Opinion ID: 2598537
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Adequacy of the Verdict Form

Text: [ś 147] Wyoming's death penalty statute imposes a process on the jury deliberations to permit consideration of the defendant's individuality and appellate review. It requires a verdict form stating the aggravating circumstances found to exist beyond a reasonable doubt, the mitigating circumstances found to exist by a preponderance of the evidence, and the ultimate sentence that should inform how the jury considered those existing circumstances. [ś 148] In this case, the jury did not unanimously find that any mitigating circumstances existed by a preponderance of the evidence. Our review of the evidence indicates that many of these mitigating circumstances were proved by a preponderance of the evidence and were uncontradicted by the State. The purpose of mitigating evidence should be clear to a sentencing jury, namely, that this is the selection stage of the process ensuring the constitutionally required consideration of the individual characteristics of the defendant. In the appellate review process, it must be apparent that the jury, through the verdict form, considered any constitutionally relevant mitigating evidence. In the selection phase, the sentencer may not be precluded from considering, and may not refuse to consider, any constitutionally relevant mitigating evidence. The failure of this jury to unanimously find that any of these uncontradicted mitigating circumstances existed strongly indicates that when the jury considered the evidence, it may have failed to consider those mitigating circumstances proved by a preponderance. Had the jury unanimously found the existence of the specifically listed mitigating circumstances set forth on the verdict form and still imposed the penalty of death, our appellate review could satisfactorily conclude that jury consideration occurred and appropriately determined death. [ś 149] In a previous argument, the State informed us that the statutory language of § 6-2-102(d) requires that the jury must engage in a two-step process when making its sentencing decision: The jury must determine if the mitigating evidence supporting the mitigating circumstance has proved that circumstance by a preponderance of the evidence; and if so, it must then decide whether the proven mitigating circumstance requires sentencing the defendant to a life sentence, rather than to a death sentence. We agree that these are the two questions posed; however, the format of this verdict form does not provide for a two-step decisionmaking process. Parts I and II of the verdict form require the jury to mark each aggravating and mitigating circumstance found to exist and decide the first question. Part III of the verdict form entitled SENTENCE states: Instructions: Your verdict as to the appropriate sentence in this case shall be based on your findings, as set forth in Parts I and II of this verdict form. With respect to aggravating factors, your deliberations are confined to those which you have marked with an X in Column A of Part I. You may not impose the death penalty unless you have unanimously found that at least one aggravating circumstance has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. With respect to mitigating factors, you must consider those unanimously found to exist and marked with an X in Column A of Part II. Each of you may also consider any mitigating circumstance which you individually found to exist, as indicted [sic] with an X in Column C of Part II. The mere number of aggravating or mitigating circumstances found shall have no independent significance. While your sentence should reflect your individual assessments as to the significance of aggravating and mitigating circumstances on this case, you must be unanimous in your decision to assess the death penalty. VERDICT: