Court Opinion

ID: 9763674
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:51:58.80039+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:47.882095
License: Public Domain

NIX, Justice,
concurring.
In granting relief to the instant appellant, the majority enters into a lengthy discussion as to whether the holding in Commonwealth v. Mulgrew, 475 Pa. 271, 380 A.2d 349 (1977) is applicable to the instant case. In my judgment, this inquiry is unnecessary in reaching the proper result here. For the reasons that follow, I believe it is clear that appellant is entitled to relief regardless of the decision as to the applicability of Mulgrew.
During the closing argument, the prosecuting attorney stated:
If you accept the fact that Melvin Brown didn’t know what he was doing when he was up in that room, well then, put him out in the street.
N.T. 497 (Emphasis added).
The defense at trial was that Brown should be found not guilty by reason of insanity. The above referred to statement in the summation of the prosecutor clearly suggested that the verdict sought by the defense would in effect result in “putting Brown back on the street.”
In his points for charge which had been submitted to the court prior to the closing arguments, the defense had requested a charge that the jury be informed of the available *387alternatives under the Mental Health Procedures Act1 if a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity was returned. After the remark by the prosecutor was made, defense counsel again urged the court to clarify the types of dispositions that would be available in the event of a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. Upon the denial of these requests, the defense moved for a mistrial and that motion was also denied. In view of the misleading aspect of the prosecutor’s remark, the defense was entitled to the sought after clarification and the court’s failure to provide it constituted reversible error, which warrants the grant of a new trial.

. Act of July 9, 1976, P.L. 817, No. 143, § 406, 50 P.S. § 7406 (Supp. 1980-81).