Opinion ID: 2534434
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Conspiracy to commit first-degree murder

Text: ¶ 69 The verdict form did not indicate whether the jury found Anderson guilty of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder or conspiracy to commit felony murder. Anderson argues that, given the wording of the jury instruction on conspiracy, it is possible that one or more jurors found him guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder despite finding that Anderson had only the requisite intent to commit felony murder. ¶ 70 In Evanchyk v. Stewart, 202 Ariz. 476, 47 P.3d 1114 (2002) ( Evanchyk I ), we addressed the following certified question in a federal habeas corpus case: [W]hether one can be convicted of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder when the state does not prove that the killing was committed with premeditation but only that it occurred in the course and furtherance of committing one of the underlying felonies listed in A.R.S. § 13-1105(A)(2) [the felony murder statute]. Id. at 479 ¶ 11, 47 P.3d at 1117. We held that because conspiracy to commit first-degree murder is a specific intent crime ... the state must prove as elements that the defendant intended to kill and entered into an agreement with a coconspirator to commit the crime of murder. Id. at 480-81 ¶ 16, 47 P.3d at 1118-19. ¶ 71 After we answered the certified question, the federal district court granted the writ of habeas corpus and the Ninth Circuit affirmed in Evanchyk v. Stewart, 340 F.3d 933 (9th Cir.2003) ( Evanchyk II ). The Ninth Circuit held that the jury instruction on conspiracy to commit first-degree murder was deficient because it omitted the element of intent to kill. Id. at 939-40. The Ninth Circuit found the error not harmless because it could not conclude that a properly instructed jury would have found that element. Id. at 941-92. [12] ¶ 72 In this case, the jury was instructed that in order to convict Anderson of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, it must find: That the defendant agreed with one or more persons that one of them or another person would engage in certain conduct; and that defendant intended to promote or assist the commission of such conduct; and that the intended conduct would constitute the crime of first degree murder of other residents at 2725 Yavapai Drive. This instruction was not materially different from the instruction in Evanchyk II. See id. at 936-37. Because the intended conduct that could constitute the crime of first degree murder could technically be conduct sufficient to support a finding of only felony murder, Anderson argues that the instruction omitted the essential element of intent to kill. Because Anderson did not object to the jury instruction, we review only for fundamental error. See State v. Davis, 206 Ariz. 377, 390 ¶ 62, 79 P.3d 64, 77 (2003). ¶ 73 For the reasons specified in our opinion in Evanchyk I, the jury should have been instructed that intent to kill is an element of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. But here, unlike in Evanchyk II, the error was harmless. In contrast to the Evanchyk II jury, which acquitted the defendant of first-degree murder and thus made no finding with respect to the defendant's intent to kill, 340 F.3d at 935, the jury here unanimously found Anderson guilty of three counts of premeditated first-degree murder. To reach those verdicts, the jury necessarily concluded that Anderson intended to kill each of the victims. See A.R.S. § 13-1105(A) (A person commits first degree murder if... [i]ntending or knowing that the person's conduct will cause death, the person causes the death of another with premeditation.).

¶ 74 Anderson argues the application of Arizona's new death penalty statute, which was enacted after the commission of his crimes, is forbidden by the Ex Post Facto Clauses of the state and federal constitutions, Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 25 and U.S. Const. art. I, § 10, cl. 1, the Double Jeopardy Clauses of the state and federal constitutions, Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 10 and U.S. Const. amend. V, and A.R.S. § 1-244 (2001), the statutory prohibition against retroactive application of statutes. We have recently considered and rejected these arguments in State v. Ring, 204 Ariz. 534, 547 ¶¶ 15-42, 65 P.3d 915, 928 (2003) ( Ring III ), and State v. Carreon, 210 Ariz. 54, 60-61 ¶¶ 17-22, 107 P.3d 900, 906-07 (2005), and therefore need not discuss them here.
¶ 75 Anderson claims that he was denied due process by application of a death penalty statute enacted after his guilt trial. This argument was presented and implicitly rejected in Ring III, which concluded that the statutory change was procedural, not substantive, and did not deprive the defendant of substantial protections provided by the prior law. 204 Ariz. at 545-47 ¶¶ 15-24, 65 P.3d at 926-28 (discussing double jeopardy claims).
¶ 76 Anderson argues that Arizona's death penalty statute creates an unconstitutional presumption of death because it requires a jury to impose a death sentence if it unanimously finds one or more aggravating circumstances and then determines that there are no mitigating circumstances sufficiently substantial to call for leniency. See A.R.S. § 13-703(E), (H). Anderson also contends that requiring a defendant to prove mitigating circumstances violates the Eighth Amendment. ¶ 77 This Court has already squarely rejected Anderson's presumption argument. Hoskins, 199 Ariz. at 146 ¶ 82, 14 P.3d at 1016 (citing State v. Salazar, 173 Ariz. 399, 411, 844 P.2d 566, 578 (1992)). We have also held that it is constitutional to place the burden of proving mitigation on the defendant, State v. Watson, 120 Ariz. 441, 447, 586 P.2d 1253, 1259 (1978), a position endorsed by the United States Supreme Court, Walton v. Arizona, 497 U.S. 639, 649-51, 110 S.Ct. 3047, 111 L.Ed.2d 511 (1990), overruled on other grounds by Ring II, 536 U.S. at 608-09, 122 S.Ct. 2428. While Anderson argues that Ring II changed the law in this regard, we have also rejected that very contention. State v. Rutledge, 205 Ariz. 7, 15 ¶ 42, 66 P.3d 50, 58 (2003).
¶ 78 Anderson asserts that the Indictment Clause of the Arizona Constitution, Ariz. Const. art. 2, § 30, forbids his conviction for capital murder because his indictment did not allege aggravating circumstances. This Court has twice recently rejected that argument. Carreon, 210 Ariz. at 61 ¶ 25, 107 P.3d at 907; McKaney v. Foreman, 209 Ariz. 268, 273 ¶ 23, 100 P.3d 18, 23 (2004). Moreover, the jury findings of aggravators beyond a reasonable doubt demonstrate[] a fortiori that there was probable cause to charge [the defendant] with the offenses for which [he was] convicted. United States v. Mechanik, 475 U.S. 66, 67, 106 S.Ct. 938, 89 L.Ed.2d 50 (1986).
¶ 79 After his original conviction, Anderson was given notice of alleged aggravating factors on January 27, 1998. Following his second conviction on October 9, 2001, the prosecution filed another notice of aggravating factors on October 16, 2001, listing precisely the same factors alleged in 1998. The State thus complied with the rule in effect at the time of both trials, which required notice of aggravating factors no later than ten days after a guilty verdict. Ariz. R.Crim. P. 15.1(g)(2)(1998). [13] ¶ 80 Anderson complains that the notice given after his second conviction violated the Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution by leaving him insufficient time to prepare a defense. However, because of the intervening decision in Ring II, the second aggravation trial did not commence until November 13, 2002. Anderson thus received the second notice of aggravating factors more than one year before the relevant aggravation phase commenced. Moreover, because the second notice was identical to the first, Anderson had notice of the alleged aggravating factors more than three years prior to the start of the aggravation phase of the second trial. Anderson's due process arguments therefore fail.
¶ 81 Anderson argues that he was constitutionally entitled to have the aggravation and penalty issues decided by the same jury that decided guilt. However, Ring III rejected that argument, holding that a defendant holds no absolute right to a penalty trial with the same judge or jurors who heard the evidence on guilt, and reasoning that the ability to re-sentence capital defendants by a new jury is implicit in the Supreme Court's death penalty jurisprudence. 204 Ariz. at 551 ¶¶ 39-40, 65 P.3d at 932. [14] ¶ 82 Anderson next argues that because A.R.S. § 13-703.01(E) allows the aggravation phase jury to consider evidence presented at the guilt phase, the statute precludes the impaneling of a new jury. But the burden of proof at the aggravation phase is on the State. See A.R.S. § 13-703(B). Therefore, when a new jury is convened for the aggravation phase, the State must present to that jury  as it did in this case  any trial evidence it wishes considered in determining aggravation. Anderson suffered no prejudice from this procedure. ¶ 83 Anderson further argues that because the jury at the penalty phase may consider any mitigation evidence presented during the guilt phase, A.R.S. § 13-703.01(I), a different jury cannot sit in the penalty phase. But § 13-703.01(I) applies on its face only when the penalty jury is the same jury that determined guilt. Moreover, Anderson does not suggest that he was prevented from presenting to the penalty phase jury any mitigation evidence that was introduced at the guilt phase. Nor does he identify any mitigation evidence that the penalty phase jury failed to hear. ¶ 84 Anderson also argues that the penalty phase jurors had the issue of guilt thrust upon them in violation of his Eighth Amendment right to an individualized sentencing determination. He asserts that the issues of guilt and punishment are too interwoven to be bifurcated and tried to different juries, in particular because guilt phase jurors may have residual doubt that makes them less likely to sentence a defendant to death. See Lockhart v. McCree, 476 U.S. 162, 181, 106 S.Ct. 1758, 90 L.Ed.2d 137 (1986); Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 112, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982) ([T]he fundamental respect for humanity underlying the Eighth Amendment ... requires consideration of the character and record of the individual offender and the circumstances of the particular offense as a constitutionally indispensable part of the process of inflicting the penalty of death.) (citation omitted). ¶ 85 The fact that Anderson had different juries for the guilt and aggravation/penalty phases, however, did not deprive him of an individualized sentencing determination. Anderson does not argue that he was prevented from presenting any mitigation evidence. Indeed, the aggravation and penalty phases were essentially a full-blown re-presentation of the entire case. Nearly every trial exhibit was admitted, and the only trial witnesses who did not testify at the sentencing hearings were the two Illinois state troopers who arrested Anderson. As to those witnesses, nothing prevented Anderson from offering their guilt phase testimony had he found it helpful to his case. ¶ 86 In response to Anderson's complaint that the second jury was not allowed to revisit the issue of guilt or innocence, we note that the same result occurs when a single jury sits for the guilt and sentencing phases of a capital trial. During the aggravation and penalty phases, a jury may not revisit its initial guilty verdict. The only issue at the aggravation phase is whether any aggravating circumstances have been proved; the only issue during the penalty phase is whether death is the appropriate sentence. A.R.S. § 13-703.01(E), (H). [15]
¶ 87 Anderson contends that convening a second jury for sentencing after dismissal of his original jury impermissibly increased the punishment he faced, in violation of the double jeopardy protections of the state and federal constitutions. Ring III squarely rejects these arguments, holding that use of a second jury during the aggravation and penalty phases does not constitute double jeopardy. 204 Ariz. at 547-48 ¶ 25, 65 P.3d at 928-29. Although Anderson had not been sentenced to death (on retrial) when Ring II was decided, he is for all relevant purposes situated identically to the Ring III defendants. Each of those defendants, like Anderson, had guilt adjudicated by one jury and is subject to re-sentencing by a different jury.
¶ 88 Anderson argues that the superior court erred by excusing two prospective aggravation/penalty phase jurors, L.M. and R.W., for cause solely because each expressed general scruples about the death penalty. He argues that the trial court was obligated to question further and determine whether these potential jurors could follow the judge's instructions despite their views on capital punishment. We conclude, however, that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in dismissing these potential jurors. ¶ 89 One of the two prospective jurors, L.M., gave conflicting answers but, through extended questioning, continued to express doubts about her ability to render an impartial verdict for sentencing in a death penalty case. The court excused her because she expressed uncertainty whether her beliefs would substantially impair her from being able to follow her instructions and her oath. The other prospective juror, R.W., stated categorically that he would never vote for a death penalty in any case. Defense counsel neither questioned further thereafter nor objected to the dismissal of R.W. ¶ 90 Anderson also contends that the trial judge erred by refusing to strike for cause six prospective jurors, none of whom ultimately served on the aggravation/penalty jury. One of the six, J.F., initially indicated that he would give more weight to the testimony of law enforcement officers, but later agreed that he could follow the court's instructions and apply the same credibility standard to all witnesses. [16] Another, L.M., indicated at first that she could not impose a life prison sentence, but later stated that she would do so if warranted by the evidence. Three other prospective jurors, D.E., S.F., and P.M., all indicated strong support for the death penalty; upon questioning, however, each stated that she would render a verdict only in accordance with the evidence and instructions from the court. A sixth prospective juror, D.W., said she had read media accounts of the case, in violation of a court order. She said, however, that she read only the headline of a story concerning the case and not the text. The trial court did not abuse its discretion by refusing to excuse these six jurors for cause.
¶ 91 Anderson argues that the trial court's instruction to the jury that [a]ggravating factors are those which increase the guilt or enormity of the offense constituted fundamental error. We rejected this argument in Carreon, 210 Ariz. at 71-72 ¶¶ 88-89, 107 P.3d at 917-18.