Opinion ID: 1621769
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Constitutional and Proportionality Issues

Text: Roll argues that the Missouri death penalty scheme is unconstitutional because of inadequate proportionality review, unrestricted prosecutorial discretion, no legitimate state interest, and failure to narrow the class of persons eligible for the death penalty. These arguments have been consistently rejected. Parker, 886 S.W.2d at 933; Wise, 879 S.W.2d at 524; Richardson, 923 S.W.2d at 329. Roll offers no reason to reconsider. His claims are denied.
Roll asserts that proceedings under Rule 29.07(b)(4) violate the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments (and similar sections of the Missouri constitution) unless he had independent counsel during that stage of the trial. This Court again rejects this argument. State v. Debler, 856 S.W.2d 641, 652-53 (Mo. banc 1993); State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905, 931 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, 507 U.S. 954, 113 S.Ct. 1368, 122 L.Ed.2d 746 (1993).
This court must determine (1) whether the judge imposed death under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor, (2) whether the judge's finding of statutory aggravating circumstances is supported by the evidence, and (3) whether the sentence is excessive or disproportionate to similar cases. § 565.035.3. There is no evidence that Roll's sentence was imposed under the influence of passion, prejudice or any other arbitrary factor. As determined above, sufficient evidence supported the aggravating circumstances under §§ 565.032.2(2) (the murders were committed while Roll was engaged in the commission of another unlawful homicide); 565.032.2(11) (the murders were committed while Roll was engaged in the perpetration of a robbery); and 565.032.2(15) (the murders were committed for the purpose of concealing or attempting to conceal a felony). This Court has compared Missouri cases where the death penalty was imposed on defendants who committed multiple homicides. State v. Richardson, 923 S.W.2d 301; State v. Gray, 887 S.W.2d 369; State v. Ramsey, 864 S.W.2d 320 (Mo. banc 1993), cert. denied, 511 U.S. 1078, 114 S.Ct. 1664, 128 L.Ed.2d 380 (1994); State v. Mease, 842 S.W.2d 98 (Mo. banc 1992), cert. denied, 508 U.S. 918, 113 S.Ct. 2363, 124 L.Ed.2d 269 (1993); State v. Hunter, 840 S.W.2d 850; State v. Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905; State v. Powell, 798 S.W.2d 709 (Mo. banc 1990), cert. denied, 501 U.S. 1259, 111 S.Ct. 2914, 115 L.Ed.2d 1077 (1991); State v. Reese, 795 S.W.2d 69 (Mo. banc 1990), cert. denied, 498 U.S. 1110, 111 S.Ct. 1025, 112 L.Ed.2d 1106 (1991). This Court has also compared cases where the defendant committed murder in the course of a robbery. Ramsey, 864 S.W.2d 320; Hunter, 840 S.W.2d 850; Ervin, 835 S.W.2d 905; State v. Kilgore, 771 S.W.2d 57 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 874, 110 S.Ct. 211, 107 L.Ed.2d 164 (1989); State v. Griffin, 756 S.W.2d 475 (Mo. banc 1988), cert. denied, 490 U.S. 1113, 109 S.Ct. 3175, 104 L.Ed.2d 1036 (1989); State v. Murray, 744 S.W.2d 762 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 488 U.S. 871, 109 S.Ct. 181, 102 L.Ed.2d 150 (1988). Finally, this Court has compared cases involving murder to conceal or attempt to conceal a crime. State v. Grubbs, 724 S.W.2d 494 (Mo. banc), cert. denied, 482 U.S. 931, 107 S.Ct. 3220, 96 L.Ed.2d 707 (1987). Roll's punishment is not excessive or disproportionate compared with these similar cases. Co-actors Rhodes and Browne both testified against Roll in the penalty phase. Rhodes pled guilty to three counts of murder in the second degree and received three consecutive life sentences. Browne pled guilty to one count of murder in the second degree and received a life sentence. Plea agreements and sentences received by co-actors are not to be considered in proportionality review. State v. Gilmore, 681 S.W.2d 934, 946 (Mo. banc 1984). See also State v. Leisure, 749 S.W.2d 366, 383 (Mo. banc 1988). At any rate, Roll was not a weakling and a follower in committing the three murders, but rather was the leader and most culpable. Cf. State v. McIlvoy, 629 S.W.2d 333, 342 (Mo. banc 1982).