Opinion ID: 2428819
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 13

Heading: Instructions by the Trial Court

Text: The Defendant contends that the giving of an anti-sympathy instruction violated his rights under the state and federal constitutions. Similar arguments were rejected in State v. Boyd, 797 S.W.2d 589, 598 (Tenn. 1990); State v. Payne, 791 S.W.2d 10, 20 (Tenn. 1990); State v. Porterfield, 746 S.W.2d 441, 450 (Tenn. 1988) (citing California v. Brown, 479 U.S. 538, 107 S.Ct. 837, 93 L.Ed.2d 934 [1987]). The Defendant next avers that the trial court's instructions at sentencing on unanimity of the verdict led the jury to believe they must unanimously agree on mitigating circumstances in violation of Mills v. Maryland, 486 U.S. 367, 108 S.Ct. 1860, 100 L.Ed.2d 384 (1988), and Tenn. Const. Art. I, §§ 6, 9, 16 and 19. This argument was raised and rejected in State v. Thompson, 768 S.W.2d 239, 250-251 (Tenn. 1989). The Defendant also alleges that the instruction at sentencing that the sentence shall be death violates the state and federal constitutions because it inadequately informed the jury of its discretion and can be interpreted as creating a mandatory death penalty. This argument was rejected in State v. Boyd, 797 S.W.2d 589, 596-597 (Tenn. 1990). The Defendant concludes by alleging that the trial court erred by failing to instruct the jury that they should presume the Defendant would actually serve a life sentence if sentenced to life imprisonment. We held such an instruction to be improper in State v. Melson, 638 S.W.2d 342, 367 (Tenn. 1982). See also State v. Payne, 791 S.W.2d 10, 21 (Tenn. 1990).