midpage

Commonwealth v. BurgessCommonwealth v. Burgess

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Jan 31, 1983
No. 80-3-517
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Larsen

OPINION

LARSEN, Justice.

In this direct appeal from his judgments of sentence, appellant raises ‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍four issues: 1) the suppression court erred in failing to suppress his confession; 2) the lower court erred in failing to sustain an ‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍objection to the prosecutor’s summation; 3) the lower court erred in instructing the jury that it could infer malice and specific intent to kill ‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍from the use of a deadly weapon on a vital part of another’s body; and 4) the lower court erred in imposing consecutive ‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍sentences for his convictions of possessing an instrument of crime and murder of the first degree. We have reviewed the record and find ‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍these contentions to be without merit.

Accordingly, the judgments of sentence are affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Burgess
Court Name: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Date Published: Jan 31, 1983
Citations: 455 A.2d 631; 500 Pa. 224; 1983 Pa. LEXIS 439; No. 80-3-517
Docket Number: No. 80-3-517
Court Abbreviation: Pa.
Log In