Opinion ID: 2502498
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Guidelines for Mercy in First Degree Murder Cases

Text: The Appellant asks the Court to invoke the plain error doctrine and find that the circuit court engaged in plain error by failing to give an instruction to the jury setting forth guidelines that the jury should consider in determining whether to give the Appellant mercy in a unitary trial. The Appellant offered no such instruction nor did he object to the instructions given by the circuit court at the time of trial. The Appellee asserts that the law in this State is clear that an instruction to the jury outlining factors to be considered in determining mercy in murder cases should not be given. Because the Appellant concedes that he offered no objection to the jury instructions proposed or submitting, the only means by which this Court can find error would be to invoke the plain error doctrine. See State v. Lively, 226 W.Va. 81, 92, 697 S.E.2d 117, 128 (2010) (The Court consistently has held that `silence may operate as a waiver of objections to error and irregularities at the trial which, if seasonably made and presented, might have been regarded as prejudicial.' State v. Grimmer, 162 W.Va. 588, 595, 251 S.E.2d 780, 785 (1979), overruled on other grounds, State v. Petry, 166 W.Va. 153, 273 S.E.2d 346 (1980). The raise or waive rule is designed `to prevent a party from obtaining an unfair advantage by failing to give the trial court an opportunity to rule on the objection and thereby correct potential error.' Wimer v. Hinkle, 180 W.Va. 660, 663, 379 S.E.2d 383, 386 (1989).). In order for the Court to find plain error occurred in this case, there must be (1) an error; (2) that is plain; (3) that affects substantial rights; and (4) seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of the judicial proceedings. Syl. Pt. 7, in part, State v. Miller, 194 W.Va. 3, 459 S.E.2d 114 (1995). In this case, however, the Court finds that the Appellant cannot establish the first element needed to show plain error, which is that any error occurred. To the contrary, the Court has previously resolved this issue in syllabus point one of State v. Miller, 178 W.Va. 618, 363 S.E.2d 504 (1987), wherein the Court held that [a]n instruction outlining factors which a jury should consider in determining whether to grant mercy in a first degree murder case should not be given. Id. at 619, 363 S.E.2d at 505; see also State v. McLaughlin, 226 W.Va. 229, 234 n. 12, 700 S.E.2d 289, 293 n. 12 (2010), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 131 S.Ct. 1056, 178 L.Ed.2d 873 (2011)(finding that the Court has already resolved the issue regarding the imposition of standards to guide the jury's exercise of discretion in the mercy or penalty phase in State v. Miller, 178 W.Va. 618, 622 & n. 8, 363 S.E.2d 504, 508 & n. 8 (1987).). In so holding, the Court, in Miller, noted that [i]n jurisdictions where the decision to recommend mercy is left entirely within the discretion of the jury and is made binding on the trial court, it is uniformly held that an instruction which enumerates instances or suggests when a mercy recommendation might be appropriate is reversible error. Id. at 622, 363 S.E.2d at 508. Accordingly, the Court determines that the circuit court committed no error regarding this issue.