Commonwealth v. Walzack

OPINION OF THE COURT

NIX, Justice.

Today we must decide whether psychiatric evidence is admissible to be evaluated by the jury when an accused offers it to negate the element of specific intent required for a conviction of murder of the first degree thereby reducing the crime to murder of the second degree.1We *213are persuaded by the vast weight of authority that psychiatric evidence should be admissible for this purpose and, therefore, we hold that the learned court below erred in excluding the proffered testimony from the jury’s consideration.2

Prior to analyzing the specific facts of this case,…