Opinion ID: 1058965
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Torture, Aggravated Battery, or Depravity of Mind

Text: In assignment of error 12, Muhammad asserts that: It was error to deny the motion to preclude sentence of death based on vileness factor and allow the Commonwealth to base its request for the death sentence on the vileness factor, since there was no evidence of torture, aggravated battery, or depravity of mind. Muhammad raised this issue in a pre-trial motion which the trial court took under advisement until the evidence had been presented. At the conclusion of the presentation of the evidence, Muhammad expressly stated that he objected to the case being presented to the jury based upon torture or aggravated battery. Muhammad's assignment of error is in the disjunctive. He claims that there was no evidence of torture, aggravated battery, or depravity of mind. He did not object to depravity of mind as a predicate finding for vileness. The trial court ruled that it would not include torture in the instructions. Muhammad's objections in the trial court do not preserve assignment of error 12. Rule 5:25; Rule 5:17.