Commonwealth v. Wilson

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Commonwealth v. Wilson

426 A.2d 575, 493 Pa. 332, 1981 Pa. LEXIS 676

CourtSupreme Court of Pennsylvania

DecidedFebruary 5, 1981

DocketNo. 436, 510

StatusPublished

Cited by9 cases

This text of 426 A.2d 575 (Commonwealth v. Wilson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Commonwealth v. Wilson, 426 A.2d 575, 493 Pa. 332, 1981 Pa. LEXIS 676 (Pa. 1981).

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Opinion

[333]*333OPINION

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.

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[333]*333OPINION

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.

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426 A.2d 575, 493 Pa. 332, 1981 Pa. LEXIS 676, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-wilson-pa-1981.

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