Opinion ID: 1058506
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: List of Aggravating Circumstances

Text: The defendant argues that the trial court improperly read to the jury all the possible aggravating circumstances during jury selection and not just the two relied upon by the state. The record reflects that the trial court did recite to the venire during the jury selection process the entire list of available statutory aggravating circumstances. It is error for the trial court to instruct the jury on inapplicable aggravating circumstances. State v. Blanton, 975 S.W.2d 269, 281 (Tenn.1998), cert. denied, 525 U.S. 1180, 119 S.Ct. 1118, 143 L.Ed.2d 113 (1999). However, the entire list of aggravating circumstances was not submitted to the jury as part of the instructions prior to deliberations. It was simply part of the explanatory portion of the trial court's discussion with the venire. At the close of the proof at the sentencing phase, the jury was properly instructed only as to the two aggravating factors relied upon by the state. This issue is without merit.