Opinion ID: 1610587
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 32

Heading: Does the cumulative effect of the alleged errors warrant reversal?

Text: This Court finds no reversible error in the instant record. Even considering the greater scrutiny given death penalty cases this Court concludes there is nothing in this record to warrant reversal. Pursuant to Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-105(3)(a), (b), (c) and (5) and the decisions of this Court and the Federal courts on imposition of the death penalty, this Court has reviewed the record in this case and has compared it and the death sentence imposed in the cases decided by this Court since Jackson v. State, 337 So.2d 1242 (Miss. 1976), which cases are set forth in Appendix A. We now hold that after a review of the cases coming before this Court, and comparing them to the present case, the punishment of death is not too great when the aggravating and mitigating circumstances are weighed against each other and the death penalty will not wantonly or freakishly be imposed here. We find and conclude that the death sentence was not imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor, that the evidence supports the jury's finding of statutory aggravating circumstances under § 99-19-101 and that the sentence of death is not excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in those cases since 1976, considering both the crime and the manner in which it was committed and the defendant; that the death penalty imposed on Nixon is consistent and even-handed to like and similar cases; and that the sentencing phase followed in his trial provided a meaningful basis for distinguishing the few cases in which the death penalty is imposed and the many cases in which it is not imposed. This Court affirms both the guilt and sentencing phases of this trial and therefore, affirms the conviction of John Nixon, Sr. on charges of capital murder and the imposition of the death penalty. The date of Wednesday, December 16, 1987, is set as the date of the execution of the sentence and the infliction of the death penalty in the manner provided by law. AFFIRMED. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1987, SET FOR EXECUTION OF THE DEATH PENALTY. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., DAN M. LEE, P.J., and ANDERSON, and GRIFFIN, JJ., concur. SULLIVAN, J., HAWKINS, P.J., AND ROBERTSON, J., concur in part and dissent in part. SULLIVAN, J., dissents to assignments VII A and XIX. HAWKINS, P.J., joins part II of dissent. ROBERTSON, J., joins part I of dissent. ZUCCARO, J., not participating.