Opinion ID: 2514440
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 22

Heading: Quantity and character of error

Text: As for the second factor of our cumulative error analysis, we conclude that the quantity and character of the errors was substantial. The district court's failure to instruct the jury on bifurcation in writing, after the conclusion of argument, resulted in serious jury misconduct because the jury deliberated on Valdez's guilt and sentence simultaneously. This misconduct denied Valdez his Eighth Amendment right to a rational sentence not reached in an arbitrary and capricious manner and his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial by an impartial jury in both phases. As a result of this misconduct, Valdez waived his right to a penalty hearing before the jury, possibly out of fear that the jury had predetermined a sentence of death before he had the chance to present evidence of mitigating circumstances. The prosecutorial misconduct was also significant. The prosecutorial misconduct occurred throughout the trial, including during jury selection, while questioning an expert witness, and in closing, as discussed above. As a result, a reasonable juror could have inferred from all of these comments that Valdez resisted arrest, felt no remorse for harming S.E., and should be put to death to compensate for all the other first-degree murderers who will never be put to death. Although we agree with the dissent that each of these instances of prosecutorial misconduct, taken alone, would not have warranted reversal, we conclude that taken together and considering the other errors in this trial, the conduct denied Valdez a fair trial.