Opinion ID: 1730477
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 37

Heading: the trial court erred in instructing the jury at sentencing it could consider the detailed circumstances of the offense.

Text: Carr assigns as error the trial court's instructions to the jury during the sentencing phase that they should consider the detailed circumstances of the offense when making their decision. Carr bases his position on the fact that at the sentencing phase, the jurors are restricted to hearing and considering evidence related only to aggravating and mitigating circumstances. The State posits that this assignment of error is procedurally barred because of Carr's failure to object at trial. The State further contends that when the jury instructions are read in totality, there is no merit to this claim. We agree. Carr did fail to object at trial to instructions S-1, S-2, S-3, and S-4. Therefore, Carr's objection has not been properly preserved for review by this Court, and is thereby waived. Willie v. State, 585 So.2d 660, 680 (Miss. 1991) ( citing Moawad v. State, 531 So.2d 632, 635 (Miss. 1988); Cole v. State, 525 So.2d 365, 369 (Miss. 1987)). However, even if there were no procedural bar, Carr's contentions are still without merit. Each of the four sentencing instructions began with the trial court telling the jury that: [i]n reaching your decision, you may objectively consider the detailed circumstances of the offense for which the defendant was convicted, and the character and record of the defendant himself. You should consider and weigh any aggravating and mitigating circumstances, as set forth later in this instruction, but you are not to be swayed by mere sentiment, conjecture, sympathy, passion, prejudice, public opinion or public feeling. The jury instructions are to be reviewed as a whole. Willie, 585 So.2d at 680 ( citing Roundtree v. State, 568 So.2d 1173, 1177 (Miss. 1990); Shell v. State, 554 So.2d 887, 900 (Miss. 1989), rev'd on other grounds, 498 U.S. 1, 111 S.Ct. 313, 112 L.Ed.2d 1 (1990)). In considering the instructions in their entirety, it is apparent that the jury was properly instructed in the framework within which it was to consider mitigating and aggravating circumstances. Moreover, in Ladner v. State, 584 So.2d 743, 760 (Miss. 1991), the jury was instructed using the same detailed circumstance language. It was upheld as a proper instruction. See also King v. State, 421 So.2d 1009, 1017 (Miss. 1982). This assignment of error is procedurally barred, and it lacks merit.