Court Opinion

ID: 9757594
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 22:49:07.278783+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:41.378375
License: Public Domain

*70BECK, Judge,
concurring and dissenting.
I concur in the majority’s conclusion that the evidence presented by the Commonwealth was sufficient to establish force. However, I respectfully dissent from the majority’s conclusion that the trial court’s prompt complaint instruction was flawed. I would find that the instruction was sufficient.
A trial court is not bound to use specific language when charging a jury. It is the effect of the charge in its entirety that is controlling; all that is required is that the relevant legal principles be fully and adequately presented. Commonwealth v. La, 433 Pa.Super. 432, 640 A.2d 1336, 1344 (1994). With respect to the issue of delay in making a complaint, the relevant law is that “the lack of a prompt complaint by a victim of a crime, although not dispositive of the merits of the case, may justifiably produce a doubt as to whether the offense indeed occurred....” Commonwealth v. Snoke, 525 Pa. 295, 580 A.2d 295, 298 (1990).
In this case, the trial court instructed the jurors that they could consider the lack of a prompt complaint in their deliberations. Since the sole issue was whether the sexual contact was consensual, the charge essentially instructed the jurors to consider the failure to make a prompt complaint when deciding whether the victim was telling the truth.
Upon review of the court’s instruction, I would hold that the relevant law was sufficiently communicated to the jury and, therefore, a new trial is unwarranted.