2687, 2691, 41 L.Ed.2d 912 (1974); Taylor v. Hayes, 418 U.S. 488, 495, 94 S.Ct. 2697, 2702, 41 L.Ed.2d 897 (1974); Baldwin v. New *34York, 399 U.S. 66, 68-69, 90 S.Ct. 1886, 26 L.Ed.2d 437 (1970); Frank v. United States, 395 U.S. 147, 149-50, 89 S.Ct. 1503, 23 L.Ed.2d 162 (1969); Commonwealth v. Patterson, 452 Pa. 457, 463, n. 3, 308 A.2d 90, 93-94, n. 3 (1973); Commonwealth v. Bethea, 445 Pa. 161, 282 A.2d 246 (1971); Commonwealth v. Fletcher, 441 Pa. 28, 269 A.2d 727 (1971). Indeed in this Commonwealth, it was impermissible to waive a jury trial where the death penalty might be imposed. See Comment, Rule 1101, Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, 19 P.S. Appendix (1974) .
For the layman particularly, the best measure of the seriousness of the offense is. the maximum sanction that may be imposed. This is especially true at this time in Pennsylvania where we have recently adopted a new Crimes Code which provides for offenses which were not formerly known under our law. See Crimes Code, Act of December 6, 1972, P.L. 1482, No. 334, § 1 et seq., 18 Pa. C.S. § 101 et seq. (1973). Accordingly, I would hold that the accused should also be advised of the sanction that may be imposed as one factor necessary in making the decision whether to waive a trial by jury.
I concur in the result reached by the majority in the instant appeal, however, because the public traditionally is well aware of the seriousness of the offense here charged, to wit, murder. Under these circumstances the omission, in my judgment, was harmless error.
MANDERINO, J., joins in this opinion.