Opinion ID: 1702128
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The Victim's Age as an Aggravating Factor

Text: At sentencing, the trial court considered the youth aggravator, section 921.141(5)(1), Florida Statutes (2000), as it applied to each of the children. This statute allows the sentencer to consider a victim's age as an aggravating factor if the victim is less than twelve years old. Hutchinson argues that the trial court improperly relied on this aggravator because there was no causal link between the children's ages and their deaths. Without such a link, Hutchinson contends, this aggravator does nothing to limit or narrow the class of persons eligible for a death sentence. Although Hutchinson did not object to this aggravating factor below, he argues that relying on this aggravating factor was fundamental error because the error reaches down to the validity of the death sentence, and without such error, a death sentence could not have been obtained. We have held that an argument attacking the constitutionality of an aggravating factor must be specifically raised at trial to be pursued on appeal. See Morrison v. State, 818 So.2d 432, 455 (Fla.2002); Lukehart v. State, 776 So.2d 906, 925 (Fla.2000) (refusing to address a claim that the victim under 12 aggravator was unconstitutional because the issue was not preserved for review). [3] Because defense counsel did not preserve this issue for appellate review, we deny relief on this claim and will not address its merits.