Opinion ID: 2428819
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Jury Instructions During Penalty Phase

Text: The Defendant avers that the trial court erred in instructing the jury during the penalty phase because the instructions varied from the language of T.C.A. § 39-2-203. At the time of trial Section 203 provided that a death sentence could be given if the aggravating circumstances proved beyond a reasonable doubt were not outweighed by any mitigating circumstances. T.C.A. § 39-2-203(g) (1982) [now § 39-13-204(g) (1991)]. Alternatively, life was the appropriate sentence where aggravating circumstances were outweighed by one or more mitigating circumstances. T.C.A. § 39-2-203(f) [now § 39-13-204(f) (1991)]. The Defendant contends that the court erred in not charging the language of the statute. The charge given by the court was consistent with the recommended charge contained in the Tennessee Pattern Jury Instructions (Criminal). The Pattern Jury Instructions provide that aggravating circumstances must outweigh any mitigating circumstances before a sentence of death can be imposed. T.P.I. (Crim.) 20.03. [4] Instructions following the pattern instruction have been previously approved by this Court despite the patterns' variance from the statutory language. See, e.g., State v. Boyd, 797 S.W.2d 589, 597 (Tenn. 1990); State v. Porterfield, 746 S.W.2d 441, 451 (Tenn. 1988); see also State v. Irick, 762 S.W.2d 121, 133 (Tenn. 1988) cert. denied, 489 U.S. 1072, 109 S.Ct. 1357, 103 L.Ed.2d 825 (1989) (encouraging trial courts to use the pattern instructions). We find no error in this case. The Defendant also avers that the trial court erred in failing to instruct the jury that aggravating circumstances must outweigh mitigating circumstances beyond a reasonable doubt or must substantially outweigh mitigating circumstances. The Defendant seems to be arguing that the court's instruction left the jury without any guidance as to the standard by which aggravating circumstances must outweigh mitigating circumstances. This challenge has been previously rejected. See, e.g., Boyd, 797 S.W.2d at 595; State v. Payne, 791 S.W.2d 10, 21 (Tenn. 1990); State v. Thompson, 768 S.W.2d 239, 251-252 (Tenn. 1989). [5]