Title: State v. Gardner

State: north-carolina

Issuer: North Carolina Supreme Court

Document:

320 S.E.2d 688 (1984) 312 N.C. 70 STATE of North Carolina v. John Sterling GARDNER. No. 207A84. Supreme Court of North Carolina. October 2, 1984. *689 Rufus L. Edmisten, Atty. Gen. by John R.B. Matthis, Sp. Deputy Atty. Gen. and Alan S. Hirsch, Asst. Atty. Gen., Raleigh, for the State. M. Bays Shoaf, Salisbury, for defendant-appellant. BRANCH, Chief Justice. Defendant assigns as error the failure of the trial judge, ex mero motu, to find as a mitigating factor that prior to arrest, or at an early stage of the criminal process, the defendant voluntarily acknowledged wrongdoing in connection with the offense to a law enforcement officer. N.C. Gen.Stat. § 15A-1340.4(a)(2)(l) (1983). We considered a question similar to the one here presented in State v. Jones, 309 N.C. 214, 306 S.E.2d 451 (1983). There, in finding that the trial court erred in failing to find one of the statutory mitigating factors listed in N.C.Gen.Stat. § 15A-1340.4(a)(2) this Court stated: State v. Jones, 309 N.C. at 220, 306 S.E.2d at 455. In the instant case all of the substantial, uncontradicted and manifestly credible evidence supports a finding that prior to his arrest for the murder of Ray Eugene Shaver, "the defendant voluntarily acknowledged wrongdoing in connection with the offense to a law enforcement officer." N.C.Gen.Stat. § 15A-1340.4(a)(2)(l). We therefore hold that the trial judge erred when he failed to find this statutory mitigating factor, even though defendant did not request this finding. For this reason, this cause must be remanded for a new sentencing hearing. See State v. Ahearn, 307 N.C. 584, 602, 300 S.E.2d 689, 700-01 (1983). We wish to make it abundantly clear that the duty of the trial judge to find a mitigating factor that has not been submitted by defendant arises only when the evidence offered at the sentencing hearing supports the existence of a mitigating factor specifically listed in N.C.Gen.Stat. § 15A-1340.4(a)(2) and when the defendant meets the burden of proof established in State v. Jones, 309 N.C. 214, 306 S.E.2d 451 (1983). The trial judge is not required to consider whether the evidence supports the existence of non-statutory mitigating factors in the absence of specific request by defense counsel. The judgment entered in the trial court is vacated and this cause is remanded for a new sentencing hearing. REMANDED for a new sentencing hearing.