Opinion ID: 159589
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: sufficiency of the evidence to support aggravating circumstances

Text: 45 Mr. James contends there is insufficient evidence to support the aggravating circumstance that [t]he murder was committed by a person while serving a sentence of imprisonment on conviction of a felony. Okla. Stat. tit. 21, 701.12(6). At the time of the murder, Mr. James had pled guilty to a federal felony but had not been sentenced. He thus maintains he was not serving a sentence as required by the statute. The federal district court assumed the issue was not procedurally barred and determined that a rational trier of fact could have found the existence of this aggravator beyond a reasonable doubt. Citing Black's Law Dictionary 301 (5th ed. 1979) and Boykin v. Alabama, 395 U.S. 238, 242 (1969), the court pointed out that a guilty plea is a conviction. Because Mr. James had pled guilty to a federal offense, the district court determined he had been convicted of a felony. Mr. James asserts the district court failed to consider whether he was serving a sentence. 46 The State argues this claim is procedurally barred because it was first raised on post-conviction review and the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals found it could have been raised on direct appeal. See James, 818 P.2d at 920. Mr. James counters that the court actually addressed this issue on its merits when, after invalidating the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating circumstance, it stated our appellate review, including a reweighing of the remaining valid aggravating circumstances and the mitigating evidence, reveals that sufficient evidence existed to support the remaining aggravating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt . . . . Id. at 923. If the state court did address the issue on the merits, state procedural bars will not preclude federal habeas review. See Hooks, 184 F.3d at 1215. 47 Although we are uncertain of its exact review, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on both direct appeal and on post-conviction review considered only very generally whether the evidence supported the aggravating factors. The issues presented on mandatory sentence review and on reweighing are in a different legal posture than a claim of insufficient evidence to support an aggravator. Although mandatory sentence review applies in all capital cases, see Okla. Stat. tit. 21, 701.13(C), it does not take into consideration every possible attack on the aggravating circumstances. Cf. Medlock v. Ward, 200 F.3d 1314, 1320 n.3 (10th Cir. 2000) (mandatory sentence review does not represent a full reweighing of aggravating and mitigating factors). On post-conviction review, the court expressly and unambiguously declined to address the issue as procedurally barred. See Harris v. Reed, 489 U.S. 255, 263 (1989). We conclude, contrary to Mr. James' argument, that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals did not address the merits of this issue on either direct appeal or post-conviction review. 48 On habeas review, this court does not address issues that have been defaulted in state court on an independent and adequate state procedural ground, unless the petitioner can demonstrate cause and prejudice or a fundamental miscarriage of justice. English, 146 F.3d at 1259 (citing Coleman v. Thompson, 501 U.S. 722, 749-50 (1991)). Mr. James makes no attempt to demonstrate either cause or a fundamental miscarriage of justice. Accordingly, we need not address this claim. 49 In any event, we are not persuaded the claim has merit. In contending there is insufficient evidence to support this aggravator, Mr. James faults the state court for broadening the aggravator beyond the words of the statute to include a murder committed by a prisoner after pleading guilty and while awaiting sentencing. Our review of a challenge to the state's interpretation of an aggravating factor is quite limited. As the Supreme Court has made clear, unless the aggravator is unconstitutionally vague on its face, or otherwise impedes the requirement that sentencing determinations be individualized, states are free to select whatever substantive criteria they wish to determine who is eligible for the death penalty. Davis v. Executive Dir. of Dep't of Corrections, 100 F.3d 750, 771 (10th Cir. 1996). A federal court is bound by a state court's interpretation of the state's aggravator. See Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 67-68 (1991) (it is not the province of a federal habeas court to reexamine state-court determinations on state-law questions); see also Manlove v. Tansy, 981 F.2d 473, 478 (10th Cir. 1992). 50 This is not a case where the state court's interpretation of the aggravator is overbroad. See Cartwright v. Maynard, 822 F.2d 1477, 1485 (10th Cir. 1987) (aggravator cannot be defined and applied so broadly that it conceivably could cover every first degree murder), aff'd, 486 U.S. 356 (1988). Rather, the interpretation sufficiently narrows the eligible class to those who are imprisoned, and thereby satisfies constitutional requirements. Cf. Tucker v. Zant, 724 F.2d 882, 896-97 (11th Cir. 1984) (refusing to second-guess state court's interpretation which narrowed class of persons eligible for death penalty). Because Mr. James cannot make a compelling argument that the Oklahoma court's interpretation violates constitutional requirements, we will not second-guess the interpretation. 51 The evidence here was uncontroverted that at the time of the murder Mr. James was incarcerated after pleading guilty to a felony. Under the Oklahoma court's interpretation, therefore, a rational factfinder could have found this aggravator beyond a reasonable doubt. See Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979) ([A]fter viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the aggravating circumstance beyond a reasonable doubt.).
52 The existence of the continuing threat aggravator was supported by evidence that Mr. James had a homemade weapon in prison, showed a lack of remorse over the killing, and threatened other inmates. The jury was also instructed to consider the callousness of the crime and Mr. James' criminal history. Mr. James contends this evidence is not sufficient to demonstrate a propensity toward future violent conduct. He points out that he was originally incarcerated for a nonviolent offense and has perpetrated no further violent acts while in prison. We review this claim under the rational factfinder standard. See id. 53 A defendant's criminal history, the callousness of the crime, and his threats against others are among the factors which may be considered in determining if there was sufficient evidence to support the continuing threat aggravator. See Medlock, 887 P.2d at 1349. The most compelling evidence supporting continuing threat can come from the facts surrounding the murder itself. See Johnson v. State, 928 P.2d 309, 317 (Okla. Crim. App. 1996); Cooks, 165 F.3d at 1289. Because a person who acts with utter disregard for human life likely will do so again, attitude is an important factor. See id. As the district court determined here, there was evidence that the murder was callous. See Tr. vol. II at 1147 (admitting killing was for the hell of it); James, 736 P.2d at 546 (finding, on direct appeal, that Mr. Berry's death was painful and not swift). 54 Contrary to Mr. James' contention, a pattern of criminal activity is not required to prove this aggravator. See Malone v. State, 876 P.2d 707, 718 (Okla. Crim. App. 1994) (citing cases upholding aggravator based on callousness of murder alone without showing of pattern of conduct). In any event, the jury was presented with evidence that Mr. James possessed homemade weapons and threatened other inmates. These episodes could establish a pattern of or propensity toward violent conduct. After viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, a rational trier of fact could have found the continuing threat aggravator beyond a reasonable doubt. 8