Opinion ID: 775574
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ohio's Statutory Death Penalty Provisions

Text: 27 In common with other states that employ the death penalty, Ohio uses a weighing method to determine whether an individual charged with a capital offense receives the death penalty. An individual becomes eligible for the death penalty only if one or more of a series of statutory aggravating circumstances is specified in the indictment . . . and proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.04(A). In the present case, Fox was convicted of murder with the capital specification of kidnapping. See Ohio Rev. Code §2929.04(A)(7). Once an individual has been found guilty of a capital offense, a jury or three-judge panel must determine whether the presence of one or more of the nine statutory aggravating circumstances listed at Ohio Revised Code §2929.04(A) outweighs the mitigating circumstances presented by the defendant. The three-judge panel was thus required to weigh against the aggravating circumstance[] proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the nature and circumstances of the offense, the history, character, and background of the offender, and all of the following factors [listing factors such as age, mental disease, and provocation]. Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.04(B). 28 In weighing the aggravating circumstances against the mitigating factors, the 29 court, and the trial jury if the offender was tried by a jury, [1] shall consider . . . any evidence raised at trial that is relevant to the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing or to any factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death, [2] shall hear testimony and other evidence that is relevant to the nature and circumstances of the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing, the mitigating factors set forth in division (B) of section 2929.04 of the Revised Code, and any other factors in mitigation of the imposition of the sentence of death, and [3] shall hear the statement, if any, of the offender, and the arguments, if any, of counsel for the defense and prosecution, that are relevant to the penalty that should be imposed on the offender. 30 Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.03(D)(1). Finally, if the court or three-judge panel imposes the sentence of death, it must specify in a separate opinion the aggravating and mitigating circumstances found to be present as well as the reasons why the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing were sufficient to outweigh the mitigating factors. Ohio Rev. Code § 2929.03(F). 2