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Commonwealth v. WilsonCommonwealth v. Wilson

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Feb 5, 1981
No. 436, 510
Reporters:
, ,
Before:
Larsen

OPINION

LARSEN, Justice.

In this direct appeal, appellant raises only one issue; that the evidence was ‍​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍insufficient to support his convictions for murder of the third degree and possessing an instrument of a crime. Appellant argues that this results from the Commonwealth’s failure ‍​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant, rather than one of his companions, fired the fatal shot. The evidence, however, established that regardless of who actually ‍​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍fired the fatal bullet, appellant and his companions acted in concert and collusion. Appellant is thus responsible for the crime as an accomplice or co-conspirator even if ‍​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍the shot in question was not fired from his gun. Commonwealth v. Bradley, 481 Pa. 223, 392 A.2d 688 (1978), cert. denied, 440 U.S. 938, 99 S.Ct. 1286, 59 L.Ed.2d 498 (1979); Commonwealth v. Johnson, 273 Pa.Super. 14, 416 ‍​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‍A.2d 1065 (Special Transfer Docket 1979); and 18 Pa.C.S.A. § 306.

Consequently, the judgments of sentence are affirmed.

Case Details

Case Name: Commonwealth v. Wilson
Court Name: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Date Published: Feb 5, 1981
Citations: 426 A.2d 575; 493 Pa. 332; 1981 Pa. LEXIS 676; No. 436, 510
Docket Number: No. 436, 510
Court Abbreviation: Pa.
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