Opinion ID: 2632203
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Influence of Arbitrary Factors.

Text: {63} In the third statutory inquiry under Section 31-20A-4(C)(3), this Court reviews the decision of the jury to impose the death sentence to determine if the sentence was imposed under the influence of any arbitrary factors. Defendant asserts that the admission of victim impact testimony during the penalty phase of the trial was improper under the state and federal constitutions and New Mexico statutes. We disagree. {64} The issue of victim impact evidence in New Mexico has been considered by this Court in two recent opinions, both of which held that `victim impact evidence, brief and narrowly presented, is admissible during the penalty phase of death penalty cases.' Allen, 2000-NMSC-002, ¶ 52, 128 N.M. 482, 994 P.2d 728 (quoting Clark, 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 37, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793). In Clark, the Court relied upon Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U.S. 808, 827, 111 S.Ct. 2597, 115 L.Ed.2d 720 (1991), which held that the Eighth Amendment does not preclude the use of victim impact evidence in the penalty phase of a capital trial. 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 37, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793. Further, the Court determined that victim impact testimony was consistent with the New Mexico Constitution and that the legislature had provided statutory authority for the introduction of victim impact testimony. Id. ¶¶ 42-45. In Allen, a majority of the Court found constitutional and statutory authority for the introduction of victim impact testimony. Allen, 2000-NMSC-002, ¶ 53, 128 N.M. 482, 994 P.2d 728. The opinion also observed that the rules of evidence governing relevance and the weighing of unfair prejudice against probative value apply to the introduction of victim impact evidence during the penalty phase of death penalty cases. Id. ¶ 54 (citing Rules 11-402 NMRA 2000, 11-403). {65} During the penalty phase of this trial, the prosecutor presented victim impact evidence from two witnesses, the victim's mother and the mother's cousin. The mother testified about her relationship with her daughter and the effect the death had upon her and upon the victim's brother and sister. The cousin testified that the mother worked for her and that she had seen the mother's struggle with the aftermath of her daughter's death. She also testified about the help and support she and the other co-workers had offered to the mother during the two years since the victim's death. {66} At the conclusion of these statements, however, the prosecutor questioned each of the witnesses about an episode that had occurred while Defendant was awaiting trial. Although Defendant was in custody, he managed to send several magazine subscriptions in the victim's name to her mother's address, so it appeared that her daughter was receiving mail. He also sent one subscription to the mother as though it were a gift from her daughter. The district attorney and Defendant stipulated that the handwriting on the subscription order cards was that of Defendant. The victim's mother testified about receiving the subscriptions, the gift subscription, and the subsequent bills for those items at Defendant's sentencing hearing. She also related how distressing it had been to receive magazines addressed to her daughter and how devastated she was when she learned that Defendant was responsible. The mother's cousin also testified about the impact of the magazine subscriptions upon the mother as follows: She just couldn't believe somebody would be that cruel to her .... and when she found out that they were coming from Shawn Jacobs, she said, `Why does he keep hurting my family?.... Why does he keep hurting me? In closing argument, the State commented upon Defendant's love of cruelty in tormenting the victim's mother. {67} We conclude that the mother's initial testimony about the effect of the murder on her and her family was relevant and admissible at the penalty phase of the trial. See Payne, 501 U.S. at 825-26, 111 S.Ct. 2597 (permitting the introduction of victim impact evidence to allow the jury to understand the consequences of the crime committed); see also Allen, 2000-NMSC-002, ¶ 52, 128 N.M. 482, 994 P.2d 728; Clark, 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 37, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793. Nevertheless, the testimony about the magazine subscriptions should not have been admitted during the State's case-in-chief as victim impact evidence, because the evidence goes beyond the scope of what is admissible under Payne, Clark, or the CFSA as victim impact evidence. Payne held that victim impact evidence was admissible as a method of informing the sentencing authority about the specific harm caused by the crime in question. 501 U.S. at 825, 111 S.Ct. 2597. Although the magazine subscription testimony did describe harm caused by Defendant, this harm was not caused by the crimes in question. In Clark, we held that victim impact evidence was admissible because it constituted additional evidence as to the circumstances of the crime. 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 38, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793. In this case, the testimony about the magazine subscriptions by both witnesses was not relevant to the crimes for which Defendant was standing trial; it fell outside the scope of circumstances of the crime. See § 31-20A-1(C); Rule 11-402 NMRA 2000 (evidence which is not relevant is not admissible). The State argues that this evidence was admissible under Section 31-20A-2(B) which directs the jury to consider both the defendant and the crime in determining whether to sentence a defendant to death or life in prison. However, we do not read Section 31-20A-2(B) to address the scope of evidence that can be heard by the jury, but rather to provide guidance on how to weigh the evidence permitted under Section 31-20A-1(C). Section 31-20A-2(B) may not be used to permit the introduction of otherwise inadmissible evidence. {68} The State also argues that the subscription evidence is probative of Defendant's lack of remorse. In Allen, 2000-NMSC-002, ¶ 108, 128 N.M. 482, 994 P.2d 728, we upheld the state's closing argument in which the prosecutor had argued that the defendant was not remorseful. We construed the argument to have been offered in rebuttal to the defendant's statement at sentencing in which he had expressed remorse for the killing. Id. In this case, however, Defendant made no such claim. In fact, the trial court had granted a motion in limine prohibiting evidence that went to lack of remorse during the penalty phase unless Defendant had opened the door. At the point at which the subscription evidence was introduced, Defendant had offered no evidence. Under the circumstances of this case, evidence concerning Defendant's alleged lack of remorse was not admissible. {69} As we have noted, in New Mexico the death penalty may not be imposed if the sentence was imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice, or any other arbitrary factor. Section 31-20A-4(C)(3). This evidence created a possibility that the jury voted for the death penalty under the influence of an improper factor. As the Supreme Court has stated, It is of vital importance to the defendant and to the community that any decision to impose the death sentence be, and appear to be, based on reason rather than caprice or emotion. Gardner v. Florida, 430 U.S. 349, 358, 97 S.Ct. 1197, 51 L.Ed.2d 393 (1977). Because we cannot say that this evidence did not bear on any juror's decision to sentence Defendant to death, we therefore reverse on this issue and remand for a new sentencing hearing.