Opinion ID: 877465
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 36

Heading: the motion to dismiss is further granted as to 13 of petitioner's claims because, while they include vague new allegations, they are too vague, to state new claims, or are unsupported by authority and therefore barred by res judicata.

Text: The following 13 issues have been previously considered and decided by the Montana Supreme Court. B, E, K, Q, U, X, CC, EE, FF, OO, QQ, RR, and XX The validity of the prior determination of the Montana Supreme Court with respect to these issues is not called into question by petitioner's additional allegations. B. Petitioner's claim alleging discrimination in the plea bargaining process on the basis of race was rejected by the Montana Supreme Court in Coleman I, 579 P.2d at 744-5. E. Petitioner's claim regarding the recovery of the rope was addressed by the Montana Supreme Court in Coleman I, 579 P.2d at 744. K. Petitioner's claim regarding the testimony of an F.B.I. agent and of Sheriff Makin was addressed in Coleman I, 579 P.2d at 749. Q. Instruction No. 26 was considered by the Montana Supreme Court in Coleman I, 579 P.2d at 750, and again in Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1054-6, cert. denied, 446 U.S. 970, 100 S.Ct. 2952, 64 L.Ed.2d 831. U. Petitioner's claim that the verdict form as to Count II, aggravated kidnapping, was erroneously given was considered in Coleman I, 579 P.2d at 751. Moreover, the jury also convicted petitioner of deliberate homicide. X. Petitioner's general claim regarding the review afforded his case in Coleman I is vague and meritless on the basis of the opinion issued in that case. No specific error is alleged as part of this claim. CC. Petitioner's claim regarding the district court's consideration of mitigating factors in general was reviewed in Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1019-20. EE. Petitioner's claim that he was prejudiced by properly admitted evidence does not state a claim for relief. Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1020. Moreover, the provisions of the 1977 amendments to Montana's capital sentencing scheme were found to apply to petitioner in their entirety in Coleman II. Section 46-18-302, MCA, requires that evidence admitted at trial be considered for sentencing purposes. FF. Petitioner's claim that the constitution requires a finding of a specific intent to kill before a capital sentence may be imposed is unsupportable. Moreover, this court found such an intent when considering the appropriateness of the death penalty at Finding of Fact No. 3(b). OO. Montana's capital sentencing scheme provides for the consideration of mitigating circumstances, a provision which benefits capital defendants. The issue presented involves only sentencing, not guilt or innocence, and petitioner's due process claims are without merit. See Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1057, cert. denied, 446 U.S. 970, 100 S.Ct. 2952, 64 L.Ed.2d 831, and State v. Watson, Ariz., 586 P.2d 1253, 1258 (1978), cert. denied 440 U.S. 924, 99 S.Ct. 1254, 59 L.Ed.2d 478. QQ. The review provided petitioner by the Montana Supreme Court was carefully outlined and applied in Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1020-1. RR. The imposition of the death penalty in petitioner's case has been presented to and approved by the Montana Supreme Court. That determination is binding on this court. As noted in Spinkellink v. Wainwright, 5th Cir., 578 F.2d 582, 607 (1978) cert. denied, 440 U.S. 976, 99 S.Ct. 1548, 59 L.Ed.2d 796 (1979), the arbitrariness and capriciousness condemned in Furman are conclusively removed from a death penalty proceeding if the state adheres to its properly drawn death penalty statute. XX. The aggravating and mitigating circumstances enumerated in Montana's capital sentencing scheme are similar to those approved by the United States Supreme Court and pass constitutional muster under Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U.S. 153, 96 S.Ct. 2909, 49 L.Ed.2d 859 (1976); Proffitt v. Florida, 428 U.S. 242, 96 S.Ct. 2960, 49 L.Ed.2d 913 (1976); Jurek v. Texas, 428 U.S. 262, 96 S.Ct. 2950, 49 L.Ed.2d 929 (1976) and Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978). See Coleman II, 605 P.2d at 1057.