Opinion ID: 222406
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Testimony of Victim's Mother Requesting the Death Penalty

Text: Gabrion contends that his due process rights were violated when the victim's mother, Velda Robinson, was asked How do you want us to know how you're going to remember Rachel? and responded By him being the first to die in the state of Michigan. The defense contemporaneously objected to this remark, and the court sustained the objection, ordering the response stricken. Gabrion now contends on appeal that it was reversible error and a denial of due process. Assumingwithout decidingthat an error arose in relation to this isolated remark, and that such an error was not cured by the District Court's striking of it from the record, we are confident that any such error would be harmless beyond a reasonable doubt, the standard for error analysis provided for in the Act. 18 U.S.C. § 3595(c)(2). Ms. Robinson was only one of several of Rachel Timmerman's family members called to prove the Government's victim-impact aggravator, and that aggravator was only one of four that the jury found to be present beyond a reasonable doubt. In light of these circumstances, it is clear that this remark did not substantially influence the sentencing jury's determination in this case. Cf. Hain v. Gibson, 287 F.3d 1224, 1239-40 (10th Cir.2002) (finding any error in the admission of similar victim impact evidence harmless beyond a reasonable doubt where jury had also found other aggravating factors to be present). Moreover, as to the penalty of death, we are already vacating the death penalty and remanding for a new sentencing hearing.