Opinion ID: 1678586
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Balancing Aggravating and Mitigating Circumstances

Text: Following the determination of the existence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the jury is called upon to decide whether the aggravating circumstances outweigh beyond a reasonable doubt any mitigating circumstances that any of the jurors have found to exist. We note that when the jury finds that mitigating circumstances exist, if one juror determines that the aggravating circumstances do not exceed the mitigating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt, the death sentence cannot be imposed. Here, the jury unanimously found one aggravating circumstance existed and that it outweighed the mitigating factors beyond a reasonable doubt. The balancing of mitigating and aggravating circumstances is the duty of the jury. Ark.Code Ann. § 5-4-603 (Repl. 1997).