Opinion ID: 1106169
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 33

Heading: there was impermissible stacking of aggravating factors at the sentencing phase of this case.

Text: Ladner argues that the lower court committed reversible error in double use of one aggravating circumstance or in stacking of the aggravating circumstances: (1) in the commission of a robbery and (2) for pecuniary gain. That contention has been rejected many times. Nixon at 1097; Billiot v. State, 454 So.2d 445, 465 (Miss. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 1230, 105 S.Ct. 1232, 84 L.Ed.2d 369 (1985); Leatherwood v. State, 435 So.2d 645, 650 (Miss. 1983), cert. denied, 465 U.S. 1084, 104 S.Ct. 1455, 79 L.Ed.2d 772 (1984); Tokman v. State, 435 So.2d 664, 665 (Miss. 1983), cert. denied, 467 U.S. 1256, 104 S.Ct. 3547, 82 L.Ed.2d 850 (1984). In Lowenfield v. Phelps, 484 U.S. 231, 108 S.Ct. 546, 98 L.Ed.2d 568 (1988), the petitioner sought to have his death sentence vacated on the ground that the sole aggravating circumstance found by the jury at the sentencing phase was identical to an element of the capital crime for which he was convicted. Id. at 241, 108 S.Ct. at 552-53, 98 L.Ed.2d at 579. The United States Supreme Court held that when constitutionally required narrowing of the class of persons eligible for the death penalty is accomplished by the legislative definition of capital offenses in the guilt phase (as is done in Louisiana and Mississippi), the jury's further narrowing in the sentencing phase is not constitutionally required. Id. at 241-46, 108 S.Ct. at 552-55, 98 L.Ed.2d at 579-83. This Court also rejected the argument of doubling up or stacking in Jones v. State, 517 So.2d 1295, 1300 (Miss. 1987), vacated on other grounds, 487 U.S. 1230, 108 S.Ct. 2891, 101 L.Ed.2d 925 (1988), and Wiley v. State, 484 So.2d 339 (Miss.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 906, 107 S.Ct. 304, 93 L.Ed.2d 278 (1986). In practically every case, where there is a robbery/capital murder, two aggravating circumstances used are that the homicide was committed while: (1) engaged in robbery and (2) for pecuniary gain. Our Courts should closely scrutinize these two aggravating circumstances in the future, and omit using pecuniary gain, except in clearly, applicable circumstances. One aggravating circumstance is sufficient to satisfy the statute. Therefore, we hold, and state to trial judges and prosecutors that, where the indictment charges a robbery/murder capital offense and robbery is designated as an aggravating circumstance, pecuniary gain should not be used as an aggravating circumstance unless clearly supported by the evidence. For instance, A pays B $1,000 to kill C, who has a wallet full of money. B robs C and kills him. There are two aggravating circumstances, i.e., robbery and pecuniary gain. Likewise, the aggravating circumstance that the capital offense was committed for the purpose of avoiding lawful arrest should not be used unless clearly supported by the evidence.