Opinion ID: 1252842
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Issues presented to avoid future claims of procedural default and to preserve claims for further review

Text: ¶ 49 Defendant also raises various arguments previously rejected by this court. None of these is helpful to the defendant. We have heretofore ruled: (1) that pecuniary gain, by definition, sufficiently narrows the class of death eligible defendants and focuses directly on the class, West, 176 Ariz. at 449, 862 P.2d at 209; (2) that the statute does not preclude a jury finding of aggravating factors, State v. Milke, 177 Ariz. 118, 124, 865 P.2d 779, 785 (1993); (3) that the statute need not require the sentencing court to specify which mitigators were proved and which were not, State v. (Rudi) Apelt, 176 Ariz. 369, 372, 861 P.2d 654, 657 (1993); (4) that the statutory requirement that mitigators be proved by a preponderance does not preclude consideration of all mitigating factors, State v. Dickens, 187 Ariz. 1, 26-27, 926 P.2d 468, 493-94 (1996); (5) that A.R.S. § 13-703, which prescribes the death penalty, is not cruel and unusual on its face, West, 176 Ariz. at 455, 862 P.2d at 215; (6) that requiring appellant to choose between gas and injection is not cruel and unusual, Poland v. Stewart, 117 F.3d 1094, 1105 (9th Cir.1997); (7) that the statute does not mandate the death sentence upon finding one aggravator, State v. Gulbrandson, 184 Ariz. 46, 72, 906 P.2d 579, 605 (1995); (8) that defendant may not death-qualify the sentencing court, State v. Thornton, 187 Ariz. 325, 335, 929 P.2d 676, 686 (1996); (9) that the statute provides sufficient guidance in balancing the factors, id.; (10) that the statute can require the defendant to prove mitigators by a preponderance of the evidence, id.; (11) that the statute need not require the sentencing court to give cumulative consideration to mitigators; [3] (12) that statutory aggravators do sufficiently channel the discretion of the sentencer, Thornton, 187 Ariz. at 335, 929 P.2d at 686, (13) that a proportionality review is not constitutionally required, Dickens, 187 Ariz. at 26, 926 P.2d at 493, (14) that the statute does not require the sentencer to find that aggravators outweigh mitigators beyond a reasonable doubt, Thornton, 187 Ariz. at 335, 929 P.2d at 686; and (15) that there need be no provision for voir dire examination of the sentencing court, id.