Commonwealth v. Handsome

314 A.2d 17, 455 Pa. 116, 1974 Pa. LEXIS 608

• Court: Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
• Decided: January 24, 1974
• Docket: Appeal, No. 385
• Status: Published

Opinion

Opinion by

Mr. Justice Roberts,

The sole issue is the voluntariness of appellant’s confession. The record does not indicate that the confession was other than “the product of a rational intellect and free will.” Blackburn v. Alabama, 361 U.S. 199, 207-08, 80 S. Ct. 274, 280-81 (1960); Commonwealth v. Hallowell, 444 Pa. 221, 225-26, 282 A.2d 327, 329 (1971); see Davis v. North Carolina, 384 U.S. 737, 86 S. Ct. 1761 (1966); Commonwealth v. Eiland, 450 Pa. 566, 301 A.2d 651 (1973); Commonwealth v. Holton, 432 Pa. 11, 247 A.2d 228 (1968).

Admission of the confession at trial was thus proper. On this record, there is no basis for disturbing the jury’s verdict of voluntary manslaughter.

The judgment of sentence is affirmed.