Opinion ID: 1946348
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: including pecuniary gain as an aggravating circumstance

Text: Under this assignment, Gray argues that there was a doubling up of aggravating circumstances when the trial court instructed the jury that it could consider both whether the murder was committed for pecuniary gain and whether it occurred during the course of the kidnapping. Gray contends that these two aggravating circumstances arose from the same aspect of the crime. This question has been decided adversely to Gray in Jordan v. State, 464 So.2d 475, 478-79 (Miss. 1985), Irving v. State, 441 So.2d 846 (Miss. 1983); Hill v. State, 432 So.2d 427 (Miss. 1983); Gilliard v. State, 428 So.2d 576 (Miss. 1983); and Smith v. State, 419 So.2d 563 (Miss. 1982). In Henry v. Wainwright, 721 F.2d 990 (5th Cir.1983), the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this same constitutional argument holding that resolution of the issue was a question of state law. There is no merit to this assignment of error.