Court Opinion

ID: 9711115
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 04:24:39.282953+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:23:02.365792
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Justice,
concurring.
Although I concur in the result, I must point out that the majority has misstated the definition of murder of the first degree. The majority states that specific intent is the element which distinguishes murder of the first degree from lesser degrees of murder. Rather, to amount to murder of the first degree, a killing must also be “willful, deliberate and premeditated.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 2502(d) (Supp.1978); Commonwealth v. Moore, 473 Pa. 169, 373 A.2d 1101 (1977) (Roberts, J., joined by Manderino, J., concurring); Commonwealth v. O’Searo, 466 Pa. 224, 352 A.2d 30 (1976) (Manderino, J., joined by Roberts, J., dissenting) (quoting Lafave & Scott, Criminal Law 563-64 (1972)). Because sufficient evidence exists to support a finding that appellant committed a “willful, deliberate and premeditated” killing, I would affirm the judgment- of sentence.