Court Opinion

ID: 9799087
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-31 05:46:03.770895+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:12:42.912805
License: Public Domain

Chief Justice BERCH
concurring in the result.
¶ 18 I agree with the result the Court reaches, but find it unnecessary to opine on the scope of the grand jury’s authority to hear aggravating circumstances, a holding that may have broad effect. We can rule on the issue in this case without doing so.
¶ 19 I would base the opinion, as the Court does in its reasoning in paragraphs 14 and 15, on the fact that Rule 13.5(e) provides defendants in capital cases the right to a hearing before a judge to challenge the sufficiency of aggravating circumstances. Sanchez requested but was denied such a hearing. It is enough to say that, as a defendant in a capital case, he is entitled to one.