Court Opinion

ID: 9699027
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:07:25.123718+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:45.736546
License: Public Domain

Dissenting Opinion by
Wright, J.:
I respectfully dissent. No objection was made to the admission of appellant’s confession in evidence, and the issue of fact concerning its voluntary character was properly submitted to the jury. The pertinent portion of the charge is quoted in the majority opinion. In my view it is in conformity with the requirements set forth in Commonwealth v. Simmons, 361 Pa. 391, 65 A. 2d 353; certiorari denied, 338 U.S. 862. I agree with the court below that it was not necessary “under the circumstances here present” to re-state what had in effect already been explained to the jury, namely, that a confession involuntarily made must be disregarded. We should be loath to interpret the decisions of the United States Supreme Court in such a manner as to (1) *199create a problem for our trial judges which we fail to aid them in solving when we do not prescribe the language they are expected to employ; (2) create an additional loophole to assist guilty defendants in avoiding just punishment. I would affirm the judgment of the lower court.