Opinion ID: 1060864
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: instructing on all aggravating circumstances

Text: The defendant makes basically three assignments of error concerning the trial judge's instructions to the jury on the aggravating circumstances. First, he argues that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on every felony under Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-204(i)(7). He further argues that the trial court erred in instructing the jury on all twelve aggravating circumstances. Finally, he argues that the trial court erred by failing to require the jury to find, pursuant to (i)(5), that the defendant had the specific intent to torture the victim. The jury found aggravating circumstance (i)(7) applicable. Specifically, the jury found that the victims' murders were committed while the defendant was engaged in committing or was an accomplice in the commission of, or was attempting to commit, any first degree murder, arson, rape, robbery, burglary, larceny, kidnaping, aircraft piracy, or unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb. The defendant argues that because the trial judge charged every felony listed under (i)(7), one may conclude that the jury found murder in the commission of murder, or murder in the commission of air piracy. The better practice certainly is to charge those felonies that may be supported by the facts. State v. Buck, 670 S.W.2d 600, 608 (Tenn.1984). Moreover, charging all felonies under (i)(7) without regard to whether the felonies are supported by the evidence is error. We, however, find the error harmless as application of the (i)(7) aggravating circumstance is amply supported by the evidence. The defendant assigns error in the trial judge's decision to instruct the jury on all twelve aggravating circumstances. The Court of Criminal Appeals held that, while error, the error was harmless, because the evidence supported the jury's application of (i)(2), (i)(6), and (i)(7) for both murders. In addition, the jury found (i)(5) applicable only to the murder of Mrs. Vester. This finding indicates that the jury thoroughly reviewed the evidence and applied the aggravating circumstances in a non-arbitrary manner. Upon review, we agree with the appellate court's holding and find no reversible error as to instructing the jury on all twelve aggravating circumstances. The defendant contends that (i)(5) required the jury to find that the defendant had the specific intent to torture the victim. [1] Circumstance (i)(5), however, does not require a mens rea. We find that (i)(5) focuses on the circumstances of the killing. We, therefore, hold that the torture prong of (i)(5) merely requires a jury finding that the victim remained conscious and sustained severe physical or mental pain and suffering between the infliction of the wounds and the time of death. Whether the defendant intended the victim's suffering is irrelevant under (i)(5). This issue is without merit.