Court Opinion

ID: 9650218
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:27:11.625804+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:12:19.075260
License: Public Domain

ROBERTS, Justice,
concurring.
The majority opinion in Commonwealth v. Smith, 474 Pa. 559, 379 A.2d 96 (1977), held that, in every prosecution for criminal homicide under the Crimes Code, the defendant, upon request, is entitled to a jury instruction on involuntary manslaughter. Here appellant was denied his timely request for an instruction on involuntary manslaughter. For the reasons stated in Smith and in Commonwealth v. Garcia, 474 Pa. 449, 378 A.2d 1199 (1977) (Opinion of Roberts, J., joined by O’Brien, J., and Manderino, J., announcing the Judgment of the Court), appellant was entitled to the requested charge. See also Commonwealth v. Polimeni, 474 Pa. 430, 378 A.2d 1189 (1977) (Concurring opinion by Roberts, J., joined by O’Brien, J.); Commonwealth v. Ford, 474 Pa. 480, 378 A.2d 1215 (1977) (Concurring opinion by Roberts, J., joined by O’Brien, J.). I therefore agree that appellant is entitled to a new trial on the voluntary manslaughter conviction.
O’BRIEN, J., joins in this concurring opinion.