Opinion ID: 1817269
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 21

Heading: did the court err in refusing to instruct the jury on its life option?

Text: Frank, Sr. argues the trial court erred in failing to inform the jury of its authority to return a life sentence even where aggravating circumstances outweighed mitigating circumstances. In Billiot v. State, 454 So.2d 445, 466 (Miss. 1984), we stated: This same argument was presented to us in Hill v. State, 432 So.2d 427 (Miss. 1983), where the Court noted that the jury had found certain aggravating circumstances to outweigh the mitigating circumstances, and in rejecting Hill's arguments stated, The jury in this case, just as the jury in Jordan [ v. State, 365 So.2d 1198 (Miss. 1978)], unanimously found that the aggravating circumstances outweighed the mitigating circumstances and that the death penalty should be imposed. Their verdict is set out in language which shows that they had come to the conclusion that the aggravating circumstances justified the death penalty's imposition and not that they had no other choice but to impose it. Based upon our holding in Jordan, we find no reversible error in the lower court's refusal to grant instruction D-2. ..... This jury came to the conclusion that the aggravating circumstances justified the death penalty and they did not conclude that they had no other choice but to impose it... . We are presented with the identical situation in this case. Therefore we are of the opinion the court committed no error in refusing the life option instruction.