Opinion ID: 1265567
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Twenty-Year Charge

Text: The trial Court granted Atkins' request to charge the jury that, if sentenced to life imprisonment, he would not be eligible for parole for twenty years. He now contends the charge violated State v. Atkins , 293 S.C. 294, 360 S.E. (2d) 302 (1987). We disagree. In Atkins , we held that in death penalty cases controlled by the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1986, if a defendant requests , he is entitled to a jury charge regarding parole eligibility. 293 S.C. at 300, 360 S.E. (2d) at 306. Although this case is not controlled by the Omnibus Act, Atkins specifically requested the parole charge; the Court committed no error in granting his request.