This is an appeal from a judgment of sentence for escape. Appellant poses the following three questions:
(1) SHOULD THE JURY PANEL HAVE BEEN LIMITED TO PERSONS INCLUDED ON THE JURY LIST?
*204 (2) WAS EVIDENCE IMPROPERLY EXCLUDED?
(3) WAS THE JURY PROPERLY CHARGED?
Appellant’s Brief at 3. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the judgment of sentence.
On August 25,1989, appellant was found guilty by a jury of escape from the Lawrence County Jail.
I.
Appellant first contends that several jurors’ names were added to the jury array list only a few days before trial, in violation of 42 Pa.C.S.A. § 4524. Section 4524 provides in relevant part: “[a] separate list of names and addresses of persons assigned to each jury array shall be prepared and made available for public inspection at the offices of the commission no later than 30 days prior to the first date on which the array is to serve.” Appellant contends that because the names of the additional jurors were not issued at least thirty days prior to trial, his right to investigate those jurors was denied. After careful review of the record, we agree with the trial court that appellant’s right was not violated.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania guarantees that “[tjrial by jury shall be as heretofore, and the right thereof remain inviolate.” Pa.Const. art. I, § 6. “ ‘[I]t is well settled that the word ‘inviolate,’ as used in the constitutional provision quoted, means freedom from substantial impairment. It does not import rigidity of regulation in the manner of impaneling a jury.’ ” Commonwealth
II.
Appellant’s last two contentions concern his defense of duress.
A.
With respect to the evidentiary claims, appellant argues that the court improperly excluded evidence that (1) appellant was present at an earlier escape and did not participate; and (2) another inmate was threatened with physical harm if that inmate did not agree to participate in the instant escape. The trial court ruled in both instances that the proffered evidence was irrelevant. N.T. August 24, 1989 at 8, 31. Appellant maintains that the evidence was relevant to the issue of whether he left the jail voluntarily.
-1-
Appellant argues that the trial court incorrectly refused to allow him to cross-examine Mr. Dan McClenahan, the Deputy Sheriff of Lawrence County, regarding a previous escape at which appellant was present but in which he did not participate. Appellant stated his reasons for wanting to elicit the testimony at a sidebar conference:
Your Honor, I think this is clearly relevant. We’re saying that on April 8th Mr. Brothers did not escape of his own volition. I would expect that Deputy McClenahan will testify that on or about February 16th, Mr. Brothers was in a vehicle where by one means or another the door became open, that there were three prisoners in there and that two of them left and that Mr. Brothers made no*207 attempt to leave. I think that would very directly, [sic] his having had an opportunity really to escape a few weeks before this incident happened, that would bear directly on whether or not he voluntarily escaped at the later date.
N.T. August 24, 1989 at 8-9. While a criminal defendant may offer testimony about his reputation as to the character traits relevant to the charge, Commonwealth v. Luther,
-2-
Appellant also sought to introduce the testimony of a fellow inmate, Daniel Wilson. Wilson was to testify that he had been threatened with physical violence if he refused to participate in the instant escape. Appellant does not allege, nor is there any record evidence, that appellant was aware of the threats against Wilson at the time of the escape. Hence, we fail to see how this testimony was relevant to the issue of appellant’s defense — it does not follow that appellant was threatened simply because another inmate, unbeknownst to appellant, also was threatened.
B.
Finally, appellant contends that the jury was improperly charged on the issue of duress. Appellant specifically objects to the court’s instruction that “for duress to be a defense to the charge of escape ... [tjhere either must be no time to complain to authorities or a history of futile complaints ... [a]nd the escapee must return to official detention as soon as possible after leaving the prison.” N.T. August 24, 1989 at 56-57. We note initially that there can be no question that this charge is an accurate reflection of the law in Pennsylvania. In Commonwealth v. Kaminski,
the escapee must be confronted with a specific threat of death or serious bodily injury; there must either be no time to complain to authorities, or a history of futile complaints; there must be no evidence of force by the escapee against prison personnel or others in the escape; and the escapee must return to official detention as soon as possible after leaving the prison.
Id., 349 Pa.Superior Ct. at 87,
Appellant attempts to distinguish this line of cases on the ground that they involve “what is more properly regarded as the defense of necessity, rather than literal duress.” Appellant’s Brief at 5. Taken on its face, appellant’s claim is meritless, because these cases clearly involved claims of
With respect to whether appellant must have first complained or have a history of futile complaints, there is some indication that if the threat is so imminent that one has no time to complain, the first requirement need not be met. Thus, in Commonwealth v. Clark,
a prisoner [is] confronted with a choice between accompanying an escaping cell mate, or being seriously injured if he [chooses] to remain behind____ In such a case, the usual sources of aid [ie., resort to prison officials or to the courts via habeas corpus or the Federal Civil Rights Act] would not be immediately available, and confronted with the choice between serious injury or escape, the defendant would properly be excused for choosing the latter course of action.
Id., 287 Pa.Superior Ct. at 16-17,
With respect to the second challenged portion of the instruction — that appellant must have re-entered custody as soon as the threat was removed — we conclude that it was proper. Appellant’s attempt to distinguish his case from the cases on which the instruction is based is unpersuasive. Indeed, in Commonwealth v. Stanley,
For the forgoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of sentence. Judgment of sentence affirmed.
Notes
. The crime of escape is defined as follows:
A person commits an offense if he unlawfully removes himself from official detention or fails to return following temporary leave granted for a specific purpose or limited period.
18 Pa.C.S.A. § 5121(a).
. Judge Salmon’s sentencing order did not specify whether appellant’s sentence is to be served concurrent with or consecutive to the sentence under which he is already incarcerated.
. The common law defense of duress is recognized in the Crimes Code, which provides, “[i]t is a defense that the actor engaged in the conduct charged to constitute an offense because he was coerced to do so by the use of, or a threat to use, unlawful force against his person or the person of another, which a person of reasonable firmness in his situation would have been unable to resist.” 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 309(a).
. Appellant has failed to provide a complete record in that he only attached those portions that he deemed directly relevant to his appeal. For example, it appears from references that the trial judge made in the charge to the jury that appellant testified at trial. However, we do not have the transcript of his testimony because appellant did not include it.