Court Opinion

ID: 9850579
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:59:33.140658+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:39.688026
License: Public Domain

MOELLER, Justice,
specially concurring.
Because no statutory or constitutional basis exists to allow this court to engage in its own proportionality reviews in death penalty cases, I concur in Justice Corcoran’s well-reasoned special concurrence and join him in urging the court to discontinue the practice.
Proportionality reviews in Arizona death penalty cases had their origin in this court’s mistaken belief that such reviews were mandated by the United States Supreme Court. That Court has now made it clear that proportionality reviews are not constitutionally required. Pulley v. Harris, 465 U.S. 37, 104 S.Ct. 871, 79 L.Ed.2d 29 (1984). Although some states independently have chosen to require proportionality reviews by legislation, Arizona has not. Under these circumstances, I do not share the majority’s reluctance to abandon a practice that was adopted originally because of a mistaken perception of the law.
The logic of Justice Corcoran’s special concurrence is persuasive, as Justice Feldman acknowledges in his separate special concurrence. Justice Feldman, however, relying on Mr. Justice Holmes’ famous aphorism, rejects the “logic” of Justice Corcoran’s argument and, instead, relies on “experience.” My experience in the abyss of death penalty litigation leads me to the firm conclusion that it is both improper and undesirable to continue a practice that is neither legislatively nor constitutionally authorized. As is well-known to members of this court, our continued use of proportionality reviews is itself being attacked in death penalty litigation. See, e.g., the recent case of State v. Smith, Nos. CR-89-0174-PC and CR-91-0224-PC, review denied June 11, 1991. Similar attacks on proportionality review will doubtless continue and intensify as other attacks on the death penalty fail.
Although I assume that this court, which created proportionality review in Arizona, will uphold its legality, whether other courts will do so is far less certain. What is certain, however, is that the unauthorized proportionality review procedure will continue to provide yet another vehicle to further delay the already excruciatingly slow review process in death penalty cases. Thus, I draw a different conclusion from application of the Holmes’ dictum concerning experience than does my colleague Justice Feldman—my conclusion is that it is unwise to inject gratuitous issues into death penalty litigation. Not wishing to prolong death penalty litigation beyond that which is appropriate to provide a full, proper, and constitutional review in each case, I join Justice Corcoran in urging abolition of separate proportionality reviews.
In short, no constitutional or statutory authorization exists to permit this court to set aside an otherwise appropriate death penalty merely because three members of this court conclude, pursuant to a self-created proportionality review process, that they believe life imprisonment is the preferable punishment in a given case. Accord*525ingly, I concur in all portions of the majority’s opinion except that portion entitled “Proportionality,” and, on that subject, I join Justice Corcoran’s special concurrence.