Opinion ID: 1554807
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Murder Committed while in Commission of Felony

Text: McWatters asserts that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a determination that the aggravating factor of murder during the commission of a felony, § 921.141(5)(d), Fla. Stat. (2003), is unconstitutional on its face and as applied because it constitutes an automatic aggravating factor. This Court has rejected this claim. See, e.g., Banks v. State, 700 So.2d 363, 367 (Fla.1997). This Court also has rejected McWatters' argument that the aggravating circumstance is unconstitutional because a person found guilty of felony murder is more likely to receive a death sentence than a person found guilty of premeditated murder. See Mills v. State, 476 So.2d 172, 178 (Fla.1985); see also Clark v. State, 443 So.2d 973, 978 (Fla. 1983) (rejecting equal protection challenge to aggravating factor of murder committed during commission of a felony).