Opinion ID: 1907203
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pending Appeals

Text: In Marshall II, we determined that N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3e, as amended, would not apply to defendant's case because his appeal was pending at the time the amendment took effect on May 12, 1992. 130 N.J. at 119, 613 A. 2d 1059. Under the pre-1992 proportionality review provision of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3e, we held that the appropriate universe from which to choose similar cases included not only all cases in which the death penalty had been imposed, or had been sought, but also clearly death eligible homicides in which the prosecutor elected not to seek the death penalty. Id. at 137, 613 A. 2d 1059. We chose the larger universe in order to consider the possibility that a jury had imposed a disproportionate sentence, id. at 133-34, 613 A. 2d 1059, or that a prosecutor had misused his or her discretion, id. at 134, 613 A. 2d 1059, and, in order to prevent `any impermissible discrimination in imposing the death penalty,' id. at 135, 613 A. 2d 1059 (quoting Ramseur, supra, 106 N.J. at 327, 524 A. 2d 188). In the three cases following Marshall II, we continued to make use of a universe of death-eligible homicides. DiFrisco III, supra, 142 N.J. at 162-63, 662 A. 2d 442; Martini II, supra, 139 N.J. at 23, 651 A. 2d 949; Bey IV, supra, 137 N.J. at 343-44, 645 A. 2d 685. In each of these cases, the 1992 statutory amendment limiting our review to death-sentenced cases was inapplicable because the appeals in these cases were pending as of the effective date of the amendment. DiFrisco III, supra, 142 N.J. at 163, 662 A. 2d 442; [4] Martini II, supra, 139 N.J. at 23, 651 A. 2d 949; Bey IV, supra, 137 N.J. at 343-44, 645 A. 2d 685. In this case, defendant was not convicted until July 8, 1994, more than two years after the effective date of the 1992 statutory amendment. [5] For that reason, we now consider whether we must conform our proportionality review methodology to the 1992 amendment thereby limiting proportionality review to a comparison of similar cases in which a sentence of death has been imposed. N.J.S.A. 2C:11-3e.