Opinion ID: 410972
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Objective Standards

Text: 7 Harris contends that the California death-penalty statute violates the eighth and fourteenth amendments because it places no limit on the prosecution's introduction of evidence of aggravating factors. Cal.Penal Code Sec. 190.3. Harris also argues that the statute's failure to require that the jury specify whether the factors the jury considers in imposing the death penalty are mitigating or aggravating impermissibly broadened the jury's discretion. We reject both of these contentions. 8 The California statute does not limit the introduction of evidence of either mitigating or aggravating circumstances, but it does require that certain specified factors be taken into account. Id. The California Supreme Court has interpreted this section as not limiting the admission of evidence to matters relevant to the specified mitigating or aggravating factors. People v. Murtishaw, 29 Cal.3d 733, 773, 175 Cal.Rptr. 738, 631 P.2d 446 (1981). 9 The United States Supreme Court has upheld a death-penalty statute that permitted a jury to consider any aggravating or mitigating circumstance otherwise authorized by law so long as one statutory aggravating factor was identified before the death penalty was imposed. See Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. at 206, 96 S.Ct. at 2940 (plurality opinion noting terms of statute). In Proffitt v. Florida, the Court also upheld a sentencing statute that allowed the jury to consider nonstatutory, aggravating factors. See Proffitt v. Florida, 428 U.S. at 256-57 n.14, 96 S.Ct. at 2968-69 n.14 (suggesting that consideration is proper as long as penalty not based solely on nonstatutory factors). And a plurality of the Supreme Court has noted that, to meet constitutional requirements, a death penalty statute must not preclude consideration of relevant mitigating factors. See Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. at 608, 98 S.Ct. at 2966. 10 These cases suggest that, although the irregular or selective application of the penalty is to be avoided, the consideration of nonstatutory mitigating or aggravating circumstances is not objectionable in itself, as long as at least one statutory circumstance is found before the death penalty is imposed. Because the judge found several statutory aggravating circumstances in this case, we see no constitutional problem here. Moreover, under the statute, the jury must consider certain factors in weighing aggravating and mitigating circumstances, see Cal.Penal Code Sec. 190.3. These required factors provide jury guidance and lessen the chance of arbitrary application of the death penalty. 11 We note that the Fifth Circuit seems to have decided that the consideration of nonstatutory aggravating circumstances impermissibly increases jury discretion. See Henry v. Wainright, 661 F.2d 56, 58-60 (5th Cir. 1981) (introduction and consideration of nonstatutory aggravating factors error under Florida sentencing statute), vacated and remanded on other grounds, --- U.S. ----, 102 S.Ct. 2922, 73 L.Ed.2d ---- (1982). To the extent our conclusion here is inconsistent with Henry v. Wainright, we reject the Fifth Circuit's ruling. 12 Nor do we think that the statute's failure to label factors as aggravating or mitigating invalidates the statute. The Supreme Court has previously upheld a statute that did not explicitly identify factors as aggravating or mitigating but merely asked the jury to answer several particular questions. See Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. at 270-73, 96 S.Ct. at 2955-57 (plurality opinion). Because the California statute establishes factors to guide the jury's discretion and allows for consideration of the particular aggravating and mitigating circumstances in this case, the statute is not unconstitutional in this respect.