Opinion ID: 1195082
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Death penalty unconstitutional

Text: Defendant raises numerous constitutional challenges to Arizona's death penalty, which have been dispositively addressed in previous cases, as follows: 1. Imposed arbitrarily and irrationally, see Walton v. Arizona, 497 U.S. 639, 654, 110 S.Ct. 3047, 3057, 111 L.Ed.2d 511 (1990); Lewis v. Jeffers, 497 U.S. 764, 777, 110 S.Ct. 3092, 3100, 111 L.Ed.2d 606 (1990); McKenzie v. Day, 57 F.3d 1461, 1466-67 (9th Cir.1995). 2. Lethal gas or injection cruel and unusual punishment, see State v. Gonzales, 181 Ariz. 502, 507, 892 P.2d 838, 843 (1995); State v. Hinchey, 181 Ariz. 307, 315, 890 P.2d 602, 610 (1995). 3. Death unconstitutionally required if one aggravating factor found, see Walton v. Arizona, 497 U.S. 639, 651-52, 110 S.Ct. 3047, 3056-57, 111 L.Ed.2d 511 (1990). 4. No right to death qualify sentencing judge, see State v. Atwood, 171 Ariz. 576, 645-46 n. 21(3), 832 P.2d 593, 662-63 n. 21(3)(1992). 5. No statutory standards for weighing, see id. at n. 21(4). 6. Defendant must prove mitigating factors, see id. at n. 21(11). 7. Death-eligible class not sufficiently narrowed, see State v. West, 176 Ariz. 432, 449, 862 P.2d 192, 209 (1993) (citing Lowenfield v. Phelps, 484 U.S. 231, 244, 108 S.Ct. 546, 559, 98 L.Ed.2d 568 (1988)). 8. State does not separately prove death is appropriate, see State v. White, 168 Ariz. 500, 515, 815 P.2d 869, 884 (1991). 9. Consideration of mitigation evidence too restricted, see id. at 514-15, 815 P.2d 869; Walton, 497 U.S. at 651-52, 110 S.Ct. at 3056-57; State v. Gonzales, 181 Ariz. 502, 513, 892 P.2d 838, 849 (1995). 10. No meaningful distinction between capital and non-capital cases, see State v. Salazar, 173 Ariz. 399, 411, 844 P.2d 566, 578 (1992). 11. Discriminates against poor, young, male defendants as applied, see Jeffers v. Lewis, 38 F.3d 411, 419 (9th Cir.1994). 12. Judge alone makes aggravation and mitigation findings, see id. at 419. 13. No proportionality review, see Pulley v. Harris, 465 U.S. 37, 50-51, 104 S.Ct. 871, 879, 79 L.Ed.2d 29 (1984); State v. Salazar, 173 Ariz. at 416-417, 844 P.2d at 583-84 (1992).