Commonwealth v. Hamlett, J., Pet
Commonwealth v. Hamlett, J., Pet
202 A.3d 45
(Atlantic Reporter, Third Series)
Commonwealth v. Hamlett, J., Pet
Opinion
AND NOW, this 13 th day of February, 2019, the Petition for Allowance of Appeal is GRANTED. The issue, rephrased for clarity is:
Can the tension between the well-settled rule that the Commonwealth bears the burden of demonstrating harmless error beyond a reasonable doubt and the contradictory principle that an appellate court has the ability to affirm a valid judgment or verdict for any reason appearing as of record be reconciled? If these conflicting principles must be reconciled in favor of the Commonwealth proving harmlessness beyond a reasonable doubt, did the Superior Court err in finding harmless error sua sponte ?
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.