Opinion ID: 1763897
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the sentence of death imposed by the jury in counts 1, 2, 3 & 4 of the indictment is excessive or disproportionate to the same penalty imposed in similar cases.

Text: ¶ 45. Brawner asserts that Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-105(3) (Rev.2000) requires the Court to perform a proportionality review if it affirms a death sentence in a capital case. He also requests the Court to reverse the death sentence for Count one based on his arguments in Issues VI and VII. Brawner cites no authority to support his contention that the death penalty is disproportionate in this case. ¶ 46. This Court must review the death sentence in accordance with Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-105(3), which states: (3) With regard to the sentence, the court shall determine: (a) Whether the sentence of death was imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor; (b) Whether the evidence supports the jury's or the judge's finding of a statutory aggravating circumstance as enumerated in Section 99-19-101; (c) Whether the sentence of death is excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendant; and (d) Should one or more of the aggravating circumstances be found invalid on appeal, the Mississippi Supreme Court shall determine whether the remaining aggravating circumstances are outweighed by the mitigating circumstances or whether the inclusion of any invalid circumstance was harmless error or both. Miss.Code Ann. § 99-19-105(3). ¶ 47. There is nothing in the record to suggest that the sentence of death was imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor. In addition, Brawner has not argued to the contrary. There is evidence supporting the finding of aggravating factors. The following aggravating factors were found by the jury, and we find there is sufficient evidence supporting them: the capital offense was committed by a person under sentence of imprisonment (four counts); the offense was committed while the defendant was engaged in the commission of robbery (three of the four counts); and the offense was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing lawful arrest (four counts). ¶ 48. The death penalty has been held not to be disproportionate in cases similar to this one. See Stevens v. State, 806 So.2d 1031 (Miss.2001) (defendant shot and killed his ex-wife, also shot and killed two children and the ex-wife's husband who were in the home at the time, and shot his teenage daughter, who was not killed); McGilberry v. State, 741 So.2d 894 (Miss. 1999) (16-year-old defendant robbed and killed four members of his own family); Brown v. State, 690 So.2d 276 (Miss.1996) (defendant chopped to death three members of a family); Jackson v. State, 684 So.2d 1213 (Miss.1996) (defendant stabbed and killed four children during attempted robbery of his mother's home). ¶ 49. There are other cases, where fewer persons, and no children, were killed, which have sustained this test: Manning v. State, 765 So.2d 516 (Miss.2000) (defendant murdered two elderly women by means of beating them unconscious with iron and slashing their throats with kitchen knife, while robbing them of approximately $12); Brown v. State, 682 So.2d 340 (Miss.1996) (defendant who shot store clerk four times during commission of armed robbery). See also Doss v. State, 709 So.2d 369 (Miss.1997) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant robbed and shot victim); Cabello v. State , 471 So.2d 332, 350 (Miss.1985) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant strangled and robbed victim); Evans v. State, 422 So.2d 737, 739 (Miss.1982) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant robbed and shot victim). ¶ 50. In view of these and other cases (see Appendix), we cannot say that the death penalty is disproportionate in the current case where Brawner killed his ex-wife, mother-in-law and father-in-law during the commission of a robbery, then shot and killed his own three-year-old daughter because she could identify him.