Opinion ID: 1595336
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Proposed sentencing instruction Number 12 mercy instruction.

Text: ¶ 111. Ross maintains that the trial court erred in granting the State's first sentencing instruction and denying his twelfth proposed sentencing instruction. Ross' proposed instruction emphasized that while jurors could not consider mere sympathy in their culpability determination, they could, and presumably should, consider mercy or sympathy in their sentencing determination as a mitigating circumstance. The contested part of the State's instruction explained the process of balancing aggravating and mitigating circumstances to the jury: You must consider and weigh any aggravating and mitigating circumstances, as set forth later in this instruction, but you are cautioned not to be swayed by mere sentiment, conjecture, sympathy, passion, prejudice, public opinion, or public feeling. ¶ 112. This Court has held the above-quoted language, considered in the context of a long sentencing instruction, does not prevent the consideration of sympathy. See Flowers v. State, 842 So.2d 531, 563 (Miss.2003); Evans v. State, 725 So.2d 613, 690-91 (Miss.1997)(expressly approving of such language in the context of a long instruction). Consequently, the trial court did not err in granting the State's first sentencing instruction. Similarly, there was no error in refusing Ross' proposed instruction specifically citing mercy or sympathy as a mitigator. This Court has repeatedly held that a capital defendant is not entitled to a sympathy instruction, because, like a mercy instruction, it could result in a verdict based on whim and caprice. See, e.g., Howell v. State, 860 So.2d 704, 759 (Miss.2003).