Opinion ID: 780740
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Acquittal-first instruction

Text: 43 The Ohio Supreme Court rejected Davis's argument that the instruction given by the judge during his sentencing phase was an improper acquittal-first instruction that would warrant reversal of his capital sentencing. State v. Davis, 76 Ohio St.3d 107, 666 N.E.2d 1099 (1996). After reviewing all of the instructions given in the case, the court concluded that it is clear that the jury was adequately informed that unanimity was required to return a death penalty recommendation. Each juror was made aware that he or she could prevent a death penalty recommendation by finding that the aggravating circumstances in the case do not outweigh the mitigating factors.... Id. at 1109. The question before this court is whether the Ohio Supreme Court unreasonably applied the correct governing legal principle, established in Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 100 L.Ed.2d 384 (1988), that the sentencer may not refuse to consider or be precluded from considering any relevant mitigating evidence.... Id. at 374-75, 108 S.Ct. 1860 (citing Skipper v. South Carolina, 476 U.S. 1, 4, 106 S.Ct. 1669, 90 L.Ed.2d 1 (1986) (quoting Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 114, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982)) (internal quotes and added emphasis omitted)). 44 The objection to acquittal-first instructions is not to the order of consideration, but to the possibility that a juror may be led to believe that the jury must first unanimously reject death before considering a life sentence, rather than allowing a single juror to prevent a death sentence by creating a deadlock. However, the Constitution does not forbid a jury from considering a death sentence before considering a life sentence. This issue was squarely addressed by this court in Coe v. Bell, 161 F.3d 320, 339-40 (1998). See also Roe v. Baker, 2002 WL 31426248, - (6th Cir. Oct.31, 2002); Henderson v. Collins, 262 F.3d 615, 621-22 (6th Cir.2001) (discussing instruction in considering constitutionality of subsequent Allen charge); Scott v. Mitchell, 209 F.3d 854, 873-76 (6th Cir. 2000). The relevant Ohio statute provides: 45 If the trial jury unanimously finds, by proof beyond a reasonable doubt, that the aggravating circumstances the offender was found guilty of committing outweigh the mitigating factors, the trial jury shall recommend to the court that the sentence of death be imposed on the offender. Absent such a finding, the jury shall recommend that the offender be sentenced to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving twenty full years of imprisonment or to life imprisonment with parole eligibility after serving thirty full years of imprisonment. 46 Ohio Rev.Code Ann. § 2929.03(D)(2) (1994). The very structure of the statute implies that jurors may first consider the death penalty. It is clear that a unanimous finding is required in order to recommend death; however, the language [a]bsent such a finding implies that a unanimous finding is not required in order to reject the death penalty. Yet, unanimity among the jurors is required in order to impose one of the life sentences. State v. Jenkins, 15 Ohio St.3d 164, 473 N.E.2d 264, 307 (1984) (we conclude in returning a sentence of life imprisonment under R.C. 2929.03(D)(2), the jury's verdict must be unanimous). 47 The court claims that the unarticulated but constitutionally required non-unanimous mechanism that will prevent a recommendation of death is obscured to such an extent that it cannot even be said to be implied by the instructions in this case. Page 689. However, this circuit has held that there is no constitutional requirement that a judge inform the jury as to the effect of a failure to be unanimous in reaching a verdict. See Coe, 161 F.3d at 339-40. In Jones v. United States, 527 U.S. 373, 119 S.Ct. 2090, 144 L.Ed.2d 370 (1999), the Supreme Court held the same thing in the context of the Federal Death Penalty Act. In State v. Brooks, 75 Ohio St.3d 148, 661 N.E.2d 1030 (1996), the Ohio Supreme Court held that Ohio state courts must instruct the jury that a solitary juror may prevent imposition of the death penalty. Id. at 1040-42. This rule is prospective, and was not in force when Davis was sentenced to death. Regardless, the fact that [an] instruction was allegedly incorrect under state law is not a basis for habeas relief. Estelle v. McGuire, 502 U.S. 62, 71-72, 112 S.Ct. 475, 116 L.Ed.2d 385 (1991). The court appears to impose this rule on Ohio courts retroactively and institute a requirement that jurors be apprised of the effect of their individual power to deadlock the jury. 48 The contrast between the instructions at issue here, and the instructions in Brooks, is illuminating. In Brooks, the judge stated to the jury as follows: You are now required to determine unanimously that the death penalty is inappropriate before you can consider a life sentence. Id. at 1040. Such an instruction is thought to violate Mills and McKoy v. North Carolina, 494 U.S. 433, 110 S.Ct. 1227, 108 L.Ed.2d 369 (1990) because it may lead a juror to believe that the sufficiency of mitigating factors has to be found unanimously; and also may lead a juror to believe that unless all jurors are disposed to grant mercy, that a defendant must be sentenced to death. 49 The very same court that decided Brooks stated that the instructions in Davis's sentencing phase were distinguishable from those in Brooks because the jury was never instructed that it must unanimously reject the death penalty before it could consider the life sentences. Davis, 666 N.E.2d at 1109. The majority correctly notes that the court in Davis stated that the instructions lack[ed] the clarity of the model instruction contemplated in Brooks.  Ibid. However, there is no constitutional requirement to be a model of clarity; moreover, the lack of clarity did not preclude the Ohio Supreme Court from finding that the jurors in the instant case were adequately instructed that unanimity in rejecting the death penalty was not required before they could consider the life sentences. 50 Indeed, the instructions in this very case, State v. Davis, were used by both the majority and the dissent in Henderson v. Collins, 262 F.3d 615 (6th Cir.2001), to demonstrate permissible instructions. Notably, the dissent in Henderson (favoring the reversal of a death sentence) discussed the Ohio Supreme Court's consideration of further instructions given to the jury in this case. The dissent notes that after the judge instructed the jury regarding the death penalty and the life sentences, the judge went on to caution the jurors: 51 Now, your initial conduct upon entering the jury room, again, is a matter of importance. You should consult with each other; consider each other's views, and deliberate with an objective of reaching an agreement, if you can do so, without doing violence to your individual conscience and good judgment. 52 You should do so only after a discussion and a consideration of the case with your fellow jurors. 53 Remember, each of you is equal in the jury room, and you shouldn't hesitate to change your opinion if convinced by your fellow jurors that you are wrong. 54 However, do not surrender any honest conviction in order to be congenial, or to reach a verdict solely of the belief of the other jurors. 55 Id. at 627 (Clay, J., dissenting) (citing Davis, 666 N.E.2d at 1109) (added emphasis omitted). These instructions track almost exactly the Ohio pattern jury instructions regarding Conduct while deliberating. Ohio Jury Instructions § 413.70. The dissent in Henderson noted that the Ohio Supreme Court reviewed all the instructions and concluded that each juror was aware of his or her ability to prevent a death penalty recommendation. Ibid. (Clay, J., dissenting). 56 The Ohio Supreme Court's decision was not an unreasonable application of Mills or McKoy. The court's conclusion to the contrary squarely contradicts binding Sixth Circuit precedent. 57