Opinion ID: 865374
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Double Prejudice Through Consideration of the

Text: Armed Robbery Charge as well as Reference to Pecuniary Gain. ¶26. The same issue was presented to this Court in Brawner v. State and found to be without merit. Brawner, 947 So. 2d 254 (Miss. 2006). The Court there held: We have consistently upheld the use of the underlying felony as an aggravating factor during sentencing. Goodin v. State, 787 So. 2d 639, 654 12 (Miss. 2001) (citing Walker v. State, 671 So. 2d 581, 612 (Miss. 1995)). The argument is the familiar stacking argument. It contends that it is unconstitutional for the State to elevate murder to capital murder and then, using the same factor, elevate the sentence to death. As pointed out in Lockett v. State, 517 So. 2d 1317, 1337 (Miss. 1987), this Court has consistently rejected this argument. Goodin, 787 So. 2d at 654; Davis v. State, 684 So. 2d 643, 664 (Miss. 1996). However, this Court has found impermissible doubling where the trial court in a sentencing proceeding submits as separate aggravating factors both the fact that the capital murder was committed during the commission of a robbery and for pecuniary gain. Goodin, 787 So. 2d at 654. In that case the two aggravating factors essentially comprise one circumstance. Id. (citing Willie v. State, 585 So. 2d 660 (Miss. 1991)). The Florida cases cited by Brawner do not stand for the proposition he asserts. Rather, they stand for the proposition that the use of two aggravating factors which essentially comprise one circumstance results in impermissible doubling. Barnhill, 834 So. 2d at 851; Griffin, 820 So. 2d at 914-15; Robertson, 611 So. 2d at 1233. This is identical to our law as announced in Goodin and Willie. Therefore, this assertion is without merit. Brawner, 947 So. 2d at 265. The same argument is put forth by Le and must fail for the same reasons. The issue is without merit. ¶27. LEAVE TO SEEK POST-CONVICTION RELIEF, DENIED. WALLER, P.J., EASLEY, CARLSON, GRAVES, RANDOLPH AND LAMAR, JJ., CONCUR. SMITH, C.J., AND DIAZ, P.J., NOT PARTICIPATING. 13