Opinion ID: 1821869
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: Age of Victim:

Text: This Court has never explicitly addressed the validity of the victim's age as a factor elevating a killing to first degree murder or as an aggravating circumstance supporting imposition of the death penalty. State v. Gradley, 97-0641 (5/19/98), 745 So.2d 1160 (Unpub.Appx. pp. i-iii)(Court rejects capital defendant's claims that the victim's age is an unconstitutional basis for defining a crime as the classification is irrational and violates equal protection, and that it permits the arbitrary and capricious imposition of the death penalty)(legislature may define crimes depending on the age of the victim to safeguard the welfare of those more in need, and has acted appropriately in classifying certain murders eligible for death based on the victim's age). However, based on the record, the evidence does not support this aggravating circumstance and it cannot support the death penalty.