Opinion ID: 1827061
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: is the sentence of death excessive and/or disproportionate?

Text: Finally, Wiley argues that the death sentence is disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases, considering both the crime and the defendant. The State argues that the issue of proportionality was decided by this Court in Wiley II, which involved the direct appeal from Wiley's second sentencing hearing. In Wiley II, the appellant based his proportionality argument on the decision in Coleman v. State, 378 So.2d 640 (Miss. 1979). This Court distinguished Coleman and ruled that the death penalty was not disproportionate in Wiley's case: Coleman was sixteen years old, as opposed to Wiley's twenty-six years. The victim in Coleman fired first, while Wiley ambushed his victim without warning. Coleman robbed an unoccupied house, while Wiley lay in wait with a loaded shotgun. The facts distinguish these two cases. Under the statutory duty of Miss. Code Ann. § 99-19-105 (Supp. 1985), this Court must determine whether the sentence imposed here is excessive or disproportionate to the penalty imposed in similar cases since Jackson v. State, 337 So.2d 1242 (Miss. 1976). This comparison is made from cases in which the death sentence was imposed and was reviewed on appeal by this Court. In making this individualized comparison, this Court considers the crime and the defendant. Cabello v. State, 471 So.2d at 332; Lockett v. Ohio, 438 U.S. 586, 98 S.Ct. 2954, 57 L.Ed.2d 973 (1978). In so doing, the comparison leads this Court to conclude that the death sentence upon this defendant is not excessive or disproportionate. Our review reveals nothing that would justify treating this defendant differently from any other defendants given the death penalty since Jackson v. State, nor leads this Court to conclude that the defendant should receive a life sentence. Wiley II, 484 So.2d at 354-55. Wiley concedes that this issue was addressed in [his] second death sentence appeal. However, Wiley argues that no mitigating evidence was presented at either of his first two sentencing hearings, and that, as a result, the Mississippi Supreme Court was unable to properly consider the peculiar facts of this case and, perhaps more significant, the character of this defendant. Mitigating evidence similar to that presented at the third sentencing phase was elicited through cross-examination of the State's witnesses at his second sentencing hearing. See Wiley III, 517 So.2d at 1379. Apparently, however, the evidence of Wiley's alleged mental impairment was not before the jury at his second sentencing hearing. See Wiley IV, 969 F.2d at 98-100. Therefore, this Court reconsiders the proportionality of Wiley's death sentence in this case. A review of other cases indicates that, considering the crime and the defendant, the death penalty in this case was proportionate. See Cabello v. State, 471 So.2d 332, 350 (Miss. 1985) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant strangled and robbed business owner); Evans v. State, 422 So.2d 737, 739 (Miss. 1982) (death penalty was proportionate where defendant waited 30 minutes for business to be free of customers before robbing and shooting store attendant); Booker v. State, 449 So.2d 209, 222 (Miss. 1984) (death penalty was proportionate where defendant shot and robbed business owner); Conner v. State, 632 So.2d 1239, 1265 (Miss. 1993) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant had intelligence quotient on the low side of `average', evidence was contradictory as to whether defendant was schizophrenic amnesiac); Lanier v. State, 533 So.2d 473, 492 (Miss. 1988) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant was mildly mentally retarded, suffered hallucinations, and had been institutionalized twice for alcoholism and drug abuse). Neal v. State, 451 So.2d 743, 763 (Miss. 1984) (death sentence was proportionate where defendant had troubled childhood and was institutionalized at age 10 due to family and learning difficulties and was severely retarded with mental ability of 8-year-old child). Therefore, Wiley's claim that the death sentence is disproportionate in this case is without merit.