Court Opinion

ID: 9702886
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 23:29:00.610826+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:21:42.629372
License: Public Domain

*581■Concurring Opinion by
Mr. Justice Bell:
I concur in the result reached by the majority opinion. I also agree that in recent years the doctrine of tort liability in civil cases has been extended and stretched to such an extent that it should no longer be applied in criminal cases. This is especially necessary because the tests for involuntary manslaughter, particularly in cases arising out of automobile accidents, have been different and varying in the Superior Court and in the lower Courts, with no clear standard. This was due to an attempt by these Courts to apply a proper test to the different circumstances of each particular case. For example the following tests have been applied by the Superior Court: Rash or reckless conduct; proximate cause; legal cause; substantial factor; natural and probable consequence such as should have been foreseen; efficient cause; concurring cause; must be more than remote cause — substantial factor; natural result or probable consequence.
It is one of the most important duties of an appellate Court to erect Legal Signposts with language inscribed thereon so clearly, well and wisely that they who read may easily understand.
The classic definition which has come down to us through Blackstone is set forth in Commonwealth v. Comber, 374 Pa. 570, 581, 97 A. 2d 343: “In Com. v. Aurick, 342 Pa. 282, 288, 19 A. 2d 920, the Court thus defined involuntary manslaughter: ‘In Com. v. Mayberry, 290 Pa. 195, 138 A. 686, this Court. . . said: “Involuntary manslaughter consists in ‘the killing of another without malice and unintentionally, but [1] in doing some unlawful act not amounting to a felony nor naturally tending to cause death or great bodily harm, or [2] in negligently doing some act lawful in itself, or [3] by the negligent omission to perform a legal duty’: 29 C. J., page 1148.” ’ Accord: Com. v. McLaughlin, 293 Pa. 218, 223, 142 A. 213; Com. v. Micuso, *582273 Pa. 474, 117 A. 211; Com. v. Gable, 7 S. & R. 423; Wharton on Homicide (3rd ed.) sec. 211; 13 R.C.L., 784.»
I believe that the test of negligence as extended and defined in recent opinions of this Court in trespass cases should no longer be applicable to involuntary manslaughter, and that a new definition of involuntary manslaughter which will retain all the basic requirements of the crime and at the same time meet the changes which have occurred, is imperative.
What is involuntary manslaughter? Involuntary manslaughter is a misdemeanor and is very different from murder and from voluntary manslaughter. The prime difference between murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter may be thus summarized: Murder is an unlawful killing of another person with malice* aforethought, expressed or implied : Commonwealth v. Nelson, 396 Pa. 359, 152 A. 2d 913; Commonwealth v. Buzard, 365 Pa. 511, 76 A. 2d 394; Commonwealth v. Bolish, 381 Pa. 500, 113 A. 2d 464.
Voluntary manslaughter is the intentional killing of another person which is committed under the influence of passion:* Commonwealth v. Nelson, 396 Pa., supra; Commonwealth v. Donough, 377 Pa. 46, 103 A. 2d 694; Commonwealth v. Palermo, 368 Pa. 28, 81 A. 2d 540.
Involuntary manslaughter is an unintentional and nonfelonious** killing of another person without malice or passion,* which results from conduct by defendant which is so unlawful as to be outrageous, provided such conduct is a direct cause of the killing.
*583The unlawful racing by this defendant was not only unlawful, it was outrageous,* but it was not a direct cause, i.e., one of the direct causes, of the killing.

 Malice, like passion, is used in its technical legal sense.

 Cf. Commonwealth v. Dorazio, 365 Pa. 291, 74 A. 2d 125.

 For this reprehensible conduct defendant can and should be punished.