Opinion ID: 1860921
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: application of the capital murder statute as construed by the case of jackson v. state. [1]

Text: The murder of Danny Haden occurred on June 22, 1976. At that time the capital murder statute in force was Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-3-19(2) (Supp. 1977) and the death penalty statute was Mississippi Code Annotated section 97-3-21 (Supp. 1977). In October 1976, prior to the apprehension and trial of Bell, this Court construed the Mississippi statutes in the light of the United States Supreme Court decisions on the death penalty. See Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 96 S.Ct. 2909, 49 L.Ed.2d 859 (1976); Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262, 96 S.Ct. 2950, 49 L.Ed.2d 929 (1976); Proffitt v. Florida, 428 U.S. 242, 96 S.Ct. 2960, 49 L.Ed.2d 913 (1976); Woodson v. North Carolina, 428 U.S. 280, 96 S.Ct. 2978, 49 L.Ed.2d 944 (1976); Roberts v. Louisiana, 428 U.S. 325, 96 S.Ct. 3001, 49 L.Ed.2d 974 (1976). The Court at that time also prescribed the rules of procedure to be applied in capital murder cases. Jackson v. State, 337 So.2d 1242 (Miss. 1976). Under the rule of Jackson in a capital murder case, the following procedure was prescribed: