Opinion ID: 1782493
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: did the trial court err by instructing the jury on the sentencing option of life without parole?

Text: ¶ 34. Swann contends that the trial judge erred in instructing the jury that it could return a verdict of life imprisonment without parole because, when Swann committed the crime in 1986, life without parole was not a sentencing option under Miss.Code Ann. § 97-3-21 (1994). The only two sentencing options at that time were death and life imprisonment. ¶ 35. This same issue has been ruled on in previous cases before this Court. Conley v. State, 790 So.2d 773, 803-04 (Miss. 2001). Watts v. State, 733 So.2d 214, 233 (Miss.1999); West v. State, 725 So.2d 872, 877 (Miss.1998). Those cases involved matters where crimes were committed before the statute allowing life imprisonment without parole was enacted. Id. The trials were not held until after the effective date of the statute. Id. This Court held that imposing the new sentencing option of life without parole does not violate the prohibition against ex post facto laws. Id. Therefore, this issue is also without merit.