Opinion ID: 1389618
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: constitutionality of the arizona death penalty statute

Text: Appellant raises several issues concerning the Arizona death penalty statute. All but one of those issues have been addressed by this court before in State v. Jordan, 137 Ariz. 504, 507, 672 P.2d 169, 172 (1983); State v. Gillies, 135 Ariz. 500, 507-08, 662 P.2d 1007, 1014-15 (1983); or State v. Blazak, 131 Ariz. 598, 601, 643 P.2d 694, 697 (1982). Appellant's only argument not previously addressed by this court concerns the aggravating circumstance set forth in A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(5)  that the defendant committed the offense as consideration for the receipt, or in expectation of the receipt, of anything of pecuniary value. In Gillies, supra, which involved an intentional killing, we held that this aggravating circumstance did not apply, even though items of pecuniary value were taken, because the reason for the murder was to eliminate the victim as a witness to her own rape, id. at 512, 662 P.2d at 1019, and not to gain monetarily. Appellant states that this aggravating circumstance would be found in the case of an unintentional killing that was part of a theft. Appellant then argues that a statutory sentencing scheme in which an intentional killing to eliminate a witness is not an aggravating circumstance whereas an unintentional killing that was part of a theft is an aggravating circumstance is an arbitrary and capricious sentencing scheme. We first note that, contrary to appellant's assertion, not every taking of property associated with an unintentional killing would give rise to a finding of the aggravating circumstance set forth in A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(5). Rather, before this aggravating circumstance may be found, a cause of the murder must be pecuniary gain. Gillies, supra . Second, we agree with the state that there is no single list of aggravating circumstances that is constitutionally acceptable. Rather, the inclusion of a killing motivated by pecuniary gain on the list, as opposed to other factors, is a proper determination for the legislature. See State v. Bly, 127 Ariz. 370, 621 P.2d 279 (1980). INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF AGGRAVATING AND MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES At sentencing, the court found four aggravating circumstances and no mitigating circumstances sufficiently substantial to call for leniency, and then sentenced appellant to death. Pursuant to State v. Richmond, 114 Ariz. 186, 560 P.2d 41 (1976), cert. denied, 433 U.S. 915, 97 S.Ct. 2988, 53 L.Ed.2d 1101 (1977), we independently review the record to determine the existence or absence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and determine whether the death penalty should be imposed. The first aggravating circumstance found by the trial court was that appellant had been convicted of a prior crime for which a sentence of life imprisonment or death was imposable in Arizona. A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(1). The record establishes that the defendant has been convicted in Arizona of Dangerous or deadly assault by prisoner, A.R.S. § 13-1206, which is punishable by life imprisonment, id., and two counts of first degree murder, A.R.S. § 13-1105, punishable by life imprisonment or death, A.R.S. § 13-703. The trial court correctly found this aggravating circumstance. The second aggravating circumstance found by the sentencing court was that appellant previously had been convicted of a felony involving the use or threat of violence on another person, A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(2). The assault and murders just described fulfill this aggravating circumstance. The third aggravating circumstance found by the trial court was that the murder was committed in the expectation of pecuniary gain. A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(5). Pecuniary gain must be a cause of the murder, not just a result. E.g., State v. Gillies, 135 Ariz. 500, 512, 662 P.2d 1007, 1019 (1983). In the present case we agree with the sentencing court's finding that the purpose for binding and gagging the victim was to facilitate the robbery and hinder detection. Further, the victim died as a direct result of the binding and gagging during the commission of the offense. The trial court correctly found this aggravating circumstance. The final aggravating circumstance found by the sentencing court was that the murder was committed in an especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner. A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(6). Cruelty refers to the mental and physical pain suffered by the victim. State v. Clark, 126 Ariz. 428, 436, 616 P.2d 888, 896, cert. denied, 449 U.S. 1067, 101 S.Ct. 796, 66 L.Ed.2d 612 (1980). It is clear that the murder was committed in a cruel manner. We agree with the analysis by the sentencing court: The evidence in this case indicates that the victim's hands and feet were securely and separately bound with tape, then the victim's hands and feet were tightly bound together behind his back. A wash cloth gag was stuffed inside the victim's mouth, taped in place, then secured with torn strips of cloth, and the victim was left face down with his head in a pillow. The evidence indicates that the victim did not die instantaneously, but rather died slowly, his death being caused by asphyxiation due to his being gagged as he was. The record establishes beyond a resonable doubt that the offense was committed in a cruel manner. As mitigation, the appellant argued he could not be given the death penalty because of Enmund v. Florida, 458 U.S. 782, 102 S.Ct. 3368, 73 L.Ed.2d 1140 (1982). That case provides that the death sentence cannot be imposed unless it is determined beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant killed, attempted to kill, or intended to kill. See also State v. McDaniel, 136 Ariz. 188, 199, 665 P.2d 70, 81 (1983). The sentencing court specifically found that under the circumstances of this case Enmund does not mandate a sentence of life imprisonment. That court did not explicitly make that finding beyond a reasonable doubt. Nevertheless, the record establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that appellant killed Allan Gage. Appellant stuffed a washcloth down Gage's throat and secured that cloth with tape and strips of torn pillowcase; Gage died from asphyxiation because the washcloth blocked his breathing passages. Enmund does not prevent imposition of the death penalty. After reviewing the record, we agree with the sentencing court that there are no mitigating circumstances sufficiently substantial to call for leniency. PROPORTIONALITY REVIEW This court conducts a proportionality review to determine whether the sentences of death are excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendant. State v. Richmond, 114 Ariz. 186, 196, 560 P.2d 41, 51 (1976), cert. denied, 433 U.S. 915, 97 S.Ct. 2988, 53 L.Ed.2d 1101 (1977). We consider not only cases where the death penalty was affirmed, but also cases where the death penalty was reduced to a sentence of life imprisonment. State v. McCall, 140 Ariz. 147, 162, 677 P.2d 920, 935 (1983). In State v. Harding, 137 Ariz. 278, 295-96, 670 P.2d 383, 400-01 (1983), a case with the same defendant as in the instant case, and a case with facts strikingly similar to the instant case, we found imposition of the death penalty was not disproportionate to similar cases. In Harding we considered State v. Gretzler, 135 Ariz. 42, 659 P.2d 1, cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 103 S.Ct. 2444, 77 L.Ed.2d 1327 (1983); State v. Raymond Tison, 129 Ariz. 546, 633 P.2d 355, cert. denied, 459 U.S. 882, 103 S.Ct. 180, 74 L.Ed.2d 147 (1982); State v. Ricky Tison, 129 Ariz. 526, 633 P.2d 335 (1981), cert. denied, 459 U.S. 882, 103 S.Ct. 180, 74 L.Ed.2d 147 (1982); State v. Gerlaugh, 135 Ariz. 89, 659 P.2d 642 (1983), supplementing 134 Ariz. 164, 654 P.2d 800 (1982). We have considered those cases in the present situation also. In addition, we have examined State v. Schad, 129 Ariz. 557, 633 P.2d 366 (1981), cert. denied, 455 U.S. 983, 102 S.Ct. 1492, 71 L.Ed.2d 693 (1982), and State v. Arnett, 119 Ariz. 38, 579 P.2d 542 (1978). In Schad, the defendant strangled an elderly man, dumped the body by the side of a road, and stole the victim's cash, credit cards, and automobile. We affirmed imposition of the death penalty upon finding two aggravating circumstances; those two circumstances were the same as two of the four present in the instant case: A.R.S. § 13-454(E)(1) and (2) (currently A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(1) and (2) (the defendant has been convicted of a prior crime for which a sentence of life imprisonment or death was imposable in Arizona; and the defendant has been convicted of a prior crime including the use or threat of violence on another person)). In State v. Arnett, supra , defendant was sleeping at a construction site. The victim arrived at the site in his truck camper and also slept at the site. The next morning, defendant tried to make a deal with victim for some food or a ride. Victim showed an interest in trading food for jewelry. Victim then followed defendant to a shack where the jewelry supposedly was located. Defendant testified he intended to steal victim's truck. At the shack, defendant grabbed his rifle and shot victim five times, killing him. We upheld the death sentence, despite numerous alleged mitigating circumstances, upon finding the same two aggravating circumstances present in Schad and in the instant case: A.R.S. § 13-703(F)(1) and (2). The circumstances of the present case are more analogous to Harding, Schad and Arnett than cases in which we have reduced the sentence imposed to life imprisonment, as we did in State v. McDaniel, 136 Ariz. 188, 665 P.2d 70 (1983) (we found as a sufficiently substantial mitigating circumstance significant evidence that defendant and his accomplice did not intend to kill the victim) and in State v. Valencia, 132 Ariz. 248, 645 P.2d 239 (1982) (age of defendant at time of offense, 16, a significant mitigating factor). As required by A.R.S. § 13-4035, we have reviewed the record for fundamental error. Having found none, the judgments of conviction and sentences are affirmed. HOLOHAN, C.J., GORDON, V.C.J., and CAMERON and FELDMAN, JJ., concur.