Court Opinion

ID: 9762239
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:17:24.873944+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:32.247032
License: Public Domain

Justice NIGRO
concurring.
I agree with the majority’s decision to affirm Appellant’s judgment of sentence. I write separately merely to note that with regard to Appellant’s claim that the trial court improperly admitted victim impact testimony during his penalty phase, I continue to believe that the statutory provisions that permit the jury to consider victim impact testimony during the penalty phase of a capital case are unconstitutional.1 See Commonwealth v. Williams, 578 Pa. 504, 854 A.2d 440, 449-50 (2004) (Nigro, J., concurring); Commonwealth v. Rice, 568 Pa. 182, 795 A.2d 340, 363-64 (2002) (Nigro, J., concurring); Commonwealth v. Means, 565 Pa. 309, 773 A.2d 143, 162-67 (2001) (Nigro, J., dissenting). Nonetheless, I recognize that a major-
*27ity of this Court has concluded otherwise, and under that binding precedent, I must agree that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in admitting victim impact testimony during the penalty phase of Appellant’s trial.

. In Commonwealth v. Means, 565 Pa. 309, 773 A.2d 143 (2001), I suggested that this Court adopt a series of rules to govern the admission of victim impact testimony. See id. at 165-66 (Nigro, J., dissenting). In my view, these rules would "ensure that the death penalty is meted out with proper guidance and is not imposed in an arbitrary or capricious manner.” Id. at 165.