Opinion ID: 1954225
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: jury charge as to mitigating circumstances

Text: Breakiron claims that he is entitled to a new death penalty hearing because the trial court improperly instructed the jury regarding mitigating circumstances. Again, under Albrecht, we analyze this argument as one for ineffective assistance of counsel. During Breakiron's trial, the trial court instructed the jury, with respect to the finding of aggravating and mitigating factors, that a verdict must be a sentence of death if you unanimously find at least one aggravating circumstance and no mitigating circumstances; or if you unanimously find one or more aggravating circumstances which outweigh any mitigating circumstances. In all other cases, your verdict must be a sentence of life imprisonment. (N.T. at 1443). Relying on Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 100 L.Ed.2d 384 (1988), Breakiron argues that this instruction was in error because the jury may well have concluded that it must be unanimous regarding a mitigating circumstance. He claims that both trial and appellate counsel were ineffective for failing to object and raise this argument on direct appeal. The PCRA court determined that the issue was waived because it was not addressed in the direct appeal. In addition, the PCRA court held that Breakiron had not sustained his burden of proof regarding the claims of ineffectiveness because, during the PCRA proceedings, trial counsel was not questioned as to the strategy employed in failing to object to the court's charge on mitigation. Consequently, the PCRA court did not have a record to determine the issue, and rejected the claim. We agree. Further, Breakiron's claims lack merit because we have previously held that instructions quite similar to those used by the trial court in this matter do not violate Mills. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Hardcastle, 549 Pa. 450, 701 A.2d 541 (1997); Commonwealth v. Frey, 520 Pa. 338, 554 A.2d 27 (1989). [7]