Opinion ID: 1058303
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: determination of mental retardation

Text: We next address Prieto's argument that the circuit court erred in not requiring that the issue of mental retardation be determined separately from the other sentencing issues in Prieto II. We begin with the proposition that there is no statutory requirement that the issue of mental retardation be determined separately from the other sentencing issues in the penalty phase. Virginia's statutory scheme provides that when the issue of the defendant's mental retardation is properly before the jury, that issue shall be determined as part of the sentencing phase of the bifurcated trial. Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1(C). Prior to the second trial, Prieto filed a motion for pretrial determination of mental retardation based upon his argument that Rule 3A:9(b)(2) provides that any defense or objection that is capable of determination without a trial of the general issue may be raised by motion before trial. Prieto further argued that a pretrial determination of mental retardation was not precluded by statute. The circuit court denied Prieto's motion for a pretrial determination of mental retardation as being clearly precluded by Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1(C), which provides that: In any case in which the offense may be punishable by death and is tried before a jury, the issue of mental retardation, if raised by the defendant in accordance with the notice provisions of subsection E of § 19.2-264.3:1.2, shall be determined by the jury as part of the sentencing proceeding required by § 19.2-264.4. (Emphasis added). Prieto then moved to bifurcate the sentencing proceeding as the circuit court did in Prieto I by separating the issue of mental retardation from sentencing. Prieto sought a full hearing on mental retardation with openings, closings, and evidence in between. The circuit court denied Prieto's motion for a separate phase on the determination of mental retardation. The circuit court determined that the plain meaning of Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1 provides that the determination of mental retardation must be part of the sentencing phase of trial. Prieto argues there are two mechanisms the circuit court could have employed to assure that his mental retardation claims would be considered on the merits without the taint from evidence of future dangerousness, evidence of vileness, or victim impact evidence. Prieto asserts the circuit court could have either directed a pretrial determination of the issue of mental retardation or bifurcated the sentencing phase of the trial, limiting the evidence to that regarding mental retardation. Prieto contends the circuit court erred in failing to employ one of these mechanisms to the consideration of Prieto's mental retardation. As a result, according to Prieto, the jury was improperly influenced in its consideration of mental retardation by irrelevant evidence. The Commonwealth responds that the circuit court properly rejected Prieto's motions to decide the issue of mental retardation prior to trial based upon the clear language of Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1(C). We agree with the Commonwealth's arguments concerning the application of Code § 19.2-264.3:1.1(C). The language in the statute directing that the issue of mental retardation shall be determined by the jury as part of the sentencing proceeding required by § 19.2-264.4 clearly mandates that the issue of mental retardation be determined by the jury as part of the sentencing phase. Therefore, the circuit court did not err in denying Prieto's motion for a pretrial determination of mental retardation. The circuit court also did not err when it denied Prieto's motion to bifurcate the sentencing phase to include a separate phase on mental retardation. No statute required the circuit court to bifurcate the sentencing phase to have a separate phase solely to address the issue of mental retardation. We hold that the issue of mental retardation is not to be separated from the issue of punishment, but is to be determined by the jury as part of the sentencing phase of the bifurcated trial.