Opinion ID: 1603389
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Spencer Hearing and Sentencing

Text: On August 28, 2006, a Spencer [4] hearing was held and the trial court imposed sentence on the noncapital convictions. Sentencing on the capital convictions was imposed on September 21, 2006. The trial court followed the jury's recommendations and sentenced Hunter to death for the murders of Gleason, Gonzalez, Nathan, and Vega. In doing so, the trial court found the following five aggravating circumstances with their respective assigned weights: (1) the defendant has been previously convicted of another capital felony or felony involving the use or threat of violence to a person  very substantial weight; (2) the crime for which the defendant is to be sentenced was committed while he was engaged in the commission of the crime of burglary  moderate weight; (3) the crime for which the defendant is to be sentenced was committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing a lawful arrest  moderate weight; (4) the capital felony was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel  very substantial weight; and (5) the capital felony was a homicide and was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification  great weight. As for mitigation, the trial court found three statutory mitigating circumstances and assigned weights: (1) age of the defendant at the time of the crime  some weight; (2) the defendant acted under extreme duress or under the substantial domination of another person  some weight; (3) the defendant has no significant history of prior criminal activity  little weight. The trial court also found three nonstatutory mitigating circumstances: (1) the level of maturity of the defendant at the time of the crime  little weight; (2) the defendant exhibited good conduct during incarceration  very little weight; and (3) the defendant exhibited good conduct during trial  very little weight.