Opinion ID: 1265567
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: constitutionality of 1970 murder conviction

Text: The State's sole aggravating circumstance was Atkins' 1970 murder conviction, which Atkins contends was invalid due to ineffective assistance of counsel. His request to attack its validity was properly denied by the resentencing Court. Atkins relies upon the United States Supreme Court decision in Johnson v. Mississippi , 486 U.S. 578, 108 S.Ct. 1981, 100 L.Ed. (2d) 575 (1988). However, the facts here are clearly distinguishable from those in Johnson . In Johnson , the aggravating circumstance relied upon by the State was the defendant's prior felony conviction. Subsequent to his death sentence, that conviction was invalidated. Understandably, the U.S. Supreme Court held impermissible the State's reliance upon the invalid conviction as an aggravating circumstance warranting the death penalty. Here, Atkins' 1970 murder conviction has not been reversed or set aside. [1] His resentencing trial was not the proper forum for collateral attack upon that conviction. See, Dewitt v. South Carolina Department of Highways , 274 S.C. 184, 262 S.E. (2d) 28 (1980).