Opinion ID: 1739694
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: the burden of proof on whether the aggravating circumstances out-weighed the mitigating circumstances

Text: This issue was determined on basically the same language in Stringer v. State, 500 So.2d 928 (1986) and Jordan v. State, 464 So.2d 475 (Miss. 1985). Those cases relied on Gray v. Lucas, 677 F.2d 1086 (5th Cir.1982), which held that such an instruction still places the burden of proof on the prosecution to prove aggravating circumstances. The Mississippi Supreme Court has construed its capital punishment statute to place the burden of proving any aggravating circumstances on the prosecution. See Gray v. State, 351 So.2d 1342, 1345, supra. This is the critical burden since the jury's failure to find an aggravating circumstance precludes it from imposing the death penalty. Id. at 1107.