Opinion ID: 1605533
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Was the sentence of death mandatory and freakishly imposed?

Text: Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-19-105 (Supp. 1981) provides: (1) Whenever the death penalty is imposed, and upon the judgment becoming final in the trial court, the sentence shall be reviewed on the record by the Mississippi Supreme Court. The clerk of the trial court, within ten (10) days after receiving the transcript, shall transmit the entire record and transcript to the Mississippi Supreme Court together with a notice prepared by the clerk and a report prepared by the trial judge. The notice shall set forth the title and docket number of the case, the name of the defendant and the name and address of his attorney, a narrative statement of the judgment, the offense, and the punishment prescribed. The report shall be in the form of a standard questionnaire prepared and supplied by the Mississippi Supreme Court, a copy of which shall be served upon counsel for the state and counsel for the defendant. (2) The Mississippi Supreme Court shall consider the punishment as well as any errors enumerated by way of appeal. (3) With regard to the sentence, the court shall determine: (a) Whether the sentence of death was imposed under the influence of passion prejudice or any other arbitrary factor. (b) Whether the evidence supports the jury's or judge's finding of a statutory aggravating circumstance as enumerated in section 99-19-101; and (c) Whether the sentence of death is excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendant. (4) Both the defendant and the state shall have the right to submit briefs within the time provided by the court, and to present oral argument to the court. (5) The court shall include in its decision a reference to those similar cases which it took into consideration. In addition to its authority regarding correction of errors, the court, with regard to review of death sentences, shall be authorized to: (a) Affirm the sentence of death; or (b) Set the sentence aside and remand the case for modification of the sentence to imprisonment for life. (6) The sentence review shall be in addition to direct appeal, if taken, and the review and appeal shall be consolidated for consideration. The court shall render its decision on legal errors enumerated, the factual substantiation of the verdict, and the validity of the sentence. Since Jackson v. State, 337 So.2d 1242 (Miss. 1976), this Court has upheld the imposition of the death penalty in the following cases: Edwards v. State, 413 So.2d 1007 (1982) No. 53,298, decided April 14, 1982, not yet reported; Bullock v. State, 391 So.2d 601 (Miss. 1980); Reddix v. State, 381 So.2d 999 (Miss. 1980); Jones v. State, 381 So.2d 983 (Miss. 1980); Culberson v. State, 379 So.2d 499 (Miss. 1979); Gray v. State, 375 So.2d 994 (Miss. 1979); Jordan v. State, 365 So.2d 1198 (Miss. 1978); Voyles v. State, 362 So.2d 1236 (Miss. 1978); Irving v. State, 361 So.2d 1360 (Miss. 1978); Washington v. State, 361 So.2d 61 (Miss. 1978), and Bell v. State, 360 So.2d 1206 (Miss. 1978). We have held in Jackson, and pursuant to the above section, that cases in which a death sentence is imposed will be automatically reviewed as preference cases by this Court; that the record will be reviewed and compared with similar cases to determine whether the punishment of death is too great when the aggravating and mitigating circumstances are weighed against each other in order to assure that the death penalty will not be wantonly or freakishly imposed; and only will be inflicted in a consistent and even-handed manner under like or similar circumstances. We have carefully reviewed those cases and compared them with the case and sentence sub judice. The only mitigating circumstances before the jury were the age of appellant [1] and the fact that he had no history of prior criminal activity. The aggravating circumstances were to the effect that the capital offense was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest or effecting an escape from custody and the capital offense was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. Moreover, appellant showed no remorse for the death of Officer Trest. When we compare the present case to other capital cases which have been affirmed by this Court on the death penalty, the present offense is equally as wanton, cruel, senseless, heinous and atrocious as those. The death penalty in this case was neither wantonly nor freakishly imposed. We find that the sentence of death was not imposed in this case under the influence of passion, prejudice, or any other arbitrary factor; that the evidence supports the jury's finding of statutory aggravating circumstances as enumerated in Mississippi Code Annotated section 99-19-105(2), (3) (Supp. 1981); and, having considered both the crime and the appellant, we find that the sentence of death in this case is not excessive or disproportionate to those cases in which such sentence has been imposed. Therefore, the judgment of the lower court is affirmed and Wednesday, the 14th day of July, 1982, is set as the date for execution of the sentence and infliction of the death penalty in the manner provided by law. AFFIRMED AS TO GUILT PHASE; AFFIRMED AS TO SENTENCING PHASE. PATTERSON, C.J., SMITH and SUGG, P. JJ., and WALKER, BROOM, ROY NOBLE LEE and BOWLING, JJ., concur. HAWKINS, J., dissents.