Court Opinion

ID: 9611823
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 04:00:44.035357+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:31:32.922909
License: Public Domain

Sears, Justice,
concurring in part and dissenting in part.
I concur in the majority’s affirmance of appellant’s adjudication of guilt. However, for the reasons explained in my partial concurrence and partial dissent in Wilson v. State,1 I would stay ruling on the constitutionality of appellant’s sentence of death by electrocution until receiving guidance from the United States Supreme Court on that issue.7
8
Appendix.
Johnson v. State, 271 Ga. 375 (519 SE2d 221) (1999); Lee v. State, 270 Ga. 798 (514 SE2d 1) (1999); Perkins v. State, 269 Ga. 791 (505 SE2d 16) (1998); Mize v. State, 269 Ga. 646 (501 SE2d 219) (1998); Waldrip v. State, 267 Ga. 739 (482 SE2d 299) (1997); Carr v. State, 267 Ga. 547 (480 SE2d 583) (1997); Crowe v. State, 265 Ga. 582 (458 SE2d 799) (1995); Todd v. State, 261 Ga. 766 (410 SE2d 725) (1991); Taylor v. State, 261 Ga. 287 (404 SE2d 255) (1991); Wade v. State, 261 Ga. 105 (401 SE2d 701) (1991); Newland v. State, 258 Ga. 172 (366 SE2d 689) (1988); Jefferson v. State, 256 Ga. 821 (353 SE2d 468) (1987); Hicks v. State, 256 Ga. 715 (352 SE2d 762) (1987); Conner v. State, 251 Ga. 113 (303 SE2d 266) (1983); Krier v. State, 249 Ga. 80 (287 SE2d 531) (1982).

 271 Ga. 811, 824 (525 SE2d 339) (1999).

 In all capital cases, this Court is obligated to undertake a sua sponte review of the death sentence to determine, among other things, whether the penalty is excessive. OCGA § 17-10-35. “This penalty question is one of cruel and unusual punishment, and is for the court to decide” in all cases. Blake v. State, 239 Ga. 292, 297 (236 SE2d 637) (1977).