Opinion ID: 1312359
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Whether the Arizona death penalty statute is unconstitutional because it fails to require the trial court to support its findings in the special verdict?

Text: At sentencing in the instant case, the trial court in its two and a half page special verdict recited its conclusions with regard to the existence or non-existence of the statutory aggravating factors. No mitigating factors were found to exist. Defendant contends that this court should direct trial courts to fully support their findings on aggravation and mitigation in an extensive and detailed written special verdict such as the detailed special verdict rendered in State v. Ceja, 126 Ariz. 35, 612 P.2d 491 (1980). The defendant states that requiring the trial court to set forth in writing its reasoning on this subject would reduce the likelihood of the death penalty being imposed in a wanton, freakish and arbitrary manner. Defendant further contends that the capital defendant is constitutionally entitled to this, and insofar as the statute does not require this, it is unconstitutional as a denial of due process. We do not agree. Although detailed findings might be helpful in reviewing the trial court's action in sentencing, such detailed and exhaustive findings as were made in Ceja, supra, are not mandated by statute or case law. The closest we have come to this is in noting that the better practice would be for the trial court to list all the factors considered in mitigation so that on appeal we can be certain that all mitigating factors were in fact considered. State v. Leslie, 147 Ariz. 38, 50, 708 P.2d 719, 731 (1985). The judge in the instant case did list all the mitigating circumstances he considered even though he found none to exist. We find no error.