Court Opinion

ID: 9778951
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 21:27:55.1903+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:33:16.454263
License: Public Domain

STEPHENS, Chief Justice,
dissenting.
I strongly disagree with the majority opinion. I would affirm the decision of the Russell Circuit Court. In Bullington v. Missouri, 451 U.S. 430, 101 S.Ct. 1852, 68 L.Ed.2d 270 (1981), the United States Supreme Court held that Double Jeopardy barred imposition of a death sentence at a second capital murder trial where the jury in the first trial, in a separate penalty phase, had sentenced the defendant to life.
The ease at bar is nearly a duplicate of Bullington. The majority has erroneously isolated two factors from Bullington and identified them as the critical considerations in the Court’s decision, to wit: the fact that under Missouri law there are only two options for the jury, and the fact that there is no wide range of penalty options in Missouri.
The procedures used in securing a life sentence in Bullington, were characterized as the “hallmarks of a trial on guilt or innocence.” 451 U.S. at 439, 101 S.Ct. at 1858. They include: (1) a bifurcated sentencing proceeding, (2) a burden on the state to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that death is the appropriate sentence, (3) production of evidence at the separate sentencing proceeding to meet the burden of proof, and (4) guidance for the jury in its deliberations about the penalty. It is clear to me that these things were present in the case at bar as well.
The guilty verdicts returned by the first jury indicate that the Commonwealth met its burden of proof at the guilt/innocence phase to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Eldred murdered Mr. Cannon, and that El-dred committed first degree arson.
To obtain a death penalty for Eldred, the Commonwealth had the burden of proving two things beyond a reasonable doubt, (1) the existence of an aggravating factor, and (2) that Eldred should be sentenced to death. The jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that the aggravator of murder for hire existed. Most significantly, the jury was further instructed, “[i]f upon the whole ease you have a reasonable doubt whether the Defendant should be sentenced to death, you shall instead fix his punishment at a sentence of imprisonment.”
In my view, and according to Bullington, the jury acquitted Eldred of the death penalty when it fixed his punishment for murder at a sentence of imprisonment for life without benefit of probation or parole until he has served a minimum of 25 years.
The Commonwealth had its fair opportunity to prove that Eldred deserved to be sentenced to death, and failing to do that it should not be allowed to take a second bite of the apple. Therefore, I would affirm the decision of the Russell Circuit Court.
LAMBERT and STUMBO, JJ., join in this dissenting opinion.