Williams v. Commonwealth

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania March 18, 1975

Williams v. Commonwealth, 333 A.2d 924 (Pa. 1975)

460 Pa. 581; 1975 Pa. LEXIS 697

Jones, Eagen, O'Brien, Roberts, Pomeroy, Nix, Manderino

Dissenting Opinion

DISSENTING OPINION

ROBERTS, J.

The Court today continues to permit a judicially created anachronism to deprive litigants of their day in court. I remain of the view that the doctrine of sovereign immunity ought, in its entirety, to be consigned to the judicial scrapheap. See McCoy v. Commonwealth, 457 Pa. 513, 514-16, 325 A.2d 396, 397-98 (1974) (dissenting opinion of Roberts, J., joined by Nix & Manderino, JJ.); Sweigard v. Pennsylvania Dep’t. of Transp., 454 Pa. 32, 35-38, 309 A.2d 374, 376-77 (1973) (dissenting opinion of Roberts, J., joined by Nix & Manderino, JJ.); Brown v. Commonwealth, 453 Pa. 566, 577-79, 305 A.2d 868, 871-72 (1973) (dissenting opinion of Roberts, J., joined by Nix & Manderino, JJ.); Biello v. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Bd., 454 Pa. 179, 187-92, 301 A.2d 849, 853-56 (1973) (dissenting opinion of Nix, J., joined by Roberts, J.).

NIX, J., joins in this dissent.

Opinion of the Court

OPINION OF THE COURT

PER CURIAM.

Order affirmed. See Brown v. Commonwealth, 453 Pa. 566, 305 A.2d 868 (1973).

MANDERINO, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of this case. *582ROBERTS, J., filed a dissenting opinion in which NIX, J., joins.

Reference

Full Case Name: Calvin WILLIAMS and Joseph McNeil, Appellants, v. COMMONWEALTH of Pennsylvania Et Al.
Cited By: 8 cases
Status: Published