Opinion ID: 1243361
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: charge on statutory mitigators

Text: Stone next asserts reversible error in the trial court's refusal to charge, at sentencing, the statutory mitigating factors set forth in S.C.Code Ann. § 16-3-20(C)(b)(6) and (7) (Supp.2001), to wit, the capacity of the defendant to appreciate the criminality of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law was substantially impaired, and the age or mentality of the defendant at the time of the crime. He claims the charges were mandated due to evidence that he was intoxicated at the time of the crime. We agree. In State v. Pierce, 289 S.C. 430, 435, 346 S.E.2d 707, 711 (1986), overruled on other grounds, State v. Torrence, 305 S.C. 45, 406 S.E.2d 315 (1991), we held that the trial judge was required by law to instruct the jury on statutory mitigating circumstances 2, 6, and 7, given the evidence showing Pierce was using drugs and extremely intoxicated during the commission of the crime. The failure to instruct is not harmless error. (Emphasis supplied). Thereafter, in State v. Plemmons, 296 S.C. 76, 78, 370 S.E.2d 871, 872 (1988), we held the specific statutory mitigating circumstances of subsections (2), (6), and (7) need not be submitted to the jury if the trial court gives a specific charge on the defendant's voluntary intoxication as mitigating circumstance. [3] We have specifically rejected the contention that a charge on one mitigator is sufficient to cover the others. State v. Young, 305 S.C. 380, 409 S.E.2d 352 (1991) (where there is evidence the defendant was intoxicated at the time of the crime, the trial judge is required to submit the statutory mitigating circumstances in § 16-3-20(C)(b)(2), (6) and (7)); [4] State v. Plemmons, supra . We adhere to these precedents and hold the trial court erred in refusing to charge these statutory mitigating circumstances. Further, we find the error was exacerbated by the trial court's supplemental instructions to the jury. After the jury had been charged at sentencing, the court specifically called them back for the purpose of reminding them of its earlier instruction, during guilt phase, that voluntary intoxication is not a defense to criminal act or actions. We find reasonable jurors would clearly have understood this instruction as preventing them from considering evidence of Stone's intoxication in mitigation. To the extent the charge prohibited the jury from considering the mitigating circumstance of Stone's intoxication, it violated the Eighth Amendment. See Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U.S. 808, 822, 111 S.Ct. 2597, 115 L.Ed.2d 720 (1991), citing Eddings v. Oklahoma, 455 U.S. 104, 114, 102 S.Ct. 869, 71 L.Ed.2d 1 (1982)(Eighth Amendment prohibits state from limiting sentencer's consideration of any relevant mitigating evidence which could cause the jury to decline to impose the death penalty). Accordingly, the trial court's refusal to instruct on the statutory mitigating circumstances of S.C.Code Ann. § 16-3-20(C)(b)(6) & (7) and its instruction concerning voluntary intoxication require reversal.