Opinion ID: 1702189
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: whether mississippi's capital sentencing scheme is distinguishable from arizona's capital sentencing scheme.

Text: ¶ 70. Berry argues that, although Mississippi's capital sentencing regime is not identical to the Arizona regime, Mississippi's scheme is sufficiently similar to render it unconstitutional under Ring. Mississippi's capital scheme is distinct from Arizona's in the single, most relevant respect under the Ring holding: that it is the jury which determines the presence of aggravating circumstances necessary for the imposition of the death sentence. See Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-101 (2000). ¶ 71. Likewise, the Ring court considered Mississippi's scheme to be part of a majority of states who have responded to its Eighth Amendment decisions and require that juries make the final determination as to the presences of aggravating circumstances. Ring, 536 U.S. at 608 n. 6, 122 S.Ct. 2428. ¶ 72. This issue is without merit.