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HOPKINS v. REEVES

Opinion of the Court

commit the underlying felony. State v. Reeves, 216 Neb. 206,
217, 344 N. W. 2d 433, 442 (1984). Although a conviction
for felony murder renders a defendant eligible for the death
penalty, see § 28–303, the jury is not charged with sentencing
the defendant; under Nebraska law, capital sentencing is a
judicial function, § 29–2520.

At trial, respondent requested that the jury be instructed
on both murder in the second degree and manslaughter,
which, he argued, were lesser included offenses of felony
murder. App. 6–9.1 The trial court refused on the ground
that the Nebraska Supreme Court consistently has held that
second-degree murder and manslaughter are not lesser in-
Id., at 10. Respondent’s jury
cluded offenses of that crime.
thus was presented with only the two felony-murder counts.2
Although respondent raised an insanity defense, the jury re-
jected it and convicted him on both counts. A three-judge
sentencing panel then convened to consider aggravating and
mitigating circumstances.
It sentenced respondent to death
on both convictions.

After the Nebraska Supreme Court afﬁrmed his convic-
tions and sentences, State v. Reeves, 216 Neb. 206, 344 N. W.
2d 433, cert. denied, 469 U. S. 1028 (1984), respondent unsuc-
cessfully pursued state collateral relief, State v. Reeves, 234
Neb. 711, 453 N. W. 2d 359 (1990). This Court then vacated
the Nebraska Supreme Court’s judgment for further consid-
eration in light of Clemons v. Mississippi, 494 U. S. 738
(1990), because respondent’s death sentence had been based
in part on an invalid aggravating factor. See Reeves v. Ne-
braska, 498 U. S. 964 (1990). On remand, the Nebraska Su-

1 Under Nebraska law, second-degree murder is deﬁned as “caus[ing] the
death of a person intentionally, but without premeditation,” § 28–304, and
manslaughter as “kill[ing] another without malice, either upon a sudden
quarrel, or caus[ing] the death of another unintentionally while in the com-
mission of an unlawful act,” § 28–305.

2 Respondent did not request an instruction on sexual assault in the

ﬁrst degree.