Opinion ID: 2632203
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Constitutionality of the CFSA.

Text: {71} Defendant contends that the Capital Felony Sentencing Act is unconstitutional, arguing that (1) it fails to give juries proper guidance or to require specific jury findings thus precluding adequate appellate review; (2) the statutory mitigating circumstance regarding prior criminal activity is unconstitutionally vague; and (3) the mitigating circumstance that considers a defendant's cooperation with authorities violates the constitutional rights to remain silent, to counsel, to a fair trial, and to due process. See §§ 31-20A-6(A), (H). Finally, he asserts that the death penalty constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. Const. amends. XIII, XIV; N.M. Const. art. II, §§ 13, 18. {72} This Court has addressed these arguments in previous cases and held previously that the CFSA is constitutional. Defendant's assertions do not convince us to reconsider our earlier decisions. Defendant's first claim was dealt with in Clark, 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 67, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793 (rejecting defendant's assertion that the CFSA did not provide adequate standards for review); Clark, 108 N.M. at 307, 772 P.2d at 341 (holding that specific legal standards for weighing aggravating circumstances against mitigating circumstances are not constitutionally required in a capital sentencing procedure); and Finnell, 101 N.M. at 736, 688 P.2d at 773 (holding that capital jury does not have to find beyond a reasonable doubt that the death penalty is the appropriate sentence). The contentions regarding the statutory mitigating circumstances were addressed in Clark, 1999-NMSC-035, ¶ 69, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793 (holding that Section 31-20A-6(H) did not punish a defendant for exercising his constitutional rights to remain silent, to counsel, to a fair trial, and to due process); Compton, 104 N.M. at 692, 726 P.2d at 846 (holding that Section 31-20A-6(H) did not violate defendant's right to remain silent); and State v. Gilbert, 100 N.M. 392, 402, 671 P.2d 640, 650 (1983) (holding that the language of Section 31-20A-6(A) was not unconstitutionally vague and indefinite). As to the final issue, this Court held explicitly in Garcia, 99 N.M. at 777, 664 P.2d at 975, that the death penalty does not necessarily constitute cruel and unusual punishment. See also Allen, 2000-NMSC-002, ¶ 112, 128 N.M. 482, 994 P.2d 728; Clark, 1999-NMSC-035, ¶¶ 60-61, 128 N.M. 119, 990 P.2d 793; Compton, 104 N.M. at 695, 726 P.2d at 849.