Opinion ID: 158618
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Life option

Text: 52 Petitioner claims that the jury instructions were unconstitutional because the trial court failed to instruct the jurors that they had the option of imposing a life sentence, rather than death, even if they found that the aggravating factors outweighed mitigating factors. We have, on several previous occasions, rejected this identical argument based on the same jury instruction given at petitioner's trial. See Lafevers v. Gibson, 169 F.3d 1239, (10th Cir. 1999); Johnson v. Gibson, 169 F.3d 1239, 1254 (10th Cir. 1999); Duvall v. Reynolds, 139 F.3d 768, 790-91 (10th Cir.), cert. denied, 119 S. Ct. 345 (1998). Our circuit precedent therefore precludes us from granting relief on this claim.