Practice Area: Criminal Appeals
Overview
In Commonwealth v. W, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated a first-degree murder conviction and ordered a new trial after concluding that the prosecution’s expert testimony lacked medical reliability and improperly bolstered another witness’s narrative. P.W. had been sentenced to life without parole for the death of his girlfriend, but the appellate court determined that the jury’s verdict may have been influenced by flawed testimony.
Result
Robert M. Buttner, Esq., successfully argued that the expert’s opinion did not meet the threshold of scientific validity required in criminal cases. The Court agreed and reversed the conviction, restoring Mr. W’s presumption of innocence pending retrial.
Outcome
- Conviction: Vacated
- Relief Granted: New Trial Ordered
- Court: Pennsylvania Supreme Court
- Year: 2024
- Attorney: Robert M. Buttner, Esq.
Link to Full Opinion
https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/supreme-court/2024/102-map-2022.html