Opinion ID: 1341011
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Ex Post Facto Waiver

Text: Smith requested that the trial judge charge the jury on the thirty year parole eligibility provision of the Omnibus Criminal Justice Improvements Act, Act. No. 462, 1986 S.C. Acts 2955. Because the Act was enacted subsequent to the murders involved, the trial court refused to apply it retroactively. Smith contends he should have been allowed to waive any protection afforded by the ex post facto clause of the United States Constitution in order that the jury might consider the increased time prior to parole eligibility as mitigating evidence. We rejected this contention recently in State v. Matthews , 296 S.C. 379, 373 S.E. (2d) 587 (1988). Accordingly, the waiver request was properly denied.