Opinion ID: 2299402
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Extreme Mental or Emotional Disturbance Mitigating Factor

Text: Defendant argues that the death penalty is unconstitutional because defendants found to possess the c(5)(a) extreme mental or emotional disturbance mitigating factor are more likely to be prosecuted capitally and sentenced to death than defendants who do not suffer from extreme mental or emotional disturbance. Defendant asserts that this factor is common in capital cases, and that it actually functions as an aggravating factor, increasing the risk of proceeding to a penalty phase and increasing the likelihood of receiving a death sentence. The data do not support this claim. C(5)(A) Mitigating Factor (data from Chew/Cooper/Harvey Report, tbl. 7, 10) Death-Sentencing Rate Death-Sentencing Rate Proportions of Cases At Penalty Trial for All Eligible Cases Advancing to P-Trial Cases with 27%(20/73) 15%(20/131) 56%(73/131) the c(5)(a) factor All Ds 31%(50/163) 12%(50/401) 41%(163/401) We can see from the combined table that the c(5)(a) factor is not uncommon among capital defendants: thirty-three percent (131/401) of all death-eligible defendants and forty-five percent (73/163) of all penalty-phase defendants were found to possess the characteristic. More specifically, the table shows that thirty-one percent (50/163) of all penalty-phase defendants have received death sentences and twenty-seven percent (20/73) of defendants possessing the c(5)(a) factor have been sentenced to death; that twelve percent (50/401) of all death-eligible defendants have received death sentences and fifteen percent (20/131) of defendants possessing the c(5)(a) factor have been sentenced to death; and, that forty-one percent (163/401) of all death-eligible defendants have advanced to the penalty phase and fifty-six percent (73/131) of the defendants possessing the c(5)(a) factor have been sentenced to death. These data show a higher proportion of death eligible defendants with the c(5)(a) mitigating factor advancing to the penalty phase than the general universe, and a roughly equivalent proportion in each category receiving the death penalty. This mixed result does suggest that defendants who are extremely disturbed appear with some frequency in our capital sentencing system. It does not inform us about the reasons this is so, or that the c(5)(a) factor is operating improperly. Defendant also points to the four regressions supporting the index-of-out-comes test wherein it is suggested that the c(5)(a) mitigating factor correlates positively with incidence of the death penalty. However, this correlation is considered statistically significant only if associated with a p-value of 0.05 or less. See supra at 222 n. 9, 731 A. 2d at 1091 n. 9. As the table below illustrates, the p-values associated with these data range from .5539 to.7497, and are not statistically significant. C(5)(A) Mitigating FactorCorrelation with Death Sentence (data from Chew/Cooper/Harvey Report, Tech App. 10 Schls. 3, 6, 9, 12.) Death-Eligible Penalty Trial Statutory & Statutory Only Statutory & Statutory Only Nonstatutory Nonstatutory P-value 0.5539 0.6621 0.7497 0.6491 Defendant's experts present their own statistical studies in an effort to demonstrate that defendants possessing the c(5)(a) factor are prosecuted capitally at a significantly higher rate than defendants who do not possess this factor. Although defendant's models show a positive correlation between the mental disturbance factor and capital prosecution, the schedules on which the defendant primarily relies bear the warning, the validity of the model fit is questionable. This means that the defendant's statistics may reflect a flaw in the way that the data was accumulated, grouped, or analyzed. That these models are flawed is also evident from the other correlations purportedly derived from them. By way of example, according to defendant's models the c(5)(g) substantial assistance to the State mitigating factor also functions as an aggravating factor. This anomalous resultthat helping the State increases the likelihood of a capital prosecutionin itself throws into question the validity of defendant's models. There is another compelling reason, however, that it is unlikely prosecutors discriminate against defendants possessing the c(5)(a) mitigating factor when making capital prosecution decisions. At the time of the decision, prosecutors are generally unaware whether a defendant intends to assert c(5)(a) mitigating evidence. Because the c(5)(a) mitigating factor applies to an extreme mental or emotional disturbance insufficient to constitute a defense to prosecution, the c(5)(a) factor is not a defense, and defendants are not obligated to serve notice on the prosecutor that they intend to rely on this factor at trial. R. 3:12-1. And, because defendants may rely on extreme disturbance even in the absence of any evidence of mental problems, a prosecutor may be unaware of the defendant's intent to rely on this factor when the decision to prosecute capitally is made. That prosecutors often do not know that a defendant intends to rely on the c(5)(a) factor, negates the defendant's claim that prosecutors are discriminating against defendants possessing the extreme emotional or mental mitigating factor when making decisions about whether to seek the death penalty. For these reasons, we do not find that defendants exhibiting extreme mental or emotional disturbance are more likely to be capitally prosecuted than other defendants.