Opinion ID: 1763781
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 12

Heading: burglary was properly used as an aggravating circumstance in imposing the death penalty.

Text: Hunt next contends that it was error for the first-degree burglary charge to be used as the aggravating circumstance that qualified Hunt as death penalty eligible. He argues that his entry into the residence with the intent to murder Bettina was, alone, what elevated the entry to first-degree burglary and that it would, therefore, be improper to use the completion of the murder (the very reason for the entry) as an aggravating circumstance for death penalty purposes. Restated, he observes that under the present state of the law, any time someone unlawfully enters a building to commit murder and does, he is automatically eligible for the death penalty. He also notes that there is an inequity in that if the murder had occurred on the other side of the door, he would not have been death penalty eligible. We begin by noting that KRS 532.025(2)(a)(2) specifically provides that first-degree burglary is an aggravating circumstance in a murder prosecution. Further, the defendant in McClellan v. Commonwealth, 715 S.W.2d 464 (Ky.1986), made substantially the same arguments made by Hunt in the present case. In McClellan we squarely rejected that argument, stating: [w]e hold that an unlawful entry into a building while armed, with an intent to commit a crime, is a substantially aggravated circumstance to be considered by a jury in determining the appropriate punishment for homicide. The consideration of the aggravated circumstance in this case was in accord with the procedures approved by the United States Supreme Court in Zant v. Stephens, 462 U.S. 862, 103 S.Ct. 2733, 77 L.Ed.2d 235 (1983). Id. at 472. Thus McClellan is dispositive of this issue; and we, accordingly, reject Hunt's argument. Hunt acknowledges that McClellan is controlling, but asks that we reconsider the holding. We remain convinced in the soundness of the holding, however, and decline Hunt's invitation to revisit the issue.