Opinion ID: 2199622
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Disproportionality of Defendant's Death Sentence

Text: Defendant further argues that his sentence of death is disparate from the natural life sentence received by codefendant Coleman, who was also convicted of five counts of murder. Defendant points to the following evidence of disparate sentencing: Coleman was older than defendant, Coleman was the mastermind behind the crimes, Coleman's prior record was more extensive than that of defendant, and Coleman's role in the offenses was equal to defendant's. Defendant maintains that his disparate sentence violates the constitutional prohibition against the arbitrary and capricious imposition of the death penalty. We begin our analysis of this issue by noting that the United States Supreme Court has held that the eighth amendment does not require comparative proportionality review if the death penalty statute contains provisions that ensure the rational, consistent, nonarbitrary imposition of the penalty. Pulley v. Harris, 465 U.S. 37, 104 S.Ct. 871, 79 L.Ed.2d 29 (1984). Our death penalty statute is such a statute. See People v. Kitchen, 159 Ill.2d 1, 44, 201 Ill.Dec. 1, 636 N.E.2d 433 (1994). Nevertheless, this court has previously chosen to exercise its discretion and has considered whether a sentence of death in a particular case is disproportionately harsh in comparison with the less severe sanction imposed on a codefendant convicted of the same crime. See People v. Bean, 137 Ill.2d 65, 147 Ill.Dec. 891, 560 N.E.2d 258 (1990); People v. Ashford, 121 Ill.2d 55, 82-90, 117 Ill.Dec. 171, 520 N.E.2d 332 (1988); People v. Gleckler, 82 Ill.2d 145, 167-69, 44 Ill.Dec. 483, 411 N.E.2d 849 (1980). Factors of particular relevance include the extent of defendant's involvement in the offense, the nature of the offense, the character and background of the defendant, including any criminal record, and his potential for rehabilitation. Kitchen, 159 Ill.2d at 44, 201 Ill.Dec. 1, 636 N.E.2d 433. Thus, in the past, this court has examined the facts of the particular case and the evidence introduced at both the trial and the sentencing hearing. We may also consider, as a matter of reference, the sentence imposed on a codefendant in light of his involvement in the offense. In this case, the record contains evidence that defendant asked one of his cousins to participate in the armed robbery. In addition, defendant supplied the vehicle which enabled the trio to get to the crime scene. Therefore, we have little difficulty in dismissing defendant's contention that Coleman was the sole mastermind behind the crimes. There is ample support in the record for the conclusion that defendant equally took part in the planning of the crimes. Moreover, once the armed robbery commenced, the evidence revealed that defendant shot two of the five victims. The other three victims were shot by codefendant Remon Williams. There is no evidence in this record that Coleman acted as a triggerman. It is particularly relevant, in our view, that defendant admitted to being the first to shoot any of the victims and to being Jeff Mosby's assailant. Thus, it was defendant, and not Coleman, who turned the armed robbery into a mass murder. We note that defendant has supplemented the record in this case with testimony from Coleman's trial in which one of the children in Mosby's trailer testified that Coleman shot Mosby. However, we are also aware of other testimony in the case which revealed that defendant, not Coleman, shot Mosby. We will not speculate as to how Coleman's jury resolved this factual question. Furthermore, defendant has presented this court with little evidence of Coleman's character, apart from his prior criminal history. Although Coleman's prior criminal record may be quantitatively more severe than defendant's, that is but one factor in our evaluation. Testimony adduced at both the trial and the sentencing hearing provides some insight into defendant's character which we do not have with respect to Coleman. We note that after being questioned by police and released, defendant fled the state. Even after being indicted in these crimes, defendant, a father of three children, could only express regret that he did not kill the only eyewitnesses to his deeds, the three children in Mosby's trailer. While awaiting trial on these charges, defendant told a fellow inmate he would live to kill again. Thus, defendant exhibited no remorse whatsoever for his crimes and displayed a chilling lack of rehabilitative potential. On this record, we cannot say defendant's death sentence is disproportionate to Coleman's life sentence. In summary, we conclude that defendant's conduct must be considered more culpable than that of Coleman in that it was defendant's actions which precipitated the gunfire at the trailers. In light of defendant's character, Coleman's more severe criminal record, standing alone, does not render defendant's death sentence disparate. For these reasons, we reject defendant's contentions that his death sentence is unreasonably disproportionate from the natural life sentence imposed on Coleman.
In his final two arguments, defendant challenges the Illinois death penalty statute (720 ILCS 5/9-1 (West 1992)), asserting it is unconstitutional because, once a statutory aggravating factor is found, the defendant bears the burden of persuading the jury that death should not be imposed. He maintains that the statute thereby creates a rebuttable mandatory presumption in favor of the death sentence, which contravenes the eighth amendment. This court has repeatedly rejected this contention (see, e.g., People v. Burt, 168 Ill.2d 49, 81, 212 Ill.Dec. 893, 658 N.E.2d 375 (1995); People v. Simms, 143 Ill.2d 154, 183-84, 157 Ill.Dec. 483, 572 N.E.2d 947 (1991); People v. Fields, 135 Ill.2d 18, 76, 142 Ill.Dec. 200, 552 N.E.2d 791 (1990)), and we do so here again today. Defendant also argues that although various aspects of the statute have been found constitutional individually, the cumulative effect of all the aspects is to render the statute unconstitutionally arbitrary and capricious. We have considered and rejected this argument numerous times (see People v. Edgeston, 157 Ill.2d 201, 247, 191 Ill.Dec. 84, 623 N.E.2d 329 (1993); People v. Thomas, 137 Ill.2d 500, 549-50, 148 Ill.Dec. 751, 561 N.E.2d 57 (1990); People v. Phillips, 127 Ill.2d 499, 542-43, 131 Ill.Dec. 125, 538 N.E.2d 500 (1989)), and defendant offers us no reason to reconsider our past holdings.