Opinion ID: 1060063
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Evidence of Recommendations for Imposition of Death Penalty

Text: Beck further asserts that the trial court erred in considering statements contained within the victim impact evidence which recommended the imposition of the death penalty. The mere fact that the trial court received statements from family and friends of the victims in which the imposition of the death penalty was urged as an appropriate sentence does not establish that the trial court relied upon those statements in reaching its judgment. See Smith v. Commonwealth, 239 Va. 243, 268, 389 S.E.2d 871, 885, cert. denied, 498 U.S. 881, 111 S.Ct. 221, 112 L.Ed.2d 177 (1990). Moreover, the trial judge, by virtue of his training and experience, is presumed to have separated the permissible victim impact evidence from any potentially prejudicial statements, if any, concerning sentencing and to have considered only the former. [2] The record amply supports the conclusion that this was done in this case and that the trial court's judgment was not made in an arbitrary manner.