Opinion ID: 1742511
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: The Exclusion of Evidence of the Execution Process

Text: In his next argument, the defendant contends that the trial court erred by not allowing him to present the jury with evidence about the execution process so that they would understand what it meant to impose the death penalty. Article 905.2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure states: The sentencing hearing shall focus on the circumstances of the offense [and] the character and propensities of the offender.... In-depth evidence regarding the nature of the death penalty does not speak to the circumstances of the offense or the character of the defendant. See La.C.Cr.P. art. 905.2. Accordingly, it makes no useful contribution to the process and serves to distract the jury's attention from the task at hand. People v. Morris, 53 Cal.3d 152, 218, 279 Cal.Rptr. 720, 759, 807 P.2d 949, 988 (Cal.1991) (trial court did not err by refusing defense request to explain to jury the explanation of the method of execution). See also People v. Pride, 3 Cal.4th 195, 10 Cal.Rptr.2d 636, 676, 833 P.2d 643, 683 (1992) (Our cases make clear that information about administration of the death penalty does not aid the jury in making an individualized determination of the appropriate penalty in a particular case.). A jury in a capital case must recognize the gravity of its task and proceed with the appropriate awareness of its `truly awesome responsibility.' Caldwell v. Mississippi, 472 U.S. 320, 340, 105 S.Ct. 2633, 2646, 86 L.Ed.2d 231 (1985). However, the court's instruction that it was the jury's responsibility to determine whether the defendant should be sentenced to death or life imprisonment accurately and adequately informed the jurors of the importance of their decision, and nothing in the record suggests that the jurors were not well aware of the gravity of their responsibility. Accordingly, the defendant's argument that the trial court erred by prohibiting him from presenting other extraneous evidence lacks merit.