Court Opinion

ID: 9754536
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 20:03:19.52996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:27:54.441523
License: Public Domain

LARSEN, Justice,
concurring.
I join with the majority but write separately to point out that this Court explicitly overruled Commonwealth v. Walker, 468 Pa. 323, 362 A.2d 227 (1976) in the case of *617Commonwealth v. Frisbie, 506 Pa. 461, 485 A.2d 1098 (1984) (opinion by Larsen, J.), wherein we held:
[In Walker ], [t]his Court did state ... that “[w]here there is but one act of cause of injury, or death of a number of persons, there is but one injury to the Commonwealth, ...” [468 Pa.] at 331, 362 A.2d at 231, and that “it is beyond the power of a court imposing sentence to impose multiple sentences on a defendant for a single act.” Id., 468 Pa. at 330 n. 3, 362 A.2d at 230 n. 3. To the extent that the above-quoted language from Walker conflicts with our holding today, Walker is hereby expressly overruled.
* * * * * *
[W]e hold that the imposition of multiple sentences upon a defendant whose single unlawful act injures multiple victims is legislatively authorized and, consequently, does not violate the double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment.
506 Pa. at 465, 467, 485 A.2d at 1099, 1101.