Court Opinion

ID: 9586266
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:08:53.228458+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:27:31.006773
License: Public Domain

Gunter, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent because it is my view that Georgia’s death penalty statutes are unconstitutional. See the concurring part of my concurring and dissenting opinion in Coley v. State, 231 Ga. 829.
Also, 1974 enactments by the Georgia General Assembly on this subject are as follows: "In all capital cases, other than those of homicide, when the verdict is guilty, with a recommendation to mercy, it shall be legal and shall be a recommendation to the judge of imprisonment for life. Such recommendation shall be binding upon the judge.” Ga. L. 1974, p. 353. And, "in all cases in which the death penalty may be imposed and which are tried by a jury, upon a return of a verdict of guilty by the jury, the court shall resume the trial and conduct a presentence hearing before the jury. Such hearing shall be conducted in the same manner as presentence hearings conducted before the judge as provided in subsection (a) of this section. Upon the conclusion of the evidence and arguments, the judge shall *130give the jury appropriate instructions, and the jury shall retire to determine whether any mitigating or aggravating circumstances, as defined in Code Ann. § 27-2534.1, exist and whether to recommend mercy for the defendant. Upon the findings of the jury, the judge shall fix a sentence within the limits prescribed by law.” Ga. L. 1974, p. 357.
I conclude that these 1974 enactments by the Georgia General Assembly expressly place discretion in the sentencing fact-finder to impose or not impose the death penalty in any case. And this is what I understand to be constitutionally impermissible under the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in Furman v. Georgia, 408 U. S. 238 (92 SC 2726, 33 LE2d 346).
I respectfully dissent.