Opinion ID: 1652618
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Penalty Phase Prejudice

Text: Even more troubling to me is an issue that the principal opinion does not address: When a defendant challenges a death sentence..., the question is whether there is a reasonable probability that, absent the errors [of counsel], the sentencer ... would have concluded that the balance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances did not warrant death. [4] Clearly, the aggravating factors here are extremely grave. But there are clear mitigating factors as well: Mr. Johnson's previously law-abiding life, his service to his country, at least. While a reasonable juror might have felt that Mr. Johnson's mental difficulties did not rise to the level of legal insanity, it is reasonably likely that such a juror would find those mental problems, combined with Mr. Johnson's previous positive contribution to society sufficiently mitigating to warrant a sentence of life. Any such tendency was severely undercut by defense counsel's opening argument, which left the jury with the strong impression that any claims of emotional distress by Mr. Johnson were made up out of whole cloth. Absent this unprofessional error, it is at least reasonably likely that a jury would have found the balance of mitigating and aggravating factors differently.