Commonwealth v. Dennis

Dec 18, 1984
No. 57 E.D. Appeal Docket, 1984
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Flaherty

ORDER

PER CURIAM.

The order of Superior Court affirming the appellant’s ‍​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍conviction for third degree murder is affirmed. While the killing was unintentional there was plainly sufficient evidence to ‍​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍show that the appellant “consciously disregarded an unjustified and extremely high risk that his actions might cause death ‍​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍or serious bodily harm.” Commonwealth v. Young, 494 Pa. 224, 228, 431 A.2d 230, 232 (1981). See also Commonwealth v. Drum, 58 Pa. ‍​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍9, 15 (1868) (malice exists “where there is wickedness of disposition, hardness of heart, cruelty, recklessness of consequences, ‍​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌‍and a mind regardless of social duty . . . ”).