Court Opinion

ID: 9756107
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 21:07:23.392431+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:14.699464
License: Public Domain

CERCONE, President Judge,
concurring:
While I join in the Majority Opinion in this case, there is a matter I wish to clarify. If the court in this case had charged the jury concerning individual acts of official oppression against Margaret Blume, et al., rather than charging on a pattern of official oppression, appellant’s position would be more difficult. The ambiguities of the information may not have been assailable on appeal, because appellant did not file a bill of particulars seeking to have the Commonwealth specify the events to which this information referred.* Pa.R.Crim.P. 304; Commonwealth v. Warren, 475 Pa. 31, 379 A.2d 561 (1977). The issue in this case, however, involved the court’s charging, and the jury’s finding appellant guilty of a crime which the legislature has not created. It is hornbook law that courts do not have the jurisdiction to create criminal law. See, e. g., 21 Am.Jur.2d, Criminal Law, § 376 (1977). Since the question is jurisdictional, appellant’s failure to file a bill of particulars or a motion to quash the information on the basis that it did not charge a statutory crime did not waive the question.

 Appellant filed a petition to sever for separate trial the information charging this court of official oppression. Appellant also filed a motion to reconsider quashing the indictment, but that was based upon an alleged violation of Crimes Code, 18 Pa.C.S. § 110 (1973) (statutory double jeopardy).