Opinion ID: 2381990
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Rebuttal of Abandoned Mitigating Factor

Text: At the sentencing hearing the State offered evidence showing that while Harris was incarcerated for the instant offenses, he attempted to escape from the Maryland Penitentiary. The prosecutor asserted that this evidence would tend to refute the mitigating factor contained in Md. Code (1982 Repl. Vol., 1987 Cum.Supp.), Art. 27, § 413(g)(7) (It is unlikely that the defendant will engage in further criminal activity that would constitute a continuing threat to society). Despite Harris's objection and his announced intention not to rely upon the § 413(g)(7) mitigating factor, the trial judge admitted the evidence. Harris concedes that the State may introduce evidence rebutting a mitigating factor before the defense raises the issue, but argues the State may not do so when the defense announces in advance [as did Harris] that it will not generate the issue. Brief at 31. White v. State, 300 Md. 719, 481 A.2d 201 (1984), cert. denied, 470 U.S. 1062, 105 S.Ct. 1779, 84 L.Ed.2d 837 (1985), was a case in which we held the State may properly introduce evidence of a capital defendant's future dangerousness whether or not the defendant has first introduced evidence on or argued the issue. 300 Md. at 740, 481 A.2d at 211. In White, we noted that the mitigating circumstance of future dangerousness, along with all other mitigating circumstances, is in issue at the inception of the proceeding since the jury is bound to consider all statutorily prescribed [mitigating] factors. Johnson v. State, supra, 303 Md. at 530, 495 A.2d at 23 (discussing White v. State, 300 Md. at 740, 481 A.2d at 211). Also see Md. Code (1982 Repl. Vol., 1987 Cum.Supp.) Art. 27, § 413(g) (requiring the jury to consider whether any mitigating factors exist). Moreover, as we said in White, [t]o say that the ... mitigating circumstance is not an issue ... unless the convicted capital murderer invokes it would lead to the absurd consequence that, absent affirmative evidence or argument from the defendant, the court could instruct a sentencing jury that it could not find this mitigating factor to apply. White, 300 Md. at 740, 481 A.2d at 211. Since the jury must consider all mitigating factors set forth in § 413(g) whether or not raised by the defense, the State is not precluded from introducing evidence to refute any one of them. The lower court did not err in overruling Harris's objection and in admitting evidence of his attempted escape.