Commonwealth v. Ronchi
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The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions of two counts of murder in the first degree, holding that this Court's precedent on reasonable provocation based on sudden oral revelations of infidelity, and, relatedly, lack of paternity, is hereby disavowed.
Defendant stabbed his girlfriend, who was nine months pregnant, killing her and her viable fetus. At issue at trial was whether the stabbing had been mitigated by "heat of passion upon reasonable provocation," thus reducing Defendant's liability to manslaughter, because his girlfriend falsely disclosed that he was not the father. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) rational jurors could have found that the stabbings were not the result of a heat of passion upon reasonable provocation, and therefore, the evidence was sufficient to support Defendant's convictions; and (2) this Court no longer recognizes that an oral discovery of infidelity satisfies the objective element of something that would provoke a reasonable person to kill his or her spouse.
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