Opinion ID: 3134662
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 28

Heading: Jury Instruction on Unanimity, Mitigating Factors

Text: In his amended petition, defendant argues that he was denied a fair and reliable sentencing hearing because the trial court refused to instruct the jury as defendant proposed. The proposed instructions were as follows: “[No. 5] If you are not persuaded either that there are no mitigating factors sufficient to preclude imposition of a death sentence or that there are mitigating factors sufficient to preclude imposition of a death sentence, you are required to sign the verdict form directing the court to impose a sentence other than death.” “[No. 7] If one or more of you believe that the death penalty should not be imposed then sign the appropriate verdict form.” The trial court refused to give these instructions. Instead the trial court instructed the jury as follows: “Under the law, the defendant shall be sentenced to death if you unanimously find that there is not a mitigating factor sufficient to preclude imposition of a death sentence. If you are unable to find unanimously that there is not a mitigating factor sufficient to preclude imposition of a death sentence, the Court will impose a sentence other than death.” See Illinois Pattern Jury Instructions, Criminal, No. 7C.05 (3d ed. 1992) (hereinafter IPI Criminal 3d). “If you do not unanimously find from your consideration of all the evidence that there is not a mitigating factor sufficient to preclude imposition of a death sentence, then you should sign the verdict requiring the Court to impose a sentence other than death.” See IPI Criminal 3d No. 7C.06. At the outset, we note that appellate counsel did not raise this issue on direct review. Waiver applies. Evans , 186 Ill. 2d at 92. However, defendant argues that appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to raise this issue on appeal. Consequently, we must determine whether appellate counsel’s failure to raise the issue was objectively unreasonable and prejudiced defendant. West , 187 Ill. 2d at 435. A defendant is entitled, as is the State, to the submission of appropriate jury instructions on the law that applies to his theory of the case if there is evidence in the record to support that theory. However, it is for the trial court to determine, after considering the facts and the governing law, whether the jury should be instructed on a particular subject. If an appropriate IPI instruction exists, it must be used. Gilliam , 172 Ill. 2d at 519. The decision whether to give a non-IPI instruction rests within the sound discretion of the trial court. The trial court abuses its discretion in refusing a non-IPI instruction only where there is no IPI instruction that applies to the particular subject. Conversely, a trial court does not abuse its discretion by refusing to give a non-IPI instruction if there is an applicable IPI instruction or the essence of the refused instruction is covered by other given instructions. Gilliam , 172 Ill. 2d at 519. See also Buss , 187 Ill. 2d 144. Defendant’s Instruction No. 5 and Instruction No. 7 are non-IPI instructions. The trial court properly submitted to the jury IPI Criminal 3d No. 7C.05 and IPI Criminal 3d No. 7C.06, which accurately state the law. Thus, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in refusing defendant’s Instruction No. 5 and Instruction No. 7. It follows that appellate counsel was not ineffective in failing to raise this issue on appeal. See Macri , 185 Ill. 2d at 70-71. Next defendant complains that the trial court should have given defendant’s Instruction No. 8: “A juror may consider a mitigating factor even though all or some of the other jurors do not believe that the mitigating factor exists.” Once more, appellate counsel did not raise this issue on direct review. However, defendant maintains appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to raise the issue. We disagree. In People v. Hope , 168 Ill. 2d 1, 44-46 (1995), the trial court had refused a similar defense instruction and, instead, given the jury IPI Criminal 3d No. 7C.06. On appeal, this court rejected the defendant’s contention that the trial court erred in refusing his requested instruction. The court opined that the jury instruction given did not convey the impression that unanimity was required before a mitigating factor could be considered. Rather, the instruction and argument in the case adequately informed the jury that unanimity was not required to find a mitigating factor sufficient to preclude death. Hope , 168 Ill. 2d at 45; see also People v. Miller , 173 Ill. 2d 167, 197-98 (1996); Brown , 172 Ill. 2d at 58-59; Fields , 135 Ill. 2d at 70. In the present case, the jury was given IPI Criminal 3d No. 7C.06, the same instruction given in Hope . The instruction adequately informed the jury that unanimity was not required to find a mitigating factor sufficient to preclude death. In addition, during closing argument, trial counsel repeatedly stressed that each juror had the power to prevent the imposition of the death penalty and spare defendant’s life. Thus, we conclude that the jury was given appropriate information regarding the consideration of mitigating factors. The trial court did not err in refusing defendant’s Instruction No. 8, and appellate counsel was not ineffective for failing to raise this issue on direct appeal. Lastly, defendant maintains that the trial court erred in refusing defendant’s Instruction No. 6 and Instruction No. 4b. Defendant’s Instruction No. 6 stated: “You may consider as a mitigating factor the defendant’s background and the facts surrounding the offense even though the mitigating factor is not specifically listed in these instructions. You should not give less weight to a mitigating factor merely because it is not specifically listed in these instructions.” Defendant’s Instruction No. 4b defined the term “aggravating factor” and contained a list of aggravating factors. The instruction also defined the term “mitigating factor” and contained a list of statutory mitigating factors and nonstatutory mitigating factors. The nonstatutory mitigating factors were that defendant was physically abused in his life, lived in poverty, did good deeds in his life, has an improving prison record, and has a good school record; and any other reason supported by the evidence why defendant should not be sentenced to death. As noted above, the trial court refused to give defendant’s Instruction No. 6 and Instruction No. 4b. Instead, the trial court gave an instruction to the jury which contained the same definitions of aggravating factors and mitigating factors, and the same list of aggravating factors and statutory mitigating factors as found in defendant’s Instruction No. 4b. In addition, the instruction stated that mitigating factors include: “[a]ny other reason supported by the evidence why the defendant should not be sentenced to death.” Defendant maintains that the trial court should have given to the jury his list of nonstatutory mitigating factors noted above. As with the other instruction issues, appellate counsel failed to argue on direct review that the trial court erred in refusing to give defendant’s Instruction No. 6 and Instruction No. 4b. However, defendant argues that appellate counsel was ineffective in failing to raise the issue on direct appeal. Thus, we consider whether counsel’s representation was ineffective. This court has previously held that nonstatutory mitigating factors need not be specified in an instruction so long as the jury is instructed that it may consider all potential mitigating circumstances. Brown , 172 Ill. 2d at 58; Hope , 168 Ill. 2d at 43-44; Fields , 135 Ill. 2d at 74. Here, the trial court instructed the jury that mitigating factors included any other reason supported by the evidence. Consequently, the trial court did not err in refusing to include a list of nonstatutory mitigating factors in the instructions to the jury. It follows that defendant was not prejudiced by appellate counsel’s failure to raise this issue on direct appeal.